Political advertising in Zimbabwe: a critical appraisal of the MDC-T’s 2013 election advertisements placed in the Daily News

Abstract

The study looked at MDC-T election campaign advertisements placed in the Dailynews before the July 31 2013 harmonized election. It focused on the advertisements that were placed in the Dailynews. The study sought to analyze how Zanu PF’s discourses against MDC-T were countered in the advertisements. It aimed to make an analysis of how signs and symbols were manipulated as a way of fighting the status quo. The paper was analysing the packaging of MDC-T advertisements. Data was obtained through archival research. Sample size was selected from the newspapers that were published two weeks before the election date which carried the advertisements. Critical discourse analysis, content analysis and semiotic analysis were the methods used to analyse the advertisements. The study found out that MDC-T used band wagon to appeal to the people of Zimbabwe for votes. The study also found out that biblical allusion, allusion to soccer matches, use of appealing words, negative political advertising and comparative advertising were used as techniques to woo voters into accepting MDC-T ideologies.