Political Science: An Introduction

1. Political Science: An Introduction Fourteenth Edition Chapter 8 Political Communication Roskin | Cord | Medeiros | Jones

2. The Mass Media and Politics 8.1 List the modern mass media and show which are most influential. All political action is a form of political communication and it can occur on various levels. There is face-to-face political communication. Then there are the mass media. The mass media are a one-way communication channel, which means they have a greater tendency to reinforce existing political values. The mass media are essential for politics because they allow the communication of political messages. Politics as a result is dependent on media.

3. The Mass Media and Politics (3 of 3) 8.1 List the modern mass media and show which are most influential. Television focuses too much on president creating a “president-worship” media tendency. Also paints an unrealistic role the president plays in politics because coverage focuses on POTUS rather than other elected officials Media appeal to different people at different levels, distinguished by age, income, and education levels. More education = more media consumption

4. Modern Mass Media • Newspapers • Newspapers used to be big but are experiencing a decline in circulation as they struggle to compete with new forms of media. • Newspapers are tangible because they can be held. • Political impact is declining and the content is mostly advertisements.

5. Modern Mass Media • Radio • Radio has experienced a decline similar to newspapers. • Three companies now own half of the radio stations in America. • Radio used to be more important, with the hallmark being FDR's "Fireside Chats." • Radio reinforces both liberal and conservative views called narrowcasting.

6. Modern Mass Media • The news services • The news services produce news for most of the radio and television news programs. • The AP is independent and free of government influence • The elite media • The elite media are read by a small fraction of the public and consist of papers such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the Financial Times. • Have a great deal of influence on decision makers even though most Americans do not read them.

7. Social Media (1 of 5) 8.2 Demonstrate the political impact of social media. Social media is still relatively new but its impact is growing, especially among young people who are turning to the Internet for online news. The Internet can often catch stories that are overlooked by the mainstream media. Has also led to an increase in “fake news” which can help shape public opinion but also contributes to an uneducated population. Can also be tangible because you can email or save stories or screenshot photos of newsworthy events

8. The Giant: Television 8.3 Argue that television has or has not ruined political discourse. Often, people referring to "the media" mean "television." Campaigns now revolve around acquisition of television time. Television news is still the biggest source of news for most Americans. In general, television favors the visual image. It also comes close to simulating face-to-face communication.

9. Television News • Television creates an imbalance in the news because many events become newsworthy simply because television is there to cover it. • This allows for scripted media events and photo opportunities that are not necessarily news to dominate. Created by CNN 24-hr news cycle. • In essence then, TV news is not analytical in nature but rather serves as a headline service. If citizens want more detail, they need to look somewhere else.

10. Television and Politics • Television has been influential on politics. • It has enhanced the power of incumbents through increased name recognition. • Because television is president centered, it has increased both presidential worship by citizens and the expectations of citizens on the office. bandwagon: Tendency of frontrunners to gain additional supporters.

11. Television and Politics • Nominations are essentially done through television. • Television can proclaim winners, losers, and who has momentum and these can have a major effect on the level of support that is received by a candidate. • Many candidates drop out because their candidacies have been framed as failures in the media. • The effect is extremely powerful in the early contests and can create a bandwagon effect, which leads to more exposure, which leads to more coverage and so on. • Increase focus on candidate personalities rather than issues

12. Television and Politics • Robert Putnam has argued that the rise of television has contributed to the increase in passivity and apathy among citizens. • There is a strong correlation between the rise of television and the decline in voter turnout in the United States. • Voters are saturated with politics and lose interest. • Campaigns have also become more expensive, which increases the importance of interest groups and money in American elections.

13. Are We Poorly Served? 8.4 Define and explain "structural bias" in the mass media. In general the media do not really serve the interests of U.S. citizens. This is due in part to the highly selective nature of news coverage in the United States, a result of structural bias in the mediaor the media favoring the presidency (more dramatic and eyecatching), which reinforces a belief that the president is the government. Media created a disproportionate expectation for how government actually works

14. Are We Poorly Served? 8.4 Define and explain "structural bias" in the mass media. In general the media do not really serve the interests of U.S. citizens. Framing – the basic line of a news story which can lead to oversimplifying or stereotyping the facts. Framing can be used to tell the story the editor wants to tell, to help shape public opinion on a topic or problem and guides future media coverage Michael Brown case was racially framed War in Iraq was framed to build public support again Sadam’s WMD’s

15. Are We Poorly Served? 8.4 Define and explain "structural bias" in the mass media. In general the media do not really serve the interests of U.S. citizens. The media is generally reactive, waiting until a problem explodes before covering it. In general the media really do not provide any comprehensive pictures of events that are occurring around the world. The speed of media prevents in-depth and comprehensive reporting