Pol Comm 2 Rep

Political Communication and Representation

Lecture 2

the nature of communication

• From politicians to society– a form of democratic education– informing us so we can form

attitudes/opinions

• A social rhetoric– founded on codes and language we

collectively understand– should facilitate participation

• Interactive– All are represented and able to participate

What is Representation

• Delegative versus Representational

• Being given voice– Wider than electing an MP

• Sources of representations– MPs/Parties, pressure

groups/lobbyists, media, celebrities

Perspectives of Representation

• Actual – they do what we want them to and tell us about how they are doing

• Symbolic – they feel the same as us and so do what we would

• Rhetorical – they claim similarity and empathy

Representation and communication

• Democracy = people power• We elect or appoint or allow

people to work on our behalf• Communication with

representative should be circular?

• But is it really, can it work…..

The influence of Marx

SUPERSTRUCTURE

BASE

The influence of Marx

SUPERSTRUCTURE

BASEBut aren’t these all

really the same people?

The Frankfurt School Perspective

• Political communication is top-down

• Hegemony creates a false consciousness

• More about social control than representation

The Birmingham School perspective

• Political/economic dominance of those with power

• Media impartial but ‘political-economy’ powerful

• Option of ‘oppositionalism’ / Differential decoding

Fresh thinking on the media

• Commercialisation / Market-orientation• Loss of impartiality/weakened hegemony

– play to the market, populism

• Lowest common denominators– dumbing down

• Coding of the message reduces abilities to adopt oppositional or differential readings– agenda setting and framing

Postmodernity

• Culture and politics is shifting and individual

• Commodification of society, culture and life

• Emotionalisation/Femininisation – The rise of Obama

• Pick-and-Mix mentality• An emerging participatory culture

Postmodern Mass Communication

• To the individual – to each aspect of their personalities– building upon their interests

• Difficult to manipulate, must interact

• Where does politics fit?– Social conscience– Social interests– Protection of individual - Me Me Me!!!

• But how much is propaganda?

What is propaganda?

• Persuasive communication (Edelstein, 1997)

• Information presented in order to control thinking (Cunningham, 2002)

• Communication with a goal (Therkelsen & Fiebich, 2001)

• Communication designed to make the audience volunteer to act in a desired way (Traverse-Healey, 1998)

propaganda’s function

• ‘social training’ (Dahl, 1956)• ‘democratic education’ (Scammell, 2000)• ‘communication that makes the

audience act in a way beneficial to the communicator’ (Jowett & O’Donnell, 1992)

• ‘to make an audience change their opinions without question’ (Bartlett, 1940)

Democracy

• A political system based upon equality and freedom. Where the public are free from coercion and fear, and are protected from agents that would harm them.

• But propaganda is coercion• So democratic politicians never use

propaganda?

The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in every country

Hermann Goering, interview in his cell, Nuremberg, 1945

Representation v Propaganda• If everyone uses propaganda

loudly enough is there a problem?

• But propaganda stifles debate– Teleological argumentation

• Is it ok if we agree with the message?

• What is the effect on participation?

Thinking for the seminar

• Who represents you publicly on issues you really care about?

• How do they represent you?– Actual/symbolic/rhetorical

• To what extent is the communication to you propaganda in style or nature?

• What is the impact on democracy?– What sort of society do we live in?