IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT #2 (15 MINUTES)
Discuss your blog post in groups of 3
What news do you consume? From where? How much? Why?
Do you think entertainment can be considered news sometimes?
How often do you talk about news with others?
How can you improve your news diet?
NEWS CONTENTBENNETT, CH. 2
DR. KRISTEN LANDREVILLEMON. AUG. 30, 2010
BENNETT’S INFORMATION BIASES
Personalization Dramatization Fragmentation Authority-disorder
Compared to a political bias, these 4 biases are: Deep Systematic Less Obvious Costly Difficult to overcome May hinder intellectual debate and criticism
PERSONALIZATION News downplays big social, economic, or political stories News favors personalized, human-interest, and surface
stories Focus on personalities and the power players, not issues Why?
Easier than an investigative risky probe into an issue
Alternative is “institutional”
Example of Personalization: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/30/
glenn.beck.rally.monday/index.html?hpt=C2 Using Beck to personify a trend without digging into his
past, his motivations, his agenda; little issues mentioned
DRAMATIZATION Focus on crisis rather than continuity
Focus on the present rather than past or future
Infotainment
Alternative is “analytical” frame
Example of Dramatized News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/29/
president-says-hes-worried-muslim-rumors/ No mention of “why” this is the case
FRAGMENTATION
Stories are not connected to each other over time since each is self-contained Hard to see the big picture
Alternative is “historical”
Example of Fragmented News: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/08/29/
mayor-violent-mexican-border-state-assassinated/
No mention of related stories or links to learn more about the drug war
AUTHORITY-DISORDER BIAS
Politicians come out to calm the public in troubling times saying they’ll return order
News sometimes support claims of return to order by authoritiesExample: 9/11 coverageGenerally positive government coverage. Why?
News sometimes challenges authority’s ability to restore orderExample: Hurricane Katrina coverageGenerally negative government coverage.
Why?
GOOD COVERAGE
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/08/30/gulf.dead.zone.minnesota.farm/index.html?hpt=C1
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/08/26/mine.disasters.survivors/index.html?hpt=C2
Why and how would I categorize these stories as good coverage?
Do you agree or disagree with me?
Do you see any biases?
NEWS CONTENTBENNETT, CH. 2
Wed. Sept. 1, 2010
THE EFFECTS OF THE 4 BIASES
Distraction from potentially important causes of problems
Egocentric, rather than socially concerned view, of social problems
Blame individuals, not institutions
Lack of shared critical understandings of issues
Promotion of dramatically satisfying but practically unworkable solutions
AN ARGUMENT FOR POLITICAL BIAS IN NEWS
Bennett argues that the presence of a political bias in the news media is small.
Let’s examine other evidence…
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:JOURNALISTS’ PERSPECTIVES
• CBS reporter Bernard Goldberg in 1996– “The old argument that the
networks and other media elites have a liberal bias is so blatantly true that it’s hardly worth discussing anymore. No, we don’t sit around in dark corners and plan strategies on how we’re going to slant the news. We don’t have to. It comes naturally to most reporters.”
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:JOURNALISTS’ PERSPECTIVES
ABC (now Fox News) reporter Brit Hume regarding 1992 campaign“During critical periods in this one,
anti-Bush media sentiment was obvious and dominant… The media’s defenders argue that, after the rough treatment Bill Clinton got on the Gennifer Flowers case and his draft record, no one can say he was treated favorably. But he was.”
ALLEGATIONS OF BIAS FROM BOTH SIDES
Media Research Center
Journalists are more liberal than public.
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
Media conglomerates promote conservative and status-quo agendas.
On the Right On the Left
WHAT DOES THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SAY?
JOURNALIST’S VS. PUBLIC’SPOLITICAL ATTITUDES
Data from Media Studies/Roper Center study in Nov./Dec. 1995.
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:LOWRY (1974) STUDY
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
ABC CBS NBC
# of Favorable Stories in News Coverage
Nixon
McGovern
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:SMITH & RODEN (1988) STUDY
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1050
Seconds of Coverage of Conventions & Campaign by a CBS affiliate in Arkansas
Republicans
Democrats
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:SMITH & RODEN (1988) STUDY
-1000
-500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Valence of Coverage Weighted by Time at CBS Affilitate in Arkansas
Republicans
Democrats
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:STEMPEL & WINDHAUSER (1989)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1960 1964 1968 1980 1988
Presidential Endorsements From "Prestige Press" (e.g., NYT)
Democrat
Republican
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:STEMPEL & WINDHAUSER (1989)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Early Sept. Late Sept. Early Oct. Late Oct. Early Nov.
Quantity of Newspaper Campaign Coverage 1988
Democratic
Republican
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS:CMPA CONTENT ANALYSES
THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF NEWS: SUMMARIZING PARTISAN NEWS BIAS
Meta-analysis (D’Allesio & Allen, 2000) of partisan bias on TV news, newspapers, and news magazines indicates:
No evidence of consistent gatekeeping bias No evidence of consistent coverage bias No evidence of consistent statement bias in
newspapers Small bias in favor of Democrats and liberals on
network TV news Small bias in favor of Republicans in news magazines
IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT #3
Individual Writing Activity Consider the follow questions:
Do you think the findings have changed since this research was published?
Do you think it exists? Is it widespread? Does it exist more in certain media or channels? Can you think of any specific examples of stories
or events that exhibited political bias? What conversations have you had in the past
with people about this topic? What do your parents and friends think?
NEWS CONTENTBENNETT, CH. 2
Fri. Sept. 3, 2010
THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT BLOG POSTS
Conversational style
Engaging stories
Willingness to admit news diets need improvement
TIPS TO IMPROVE BLOG POSTS
Google your name in quotes Your blog comes up, so proofread for spelling,
grammar, and capitalization Create an “about” page Change the tagline Delete the “Hello, World” post Try experimenting with links and images
Demonstration Remember to read instructions and grading
rubric carefully before posting Avoid run-on sentences
Sentences should not be 4 or 5 lines long
BLOG POST #2
See http://klandreville.wordpress.com/cojo-2480-politics-media/ for Blog Post #2 instructions, tips, and grading rubric
No sample post this time
See previous lecture slides in this file for examples of each of Bennett’s 4 information biases
IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT #4
Assignment on Bennett’s 4 Biases Work individually 10 minutes
OTHER TYPES OF BIAS
Moving beyond partisan bias and Bennett’s 4 biases
IYENGAR’S (1991) “FRAMING BIAS”
• Episodic framing– TV news is primarily
episodic– produces beliefs that
individuals are responsible for social problems
• Thematic framing– claim NP and mags are
primarily thematic– produces beliefs that
society/gov’t is responsible
0
500
1000
1500
2000
TV News Coverage
Episodic
Thematic
THE ANTI-INCUMBENT BIAS
Why? Incumbent has record to criticize
Graber’s study of tone of coverage Some bias against Bush/Quayle in 1992 Bias favored Clinton/Gore in 1996 Findings consistent with claim eventual winner
gets best coverage
HORSERACE BIAS
Defining horserace Focus on polls, strategy, endorsements, gossip,
image, personality Less coverage on issues
HORSERACE BIASCMPA CONTENT ANALYSES
HORSERACE BIASCMPA CONTENT ANALYSES
HORSERACE BIASSOUND BITE NEWS
HORSERACE BIASSOUND BITE NEWS
IMPLICATIONS
Cynicism and apathy
Issue knowledge
Viability of candidates
FOR NEXT TIME…
No Class Mon. 9/6
Wed. 9/8 Blog Post #2 Due
For Wed. 9/8 Class: Read Bennett Ch. 3
Next 3 Lectures on Citizens & the News
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