Elements of Political Communication/General guidelines/Fairness

Negative comments about the opposing side are acceptable, but hit pieces on candidates and causes rarely help anyone. Although some evidence suggests that repeated negative campaign advertisements can increase turnout in local elections, long-term analysis indicates that many of the most commonly held assumptions about negativity in political communication (i.e. that negative political advertisements are more effective than positive) are unsupported by the extensive research conducted on this subject.

Instead, compare your candidate or cause in a positive light. Keep barbs to a minimum and keep them relevant. Remember that your objective is to convince the reader to join your side, not to inflame those who disagree. Hyperbolic jabs tend to incite online comment wars rather than facilitate reasonable discussion. Though often lambasted, politically correct terminology is almost always preferable over colloquialisms or pejorative terms. This includes references to minorities or those on the other side of an issue.