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This study examined the relationships between media salience of presidential candidate images, perceived candidate salience, and public attitude strength using media and public opinion data from six US presidential elections. The results indicate that media salience is positively related to both public salience and attitude strength. In addition, the findings offer modest evidence suggesting that the sequence of influence among these variables entails media salience leading to stronger attitudes, which subsequently results in increased public salience. The implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]