COM 517 COMMUNICATION IN POLITICS

Media and Democracy

•Walter LippmanPublic Opinion: Public opinion is facilitated, not formed “naturally”

•Robert McChesneymedia-democracy paradox: concentration, conglomeration and hypercommercialism negates the democratic potential

•Jens KlaehnHerman-Chomsky Propaganda model: multiple filters

•Colin SparksMedia theory v. media practice: investigate the fault lines between media and audience and within media organizations themselves

•James CurranMedia’s relationship to governance

•Gianpetro Mazzoleni & Winfried Schulz“Mediatization” of politics: becoming indistinguishable

•David SwansonPolitical-Media complex: institutional needs dominate

•Jay Blumler and Dennis KavanaghThe third age of political communication

Philosophies of Free Speech and Press

I. Individual Fulfillment (Thomas Emerson)

II. The attainment of truth: the marketplace of ideas (Oliver Wendell Holmes)

III. Governance (Alexander Meiklejohn)

IV. Watchdog (Vincent Blasi)

V. Agent of Peaceful Change

VI. Access (Jerome Barron)

COM 517 COMMUNICATION IN POLITICS

Media and Democracy

•Walter LippmanPublic Opinion: Public opinion is facilitated, not formed “naturally”

•Robert McChesneymedia-democracy paradox: concentration, conglomeration and hypercommercialism negates the democratic potential

•Jens KlaehnHerman-Chomsky Propaganda model: multiple filters

•Colin SparksMedia theory v. media practice: investigate the fault lines between media and audience and within media organizations themselves

•James CurranMedia’s relationship to governance

•Gianpetro Mazzoleni & Winfried Schulz“Mediatization” of politics: becoming indistinguishable

•David SwansonPolitical-Media complex: institutional needs dominate

•Jay Blumler and Dennis KavanaghThe third age of political communication

Three Ages of Political Communication

1. Golden Age of Party Politics

2. National media (Television)Diminished party propaganda“Fairness” by government fiatLarger audiencesNetwork news as agenda/schedule

arbiter

3. Proliferation of media outlets (commercial/non-commercial, new technologies, more opportunities for narrowly focused communication