Media & Politics

1. Media & Politics

2. Overview • The Media as a Political Institution • Types & Forms of Media • Media and the Campaigns

3. Media as Political Institution Political Figures The People

4. Media as Political Institution Political Figures The People Democracy presupposes a tight connection between political leaders and the people

5. Media as Political Institution Political Figures The People How to reach each other? Direct contact options

6. Media as Political Institution Political Figures The People Direct contact options have limited capacity to reach mass audience though

7. Media as Political Institution M E D I A Political Figures The People

8. Media as Political Institution M E D I A Political Figures The People Use media to reach the people, but message is “mediated” by the media

9. Media as Political Institution M E D I A Political Figures The People Use media to reach political leaders, but message is “mediated” by the media

10. Media as Political Institution • Media has a pivotal role to play in democracy • An informed electorate is essential to democratic politics • For politicians to represent the “will of the people,” they need to know what the people want

11. Types and Forms of Media • Basic media types: • television • radio • print • internet • cinema • music • advertising

12. Types and Forms of Media • In U.S., most of these are for profit enterprises • Need for profit shapes content delivered • Presents possibility of conflicting aims of political figures and media owners

13. Types and Forms of Media

15. Types and Forms of Media • Most of the information and programming in the media is not necessarily overtly political • That is, much is “entertainment” rather than information

16. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Explicit Implicit

17. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior Explicit Implicit

18. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries Explicit Implicit

19. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior Explicit Political content is implied and intent is change political beliefs or behavior Implicit

20. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries Explicit Political values in entertainment programming Implicit

21. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Content is explicitly political, but with no intent to influence political behavior or beliefs Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior Explicit Political content is implied and intent is change political beliefs or behavior Implicit

22. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries News Explicit Political values in entertainment programming Implicit

23. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Content is explicitly political, but with no intent to influence political behavior or beliefs Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior Explicit Political content is implied and intent is change political beliefs or behavior Whatever political content and consequences that may exist are unintentional Implicit

24. Political Uses of Media Intentional Unintentional Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries News Explicit Vast majority of entertainment programming Political values in entertainment programming Implicit

25. Political Uses of Media • Political leaders in U.S. need media, but have little direct opportunity to truly shape and control message that is being delivered • With the exception of advertisements, control devolves to reporters, editors, publishers/producers, owners

26. Political Uses of Media • Political Leaders prefer to use unfiltered content -- they get their message right to the people

27. Political Uses of Media • But in the US, where media is not under direct government control, executives, producers/editors, and reporters may have different agenda.

28. Political Uses of Media Unmediated Content: • Political figure has direct and immediate access to the public

29. Political Uses of Media Political Figures The People Most political leaders prefer this sort of direct interaction, but they also recognize the limitations of this approach and the necessity of media assistance in mass democracy

30. Political Uses of Media Partly Mediated • Political figure uses media and media has partial element of control in dissemination and/or content of the message

31. Political Uses of Media Fully Mediated • Media controls dissemination and/or content of the message

32. Political Uses of Media • Because of interest in ratings, media outlets need to develop stories that engage audience fairly quickly • Means focusing more on the “horse race” angle of the election -- who’s ahead? by how much? who’s going to win? -- rather than the issues that are driving the election

33. Political Uses of Media • Media needs to focus on elements of good story, that means need the elements of good narrative: heroes, villains, plot lines • Need to have conflict, resolution, something “newsworthy” • focus on gaffes, arguments, “peripheral” issues of campaign

34. Political Uses of Media • Candidates and parties have only limited control of the campaign • Limited ability to control images and perceptions dramatically increases importance of succeeding in those areas that the candidates can control -- primarily advertising • That puts campaign finance at the heart of the campaign