The Media

The Media

Role of the Media

Effects of the Media

I. Effects of the media on politics /government

Provides information and analysis about policy issues and evaluates policies.

Polling provides indicators for policy makers.

Provides exposure for political speeches, state of the union address, and campaign speeches.

Framing the story

How the media presents the story can influence how the viewers accept the action

Compare the two headlines about the same story:

1.“The U.S. has begun Operation Desert Storm to liberate the people of Iraq.

2.President Bush orders Operation Desert Storm without a declaration of war from Congress.

3.How are they different? Do you get the same message from both?

Activity

Part 1Complete “What’s the

Message” graphic organizer.

Construct your own political cartoon.

Due EOC.

Part 2Check each headline

as either “hard” or “soft”.

Then complete the scenarios list.

Due EOC.

Warm Up

What is the difference between score keeper and gate keeper? Explain.

Effects of the media on politics /government…

Candidates for national offices use the media as a place to “sell” themselves to the public through TV Ads.

Candidates use web sites and the “New Media” to promote their ideas and try to raise money.

2008 Presidential Election:1. Obama raised $742 million2. McCain raised $367 million3. Ralph Nader raised $4 million

II. Different Roles for the media

1. Watchdog: Responsibility of the media to make the public aware of corruption, incompetence, illegal, unethical actions by politicians or government organizations.

OK, list some examples………

Agenda Setting/ Gatekeeper

The media’s focus on an issue may cause the government to move to deal with the issue because its on the cover of the newspaper.

“the tail wagging the dog”The media may not be successful in

telling people how to think, but they are successful in telling their audience what to think about

Scorekeeper

Media polls drive the news, candidates performance, approval rate constantly criticized measure.

Horserace journalism: Who is leading at this time? Who is leading today?

Activity

Read for 25 minutes Complete gallery walk in time remaining.

Analysis due EOC.

Eight Stages of Media in the United

StatesPolitics

1. Late 1700’s to mid-1800’s

Almost no daily Newspapers existedNews was distributed by pamphlets and

essays: (Common Sense by Thomas Paine), ( The Federalist Papers)

The Media was intended to be partisan: The media was part of the party

Political attacks were personal and very extremists.

2. Late 1800’s

Newspapers become national business. (Hearst Syndicate, and Pulitzer competed for newspaper profits.

Selling stories was central, facts were secondary

Newspapers took pride in influencing public opinion.

Yellow journalism (sensational headlines and eye-catching headlines)

Muckraking : Early forms of Gate Keeping

3. Early 1900’s

Teddy Roosevelt used the “Bully Pulpit” through newspapers.

First president to have a press corpsGetting inside information from the White

House became a status symbolPress who was supportive of T.R. received

information ) “lapdog function”

Roosevelt’s Press corps

4. Mid-1900’s

Development of Radio

Roosevelt’s fireside chats

Press needed Roosevelt more than he needed them

Understood the power of radio!

5. 1950’s and 60’s

Development of TVElection DebatesKennedy uses TV to present his Cuban Missile Crisis message

Election TV Ads (primitive but effective)

1960 Presidential debates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHGs4535W_o&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

House of Cards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQFXezvGg_k

6. Vietnam and Watergate

The media took on the role of “WATCHDOG”

Vietnam is the first televised war

Images shown from the Vietnam War : Media setting the agenda

7. Post-Vietnam

Creation of the internet (Blogs)Explosion of talk radio “attack journalism”

“The Junkyard Function”Clinton Scandals were the lead stories

“imperialist war in Iraq”

Activity

Read “The Role of Media”Complete headline analysisDue EOC.

Warm Up: See this on the news?

Think of how these media trends affect the media and politics

III. Current Media Trends

Narrowcasting

Targeting media programming at specific populations of viewers within a population. (niche journalism)

1.Fox targets conservative viewers2.CNN target liberal viewers3.BET targets Black Americans4.CBN targets Christian ConservativesAdvantages: Can help promote interest who

may be left out of the mainstream. (Gives a united voice)

Disadvantages: Limits competing ideas, the public gets only one side of the debate.

Public Discontent with the Media

A majority of Americans believe the news is biased in favor of liberals.

Question: Are reporters biased? Answer: YesFact: “Journalist are substantially Democratic

in party affiliation and voting habits and lean to the left in political ideology)

Many political scientist believe that the business interest of corporations that own the networks balance out the “left leaning” reporters

Growth in attack journalism

Keith Olberman on msnbc talking about Vice President Cheney and President Bush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT22z7oawHo&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Rush Limbaugh takes shots at President Clinton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8zeD_7P6Us&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Activity

Complete multiple choice and cartoon analysis.

Due EOC.

Warm Up

What is attack journalism?

Mullin

Government regulation of the Media

Federal Communications Commission

Created in 1934Controls airwaves for license and contentTV is heavily regulated Equal time doctrine: Networks must sell

advertising time to all candidates.Fairness Doctrine: Networks must present

contrasting views (No longer in effect because of the number of cable stations and narrowcasting)

Supreme Court cases to Know!

New York Times v United States 1971

Issue: Can the Government censor the press?

1. Can classified pentagon Papers that had been stolen by a government employee (Daniel Ellsberg) and given to the NY Times be blocked by the government?

2.Court ruled that the publication couldn’t be blocked

Answer: No, except in extreme cases!!

Quote from Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black

“Only a Free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in the government

New York Times v. Sullivan 1964

1. Issue: Can the press write critical stories about a politician that could hurt a politicians reputations without fear of being sued for Libel (Written defamation of character that injures a person’s reputations)

2. Decision :The Supreme Court concluded actual malice must be proved to support a finding of libel against a public figure. (Politicians, Hollywood stars, athletes

How the press and public figures interact

Terms….

Sound bites Short video clips on the nightly news of approximately 10 seconds. Typically the 10 second video is all that is shown from a politicians speech.

Spin: A government official’s attempt to put a positive twist on a negative outcome.

Trial balloon: An intentional news leak for the purpose of assessing political reaction

Sound Bites in History

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTEg6Kkc31Q

The incredible shrinking sound bite

“ Questions to think about”

What should be the role of Media in politics?

How effective is the media in covering politics?

How much influence does the media have in shaping policy?

How much influence do you think the media has in changing public opinion?

Activity

Watch the two ads.Identify what propaganda techniques are

used in each one.Then in one paragraph explain which ad was

more effective for you. Address how it was effective and why it made such an impression.