B. Problem Formulation
To conduct the research, two problems have been formulated, as follow. 1.
What textual features are used in Barack Obama‟s presidential video campaign “Forward” ?
2. What persuasion strategies are employed in Barack Obama‟s presidential video
campaign “Forward” ?
C. Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study are mainly on two important aspect of the Barack Obama
‟s presidential video campaign “Forward” 2012. They are, first, to reveal the textual features used in Barack Obama‟s presidential TV campaign
“Forward” in 2012. First, the researcher tried to characterize the use of textual features of Barack Obama‟s presidential video campaign “Forward” in delivering
the persuasive messages. Second, the researcher try to reveal the persuasion strategies
used in Barack Obama‟s presidential TV campaign “Forward”.
D. Definition of Terms
In this section, the researcher tries to give the definition of terms that appear in the title and problem formulation. The definition of terms is meant to
help the reader to understand the scope of the study that is conducted by the researcher, which are as follows:
Textual feature, as defined by Verdonk, is the formal properties of the
text. The term textual features covers the sounds, typography, vocabulary, grammar, and other intrinsic features that exist within a text 2002: 19.
Campaign, or advertising, is a form of non personal communication that
are usually paid by sponsors to promote about products good, services, and ideas. Campaign, as a form of advertisement, is persuasive in nature and
structured in a way that is able to deliver the persuasive message. Advertising is the structured and composed non personal communication
of information, usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature, about products goods, services, and ideas by identified sponsors through
various media Arens, 2006: 7. Persuasion Strategy, comes from the word
persuasion
and
strategy
. The definition of persuasion, referring to Ross, as quoting Mary John Smith:
Persuasion … is a symbolic activity whose purpose is to effect the internalization or voluntary acceptance of new cognitive states or patterns
of overt behavior through the exchange of messages … a process of persuasion has occurred when people internalize the meanings they
assign to messages in an atmosphere of perceived choice 1994: 8. While the word
strategy
itself, as defined in the
Oxford Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary, is “a plan that is intended to achieve a particular purpose”.
Then, Persuasion Strategies is a term that is used to elicit a set of plans of an
activity which purpose is to internalize new understanding through the exchange of messages.
Forward, is
the slogan of Barack Obama‟s presidential campaign and the title of the video campaign studied. The slogan is used in Obama‟s 2012
presidential campaign as the incumbent candidate of the Democratic Party Johnson,
2012: 1.
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE