News on the “700 Club” after Pat Robertson's Political Fall

Abstract

This article employs content analysis to study topics and themes of televangelist Pat Robertson's televised “700 Club” in the last months of 1988 and early 1989, after Robertson lost the race for the Republican presidential nomination and a Bush administration took office. The study found that in the 30 episodes analyzed, social, political, and religious topics each accounted for about one-third of topics mentioned. The tone of political discussions was often disapproving. Areas of the world emphasized were North and South America and the Middle East. The study speculates that the religious right is keeping its hand in the national agenda-building process.