Responsive Chord, the

This classic book in the mass communication literature has been widely cited by both scholars and practitioners because it uses a communication principle called resonance to outline both a theoretical and a practical approach to creating electronic media messages. The author contends “presearch” is critical to creating a persuasive radio or television message that will “use the audience as a workforce” by evoking a response from each listener's or viewer's personal experiences and background. Published in 1973, this was the first book written by Tony Schwartz, the man who created the famous “Daisy Girl” spot for Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential election.

Schwartz believes many people using the electronic media to persuade or inform do not really understand how it works. He explains why transportation theories of ...