Most of the 2007 political advertisements did not shed light to current social, economic, political or other issues. They only contained slogans and pop songs that reinforce name recalls for the candidates themselves. There were only two exceptions, wherein former Senators Ralph Recto and John Osmena included their stand on Value Added Tax (VAT).

Miting de Avances turned into town fiestas and entertainment affairs that included celebrities with song or dance numbers. Most of the candidates themselves did not tackle social issues during speeches, but instead used character attacks against their opponents.

There was no departure from the 2004 political ads that started the trend of incorporating jingles and slogans, celebrity endorsers and capsule presentation of the candidate’s previous projects.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility conducted a study of mass media’s coverage of the 2007 senatorial and party-list elections. Under this, Danilo Arao, an assistant professor at the Department of Journalism of the University of the Philippines Diliman, did a time allotment analysis for six television news programs – TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN), Bandila (ABS-CBN), 24 Oras (GMA), Saksi (GMA), Sentro (ABC) and Teledyaryo Primetime (NBN).

According to the findings of the study and statistics from Pulse Asia (regarding the 2004 Elections), the television was the number one source of awareness and was perceived as the most credible. The statistics also showed how powerful the media were, particularly the TV, in shaping public opinion, specifically in elections.

Arao gave a colloquium on Media and the Elections at the CMC Auditorium, Plaridel Hall Annex, UP Diliman last July 11, 2007. He presented findings and an analysis of the two studies he conducted on the 2007 elections.