TEST STATISTICS

Multiple Choice Average = 50% Short Answer Average = 79% Essay Average = 86% Exam Average = 68%

MIDTERM EVALUATION REPORT

Most helpful to class: Powerpoint slides and videos = 9 Blogs = 5 Discussion = 4 Course content is relevant = 4

Least helpful to class: Blogs = 3 Book = 2

Improvement More discussion = 3

POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT MEDIADr. Kristen Landreville

Mon. 10/4 & Wed. 10/6

Laughing Matters Ch. 1-2

TRANSITION FROM BENNETT TO LAUGHING MATTERS

Bennett’s ComplaintsDecline of hard newsRise of soft news4 information biases

Focus of Laughing MattersSoft news, political humor, satireSoft news defined as:

“…personality driven, focuses on sensationalism and drama rather than facts, and conveys less public affairs information to its audience than hard news.” (Laughing Matters, p. 3)

DEFINING POLITICAL HUMOR

What are the characteristics and criteria?

Funny Makes you laugh, smile, feel good

Politically-oriented What is political then? Issues that are controversial

Example Jay Leno on President Bush http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z7yFZ-7HwI Al Franken’s Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them

DEFINING POLITICAL SATIRE How is it different than political humor?1. Aggressive, Attacking, Offensive

People, institutions, and processes

2. Judgment, Criticism Reveals weaknesses of the target Doesn’t necessarily offer solutions

3. Play Construct a game Strategies include: distortion, caricatures, surprise

4. Laughter Makes persuasion possible

5. Audience Knowledge Need to be “in on the joke”

POLITICAL SATIRE IN AMERICA Satire is artful political critique Political satire is thriving

The Simpsons 1989-2010 South Park 1997-2010 Family Guy 1999-2010 The Daily Show 1996-2010 Saturday Night Live 1975-2010

2006 White House Correspondents’ Dinner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y97-37xfMo&feature=related Discussion & Comments What larger commentary is he making about the President? About the News Media?

POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT MEDIADr. Kristen Landreville

Mon. 10/4 & Wed. 10/6

Laughing Matters Ch. 1-2

BRIEF HISTORY OF SATIRE

Early Greece Plato: It’s magic, need legal penalties.

Early Rome 2 Types: Horatian and Juvenalian Augustus’ ban and punishment by death

Britain bans it in Middle Ages Now

Literary art form, its own genre Muhammad cartoons

South Park - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh4mi2Ea_7o

Larry King debate - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1SAl0NVEHQ&feature=related

IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT #9

Discussing the VALUE of soft news, humor, and satire

In groups of 3-4, discuss and make a list for:

1. The arguments FOR soft news, humor, and satire

2. The arguments AGAINST soft news, humor, and satire

THE VALUE OF SOFT NEWS, HUMOR, & SATIRE

Arguments FOR Arguments AGAINST Bypass traditional emphasis

on process and strategy Allow a political dialogue Ask substantive questions Attract the politically

uninterested and unengaged Increase knowledge Persuasive because stealth 5th estate – Media watchdogs

Exposure without awareness

High knowledge required (sometimes)

Encourage cynicism and apathy

Open for interpretation Biased information

processing Confirms one’s beliefs

POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT MEDIADr. Kristen Landreville

Mon. 10/4 & Wed. 10/6

Laughing Matters Ch. 1-2

MODERNITYThe Concept of “Modernity”Distinct Spheres

Science, Politics (Morality), & Art

Journalism Empirically searching for political truth; 4th estate

News Content Serious, detached, dispassionate

Citizens Use journalism to decide, debate, and engage Rationally-based political thinking

Economics News as a “loss”, entertainment as a “gain”

POST-MODERNITY

Beyond ModernityBlended Spheres – Hybridization Journalism

Declining objectivity, increasing punditry

News Content Politics as “sport” and “theater”

Citizens Use journalism to support prior beliefs, audience fragmentation Emotionally-based political thinking

Economics Mega-media conglomerates

POST-MODERN STYLE WITH MODERNIST INTENTIONS

Political humor and satire today has…Post-modern style

Serious comedy Blends entertainment with news Adds emotion to rational arguments

WITHModernist intentions

Faith in fact, accountability, and truth Pro citizen-engagement Advocates critical debate Demands journalistic improvement

BLOG POST #6DUE MON. 10/11

Topic: Value of late-night comedians in a democracy Read 2 news stories

Jon Stewart’s upcoming rally Critique of late-night comedians in democracy

Respond to 4 broad questions How frequently do you watch late-night comedy shows? What is your reaction to Jon Stewart’s rally? In a larger sense, what value do you think late-night comedians are to

a democratic society? Can you make any connections to what you learned from the first part

of this class (i.e., Bennett’s book on the news media and the four information biases)?

FOR NEXT TIME…

Fri. 10/8 Laughing Matters, Ch. 13-14