7 mass media and the political agenda 7 politicians use the media to get their message out to...
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7Mass Media and the Political Agenda
7Mass Media and the Political Agenda
• Politicians use the media to get their message out to Americans• As time has progressed, their ability to do this has diminished• High-Tech Politics is when the behavior of citizens and policy makers and the political agenda itself are increasing shaped by technology• The Mass Media is television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication
Mass Media Today
Controlling the political agenda
Media events Carefully staged
Commercials 60% of presidential campaign budget Nearly always negative
Image-making
7.1
Mass Media Today
Controlling the political agenda
The entire goal of using media events and TV advertising is to control the agenda and perception of the politician
7.1
Mass Media Today
Media Events
Events that are purposely staged for the
media and that are significant just because
the media is there
7.1
Mass Media Today
TV Advertising
60% of campaign spending
2/3 is negative
7.1
Development of Media Politics
Early days: Almost no relationship between politicians and the
media existed
FDR begins to utilize the media to get his message out – this created a positive relationship
Press conferences allowed public officials to meet with reporters
7.2
Transformation Watergate
The Vietnam War
Investigative journalism The use of in-depth reporting to unearth
scandals, scams, and schemes, at time putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders.
7.2Development of Media Politics
Focus on campaigns is on the why instead of the what What = candidates policy statements
Why = the campaign as a horse race
Driven by ratings and money
7.2Development of Media Politics
Two key forms of media in politics
Print Media Newspapers and magazines, as compared
with electronic media
Electronic Media Television, radio, and the Internet, as
compared with print media
7.2Development of Media Politics
Two key forms of media in politics
Print Media Newspapers and magazines, as compared
with electronic media
Electronic Media Television, radio, and the Internet, as
compared with print media
7.2Development of Media Politics
Print Media
Newspapers developed due to free press
Newspaper readers better informed Yet, circulation declines
Online news How to make money?
Magazines Suffering same fate
7.2
Emergence of Radio and Television
Radio - 1930s
Television – post-WWII
Cable television – 1980s
Internet – 1990s
End of the golden age of network news
7.2
Development of Media Politics
Government Regulation of Electronic Media
From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: Rise of Cable and Cable News
Impact of the Internet
Private Control of the Media
7.2
Government Regulation of Electronic Media
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 1934 Limits monopolies Stations must serve public interest Fair treatment rule Right-of-reply rule Fairness doctrine abolished
7.2
From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: Rise of Cable and Cable News
Narrowcasting Media programming on cable TV (MTV, ESPN,
C-SPAN) or the Internet that is focused on a particular interest and aimed at a particular audience, in contrast to broadcasting
7.2
From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: Rise of Cable and Cable News
A general audience no more Breaking news “Talk radio on television” “Outrage discourse” Selective exposure
The process through which people consciously choose to get the news from information sources that have viewpoints compatible with their own.
7.2
FIGURE 7.1: How the audiences of cable news channels have polarized into rival partisan camps
7.2
Impact of the Internet
Information at your fingertips Pop culture over politics
7.2
TABLE 7.1: Top 25 Lycos searches for the week of the first 2008 presidential debate
7.2
Impact of the Internet
Facilitating communications Meetup and Facebook
Blogs Equal weight with professional journalists?
7.2
Political bloggers 7.2
Private Control of the Media Private v. public ownership
Private more common in U.S. Public more common abroad Freedom of the press varies
Profit orientation Advertising revenue Decline of foreign news reporting
Chains Groups of newspapers published by media conglomerates and today
accounting for over four-fifths of the nation's daily newspaper circulation.
7.2
Reporting the News
Focus has become on entertainment (profits) rather than substance
7.3
Finding the News
Beats Specific locations from which news frequently emanates, such as
Congress or the White House. Most top reporters work a particular beat, thereby becoming specialists in what goes on at that location.
Trial balloons Intentional news leaks for the purpose of assessing the political
reaction.
7.3
Finding the News
Symbiotic relationship
Pulitzer Prize winning journalism
7.3
Presenting the News
Skimming off the cream 10-second sound bites
Short video clips of approximately 10 seconds. Typically, they are all that is shown from a politician’s speech on the nightly television news.
Complex policy issues ignored Politicians can’t present issues Politicians can avoid issues
Presidents rebuffed Shunted to cable
7.3
Bias in the News
Do the media have a liberal bias?
“If it bleeds, it leads” Visual stimulation: no talking heads Talking heads are shots of a person’s fact talking directly to the camera. Because
such shots are visually unstimulating, the major networks rarely show politicians talking for very long.
7.3
Jerry Sandusky 7.3
TABLE 7.2: Stories citizens have tuned in and tuned out
7.3
News and Public Opinion
How influential are the media?
Agenda-setting effects Sets criteria by which public evaluates leaders Emphasizes one event over another Focuses on misstatements
7.4
Policy Entrepreneurs and Agenda Setting
Policy agenda The issues that attract the serious attention of public
officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time
Many issues compete for attention from government Interest groups, parties, politicians, agencies, all push
their priorities
7.5
Policy Entrepreneurs and Agenda Setting
Policy entrepreneurs People who invest their political “capital” in an issue.
According to John Kingdon, a policy entrepreneur “could be in or our of government, in elected or appointed positions, in interest groups or research organizations.”
Political activists depend upon the media Protests attract coverage
7.5
Media and the Scope of Government
Media as watchdog Press criticism does more good than harm Reporters hold negative views of public officials
Media as skeptic Constrains government Focus on injustices enlarges government
7.6
Individualism and the Media
TV furthers individualism No need for intermediaries Candidates can reach individual voters
TV focuses on individuals Personality important Focus on executive branch
7.6
Democracy and the Media
“Information is the fuel of democracy” But more info does not equal more competence
Superficial by demand Profit motive again Public appetite shapes choices
7.6