Media & Politics

Overview

• The Media as a Political Institution

• Types & Forms of Media

• Media and the Campaigns

Media as Political Institution

PoliticalFigures

The People

Media as Political Institution

PoliticalFigures

The People

Democracy presupposes a tight connection between political leaders and the people

Media as Political Institution

PoliticalFigures

The People

How to reach each other?

Direct contact options

Media as Political Institution

PoliticalFigures

The People

Direct contact options have limited capacity to reach mass audience though

Media as Political Institution

PoliticalFigures

The People

M

E

D

I

A

Media as Political Institution

PoliticalFigures

The PeopleM

E

D

I

A

Use media to reach the people, but message is “mediated” by the media

Media as Political Institution

PoliticalFigures

The PeopleM

E

D

I

A

Use media to reach political leaders, but message is “mediated” by the media

Media as Political Institution

• Media has a pivotal role to play in democracy

• An informed electorate is essential to democratic politics

• For politicians to represent the “will of the people,” they need to know what the people want

Types and Forms of Media

• Basic media types:– television

– radio

– print

– internet

– cinema

– music

– advertising

Types and Forms of Media

• In U.S., most of these are for profit enterprises

• Need for profit shapes content delivered

• Presents possibility of conflicting aims of political figures and media owners

Types and Forms of Media

Types and Forms of Media

• Most of the information and programming in the media is not necessarily overtly political

• That is, much is “entertainment” rather than information

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior

Political content is implied and intent is change political beliefs or behavior

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries

Political values in entertainment programming

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior

Political content is implied and intent is change political beliefs or behavior

Content is explicitly political, but with no intent to influence political behavior or beliefs

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries

News

Political values in entertainment programming

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Content is explicitly political and intends to change political beliefs or behavior

Political content is implied and intent is change political beliefs or behavior

Content is explicitly political, but with no intent to influence political behavior or beliefs

Whatever political content and consequences that may exist are unintentional

Political Uses of MediaIntentional Unintentional

Explicit

Implicit

Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries

News

Political values in entertainment programming

Vast majority of entertainment programming

Political Uses of Media

• Political leaders in U.S. need media, but have little direct opportunity to truly shape and control message that is being delivered

• With the exception of advertisements, control devolves to reporters, editors, publishers/producers, owners

Political Uses of Media

• Political Leaders prefer to use unfiltered content -- they get their message right to the people

Political Uses of Media

• But in the US, where media is not under direct government control, executives, producers/editors, and reporters may have different agenda.

Political Uses of Media

Unmediated Content:– Political figure has

direct and immediate access to the public

Political Uses of Media

PoliticalFigures

The People

Most political leaders prefer this sort of direct interaction, but they also recognize the limitations of this approach and the necessity of media assistance in mass democracy

Political Uses of Media

Partly Mediated– Political figure uses

media and media has partial element of control in dissemination and/or content of the message

Political Uses of Media

Fully Mediated– Media controls

dissemination and/or content of the message

Political Uses of Media

• Because of interest in ratings, media outlets need to develop stories that engage audience fairly quickly

• Means focusing more on the “horse race” angle of the election -- who’s ahead? by how much? who’s going to win? -- rather than the issues that are driving the election

Political Uses of Media

• Media needs to focus on elements of good story, that means need the elements of good narrative: heroes, villains, plot lines

• Need to have conflict, resolution, something “newsworthy”– focus on gaffes, arguments,

“peripheral” issues of campaign

Political Uses of Media

• Candidates and parties have only limited control of the campaign

• Limited ability to control images and perceptions dramatically increases importance of succeeding in those areas that the candidates can control -- primarily advertising

• That puts campaign finance at the heart of the campaign