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Unit 3.2: How does media interact with politics?

Unit 3.2: How does media interact with politics?. “I hate television. I hate it as much as I hate peanuts. … But I can’t stop eating peanuts.” –Orson Welles ( New York Post , 1956). What’s The Media’s Job?.

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Unit 3.2: How does media interact with politics?

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  1. Unit 3.2: How does media interact with politics? “I hate television. I hate it as much as I hate peanuts. … But I can’t stop eating peanuts.” –Orson Welles (New York Post, 1956)

  2. What’s The Media’s Job? Coined during the era of the French Revolution, the idea that the press is a check on the rest of the government, monitoring and exposing its activities. • The Fourth Estate? • ‘Watchdog function’ • Watergate scandal • Enron scandal • Hurrican Katrina fiasco • Social Institution? • ‘Filter + inform’ function • 2008 Financial Collapse • PBS Education programs • Commercial Institution? • Casey Anthony trial • Sidelining of news channels • Bush daughters scandal 20th century idea that the press should help public filter important information, provide notice, and promote certain social values or trends.

  3. What’s The Media’s Job? Individuals who devote a lot of time and personal resources to one specific area of policy. • Grant access to policymakers? • Policy entrepreneurs and interest groups use media for exposure • Unusual individual stories can have emotional power in media. • Setting the agenda! • Choose stories which will galvanize the public, and which lawmakers will act on. • Can give an idea a ‘face’ the public latches onto. All political scientists agree that the media, in interacting with politicians, policymakers, and public opinion, has significant power to influence the policy agenda (remember that?)

  4. Politicians Manipulate Media Formal events where members of press meet with politicians for a set period of time with a prepared statement and an open question time. • Press Conferences • Official press handlers • I Did Not Inhale • Mistakes Were Made • Media Events • Can include official events - SOTU • 9/11 Anniversaries • Obama Ossowatamie Speech • Trial Balloons • Use campaign surrogates • Biden’s gay marriage ‘whoops’ • Leaking • Legality and ethics questions • Obama’s ‘kill list’ leak • Valerie Plame leak Events created specifically to generate or invite media coverage of a candidate, often to generate an image. Use of media to ‘test’ a policy idea before formally proposing it and evaluate response from the issue classes.

  5. Media Manipulates Politicians In everything from debates to interviews and Q&As, candidates who can’t buy time have to rely on friendly media relations. • Ease of access • Embedding • Desired audience + timing • Free vs paid exposure • 1992 Presidential Debates • Talking head “hatchet men” • Inviting critics onto commentary • Can include graphics, ‘info’ • Sound-bite manipulation • “The fundamentals are strong…” • Investigative attack • Sarah Palin’s Troopergate • Media treatment • The “Gaffe” and the “Mistake” Controversial practice where journalists travel and live with subjects – maximum ease of access, but real risk of becoming close friends, too. Hostile media can aggressively choose negative or deceptive soundbites, or use tons of resources to discover negative “skeletons in the closet”

  6. What They Both Do • Narrative framing • Limit which critical and supportive views are heard. • ‘Tone’ of stories and emphasis • ‘The economic recovery is very slow…’ versus ‘The economy is picking up, although it is a slow recovery.” • Fact spinning • Discredit or empower specific facts or stories. • Re-contextualize facts and stories • Message control • Talking points distribution

  7. Inherent Biases • The Medium Is The Message • Television is inherently visual, not rational – Kennedy vs Nixon • Television lends itself to fewer complex sentences and facts. • Online media plays best to small, highly specific audiences. • “If it bleeds, it leads.” • Competition for advertising dollars due to ‘eyes-on’ model. • Reporters are human, too! • The ‘human interest story’ • Individualism bias • Running stories about interesting people always better than groups • CSPAN syndrome Derogatory way to remember the media’s very, very strong preference for sensational, sexy, bloody, or controversial stories above all else.

  8. Active Biases • Liberal? • Most journalists consider themselves liberal and/or democrats. • Markets and outlets are in liberal leaning areas of the country. • ‘Hollywood Values’ • Conservative? • The largest viewership news outlet by far is Fox News. • Corporate ownership has anti-economic liberalism bias. • Conservative lock on some areas of media, especially radio. • Corporate? • Whoever is in power? Both ideological sides of American mainstream politics have strong arguments to claim media is biased towards the other guy. The folks on the sidelines probably have the most cause to complain, though. There is a strong argument that the media’s bias depends on who is in political ascendance – either seeking their approval and friendship for favors, or working to critique them and find controversies to cover.

  9. Photo Credits Background Adapted from: http://www.autoracing1.com/Images/2004/CART/Monterey/IMG_1814.jpg Slides: http://www.courts.state.ny.us/history/images/zenger_tryal_illustration.jpg http://www.apimages.com/search.aspx?st=shwc&xslt=scssr&id=414909 http://images.suite101.com/3366583_com_yellow_journalism_loc_.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/05/01/article-2137695-12D9DA07000005DC-38_968x617.jpg http://justanotherworthlessblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/network-logos.png?w=280&h=276 http://indicatemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/0805wileycartoon.jpg http://training.weinformers.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/new-media-websites.jpg http://nbeda.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/woo1-0031.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Clinton_inauguration_1993_-_campaign_bus.jpg http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/president-7.jpg http://www.pophistorydig.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/1950s-nixon-checkers-65.jpg http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/files/images/vietnam-protest-march.jpg http://newspaper.li/static/41ab2f64ddcfe76b5a12f724224ab81d.jpg http://www.modestoradiomuseum.org/images/A-UPI-SEAL.jpg http://www.bilerico.com/2010/07/tv-talking-heads.jpg http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID23316/images/WikiLeaks(1).jpg http://gallery.grbrewer.com/albums/admin/TV%20Shows/The%20Daily%20Show/the-daily-show.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/stills/DennisKnealeCNBC_gawker.flv.jpg http://amitwerber.com/files/gimgs/50_ww01finalfile080811ssck.png http://www.mathewbrowne.com/images/thesun.jpg http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/business/2009/06/fcc-logosvg1.png http://www.schulerbooks.com/files/schulers/Sean_Hannity_web_2_2_.jpg http://chattahbox.com/images/2011/03/sean_hannity_official_photo-300x207.jpg http://www.greenberg-art.com/.Toons/.Toons,%20Media/qqxsgMediaOwnership.gif

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