Pearson Longman PoliticalScience Interactive

Pearson LongmanPoliticalScienceInteract

iveShea, Green, and SmithLiving Democracy, Second

Edition

Chapter 11:The Politics of the Media

Shea, Green, and Smith, Living Democracy, Second Edition Copyright 2009 Pearson Longman

Chapter 11: The Politics of the Media

Media and Cultural Change

Over the past 50 years, television has gone from giving very narrow portrayals of women as wives and mothers to Sex and the City’s sexually assertive and independent women.



Mass Media

“For it seems more certain now than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.”–Walter Cronkite, February 1968

“That’s it. If I’ve lost Cronkite,

I’ve lost middle America.” –President Johnson



Growth of Mass Media: Print Media

First newspaper: Boston News-Letter, April 1704– Avoided controversial issues

During Revolutionary War, newspapers abandoned impartiality and work to build resistance to British policies.

1833, advent of the penny press

1848, creation of the Associated Press

Yellow journalism

Centralization of ownership of newspapers in early 20th century has continued to this day.



History of the Mass Media: Electronic Media

Radio Act of 1927– Established the airwaves as a public good, subject to governmental oversight

The Federal Communications Commission – created in 1934



Unlike newspapers and radio stations, high costs dictated that almost from the beginning, TV stations were affiliated with networks, thus centralizing ownership.

Today, ownership is both more competitive and more diverse.


Television



Internet Access by Selected

Characteristics: 2003 (in percentages)


The Internet



Concerned over high phone bills incurred by soldiers in Iraq

Raised $1 million and donated 400,000 minutes to soldiers overseas

Student Profile: Brittany and Robbie Bergquist



Pathways of Change From Around the World: Blogging in Myanmar

Blogs used by young Myanmarese to communicate protests of Buddhist monks to the world

Government unable to control media in this instance



Functions of the Media: Entertainment

The distinction between entertainment and the news has become increasingly blurred.

Television character Murphy Brown and Vice President Dan Quayle engaged in a dialogue on “family values” in 1992.



Social Effects of the Media

Three important societal functions of the media

Surveillance

Interpretation

Socialization



Functions of the Media: Surveillance

The media has a watchdog role as the “eyes and ears of the world.”

Investigative reporting– “Muckraking”– Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle– Watergate– Illinois death penalty

Investigative Reporting

A type of journalism in which reporters

thoroughly investigate a

subject matter to inform the

public, correct an injustice, or expose an abuse.

Pathways Profile: Dorothea Lange

Documented migratory workers during the Great Depression

Also documented the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II



Functions of the Media: Interpretation

The power to set the context, to frame the issue, to interpret the facts, and

potentially to provide legitimacy for people, issues, or groups are powerful and

controversial functions of the media.



Functions of the Media: Socialization

The media is an agent of socialization,

teaching us political facts and opinions that help form our political belief structures and our political culture.



Intentional Manipulation

Officials want to control information about themselves and their policies, including the way such information is framed and presented by the media.



How Politicians Make the News

One very popular tactic of politicians trying to get free press is to stage

“pseudo-events.”



How Journalists Report the News

Agenda Setting

The media’s ability to determine which issues will be covered, in

what detail, and in what context—and conversely, to decide which stories

are “not news” and thus will not be covered.

The media are sometimes said to be acting as “gatekeepers.”



Covering the President

Three general forms of communication from the White House:

1. Press Releases

2. News Briefings

3. News Conferences



Covering the President

Presidential Press Conferences



Pathways of Action: The Strategic Use of Leaks

Why do public officials leak information to the press?

A “trial balloon”Sway public opinionPersonalize storiesTo get information from those who are publicity shy



Covering the CourtsThe media give far less attention to Congress than the president.

Of all three branches of government, the courts tend to get the least amount of coverage.– Confirmation hearings are an exception.



How Groups Use the Media: Consumers

Since poor people don’t subscribe in significant numbers, newspapers

continue to ignore the needs of the lower class, perpetuating biases in coverage and access to information.



The Media and the Public in the Political Arena

Negative coverage

Charging for advertising

Televising debates

How does the media affect campaigns?




Concerns around the world about the prevalence of American media

Cultural influence as much a concern as news media

Some countries have closely controlled the availability of American media

Global Issues




Targeting of specific audiences

Concern that the result is fragmentation

Issues of concern to one group may not be covered in media targeting another group

Narrowcasting



The Media and the Public in the Political ArenaNarrowcasting




“Nationalization” has occurred as a result of more concentrated media ownership

Less competition among newspapers

Concentration and Centralization of Ownership



Governmental Regulations

Conflicting goals

Gulf War of 1991 an example of tight governmental control of information

Media and Government: A Tense Relationship



The Right to Privacy

Two standards exist: one for public figures and another for private individuals.

Papers often have policies not to publish the names of rape victims, but these rules are a matter of decency, not of law.




Rules Regarding Content and OwnershipLibel laws protect individuals’ reputations

Prior censorship used by government to keep material from becoming public

Equal time rule gives candidates from different parties equal media time

Fairness doctrine (1949–1985) to ensure both sides of a controversial issue are covered




The Role of Profits


Libertarian View

The media should show what they

thinkthe public wants, without concern for consequences.

Social Responsibility

Theory

The media need to balance what the public wants with what’s good for it.

Pearson Longman PoliticalScience Interactive

Documents

surveillancethe media

socializationthe media

controversial functions

political facts

world war iifunctions

political culture

centralizing ownership

electronic mediaradio