Interest Groups/Media

4/26/2012

Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form

• Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:– discuss and critically analyze political events in the

United States government

– students will be able to identify and explain the role of informal institutions and their effect on policy.

Office Hours and Readings

• Pages 130-151

• Office Hours– None Today– Monday 10-2

The Media and Politics

The Role of the Media

• It is profit driven

• Reporting the news

• Setting the Agenda

Gatekeepers

• Key people who control what we watch

• Help to shape political priorities

• Driven by profit

What gatekeepers use

• The authority of the source

• The Amount of Controversy

• The importance

PROVIDING US WITH POLITICAL INFORMATION

Where we get Political Information

The Type of Media Matters

• Television is the most important

• The internet is the fastest, but has the most bias

We Would Rather Watch Mistakes

• Bad Sushi

• People Falling

• A great collection

• Rick Perry

Newspapers and Magazines

• Newspapers– Provide more

information and Detail– Very few cities have

multiple papers anymore

• Magazines- vary in content and quality

The Decline of Old media

THE MINIMAL EFFECTS MODELDoes the media really matter

The Minimal Effects Model

• The Fall Campaign is not that important

• Most people have made up their mind

Spurious/Minimal effects model

• We do not seek out political information

• We have selective/exposure perception

• We rarely make major changes

Who is influenced the most

• Those with the least political attention

• Those without stable party identification

• Elections can swing if it is close

HORSE RACE COVERAGEHow the Media Makes things exciting

Horse Race Coverage

• What is it?

• What does it contain

• Why?

The Latest Polls

The Electoral College

Map

The keys to horse race coverage

• Polling

• Perception

• No issues

Component I: Categorizer

• Sorts the candidates into winners and losers

• Creates an Image for the candidate

Component II: Expectation Setter

• Puts odds on the candidates

• You want to be at the top… duh

• But it isn't as good as you might think

Component III: Mentioner

• You want the media to notice you

• Not all press is good press

• Mentions mean money and votes

Component IV:Winnowing

• The Press Winnows (narrows) down the candidates

• Attention is on Iowa and NH

• Frontloading is the results

Type of Coverage in 2008 Primary

Content Coverage in the Primary

60%17%

15%

8%

Horse Race Background and Personal Issue Other

Horse Race Dominates 2008 General

Content Coverage in the General Election

51%

20%

19%

5% 5%

Horserace Issue Advertising/$ Personal Lives Public Record