ACTIVITY: PARTY POLITICAL BROADCASTS 1987
Climate of Fear vs. Climate of Hope
The National and Labour advertisements featured on the DVD seek to capture a mood. National’s is dramatic and dark and attempts to create a sense of New Zealand being in a state of fear because of Labour; Labour’s is optimistic, going to great lengths (including using television stars of the day) to emphasise that New Zealand is a beacon of hope in the dark days of the nuclear arms race.
Discussion points:
National:
- Dramatic use of lighting
- the desperate pleading of the Labour government
- atmosphere/mood very dark
- ripping up policies, burning them – imagery associated with fire, flames etc
- Visual feature – the three flags
- Old folks, women vulnerable in today’s society
- French agents – the Rainbow Warrior affair
- The working New Zealander – the light from up high and far away creates a prison cell image
- Grasping hands, dole queue
- Labour has deserted its own people
- Long shot of solitary figure, “deep in the winter of 1987”
- “We’re worse off …”
- Farming, education, industry – all gone wrong
- Visual image – knife going through rope
- Child writing an IOU – obvious emotional ploy
- Another three years of heartbreak – more darkness
Labour:
- Huge push on the anti-nuclear stance – a major talking point on the international stage
- TV celebs – Bruce Weitz (Hill St Blues) and Ed Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, JFK etc)
- “From caring people everywhere”
- Pokarekareana in background – an easily identifiable New Zealand song
- Economy – “continue the job of rebuilding”
- Controls, economic tinkering
- Education – dramatic lighting, child alone: this government has had to put in three years of hard work just trying to repair the damage done by the previous National government etc etc.
- National Party – press clippings to show how poor the opposition is
- George Gair – “I’m confused”
- Pronouns – us, we etc
- “It will show this country … what it is made of.” A challenge to New Zealanders to stick with Labour
- Apostrophe abuse – It has won back it’s pride. Poor.
- The ball is in our hands – the choice is ours etc.
Activity
Climate of Fear vs. Climate of Hope
Resources required: the NZFA propaganda DVD, voting slips, ballot box.
Learning intentions: students can recognise the techniques and intended effects of political propaganda.
- Watch the two ads
- Divide the class into four groups. One group will represent National (group 1), one group Labour (group 2) and there will be two groups representing the voters. Each group will outline their policies and comment on why they should be the next government. Each group will select a spokesperson who will report to the class.
- Watch ads again, with groups 1 and 2 making notes on party policy and why the other party is ineffective etc – this information will be necessary for their presentations. The National group should be able to explain why we should be in a climate of fear – why need we be afraid of another term under Labour. The Labour group, on the other hand, will need to convince the voters why we should be the opposite – optimistic and hopeful for the years ahead. Typical political spin; it may be 1987 but nothing has changed!
- Spokespersons to report back, briefly – maybe 2 mins each – to the voters on just why their party should be the next government. Voters are free to ask appropriate questions.
- Election time. Voters are to discuss in groups who they are likely to vote for and why. A spokesperson from each group will report back to the class on these discussions, and can comment particularly on which ad they thought was most effective and why. A vote can be taken, either by secret ballot or hands – ballot probably works best.
- A good way to end the lesson is to discuss why the ads were effective or not, and why each of them can be seen to be good examples of propaganda.
