Writing Prompts
“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the
power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty
innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of
the masses.”
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Do you agree with the Malcolm X quote?
What role should media play in politics?
What role has the media played in politics?
How does the media act as a linkage institution?
Media and the Construction of Public Opinion
Tom Emmer's Controversial Ad
Media
“Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Live
Without Them”
Roles of the Media
• Linkage Institution
– Basic job of the media: inform citizens of government
activities
– Connect views of people to government…how?
• Gatekeeper
– Role of the media in influencing what subjects become
national policy issues
– As gatekeeper, media is able to focus people’s attention on
specific issues
– Through this role, the media helps set policy agenda
• Issues that attract serious attention of public officials and others
actively involved in politics
• Examples of Media shaping policy agenda?
– Plays major role in shaping public opinion
Media and the Construction of Public Opinion
Roles of the Media
• Scorekeeper
– Track who is ahead in elections
• Criticisms: Media tends to focus on the horserace aspects
– Focus on the contest, sound bites, crowds at candidate
rallies, NOT the issue/policy positions
– Bandwagon effects
• Watchdog
– Closely scrutinize candidates backgrounds, activities the
partake in, try to expose corruption/scandal
– Investigative journalism: dig deep to uncover
scandal/corruption in administration (Woodward &
Watergate)
Classic Media Speculation: John King
News Media In The Past
• Print Media
• 1960 Presidential Debate
– TV transforms politics
• FDR & Fireside Chats
News Media: 1960s
• Walter Cronkite: Most
trusted man in America
– More complete coverage
– Less editorializing
• In 60s news coverage of
executive changes with
TV, Vietnam, & Watergate
– More critical of Executive
Branch
Cronkite Talks about Vietnam
News Media Today
• Private Control of Media
– 5 Media Conglomerates
dominate
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Time Warner
Comcast
News Corp
Vivendi Universal
Walt Disney
– Less Competition
• Fewer Perspectives
News Media Today
• How has media and the news changed today?
– Sources (↑Internet/Social Networks; ↓newspaper)
– What stories are reported, why?
• Sensationalism—Retreat from the Issues…why?
– Superficial Coverage
– “Entertainment”
• Money making endeavor
– Sound-Bite Journalism
• Sound-bites getting shorter and shorter
Common at the
White House
Daily Show Looks at Media Coverage
Daily Show Looks at Media Coverage Pt. 2
Daily Show Looks at Media Coverage Pt. 3
Sensationalism Montage
News Media Today
• Bias in the Media
• Bias against ea. other b/c of competition.
• Personal bias for or against things by
anchors/reporters
• Loaded Language
• Source of Bias:
• Narrowcasting:
• Audience Appeal: Targeting Specific Demographics
• Time & space constraints
• Sources of info.
• Print v. Broadcast Media
•Is it possible for news media to be objective & independent of partisan politics?
Media Coverage
On the Campaign Trail &
Inside the Branches of Government
Media Campaign Coverage
• Candidate-Centered Political Campaigns
– Less focus on the issues
• Media’s Role in Candidate-Centered
Campaigns…
– Sound-bite journalism
– Media Events/Photo Ops
– Focus on day-to-day activities
• Rallies, Gaffes, Scandals, Negative Ads, Media Events
– Horse-Race Journalism
• Emphasize how candidates stand in polls rather than
where they stand on the issues
Campaigns and Media Events
• THE PHOTO OP…
Paul Ryan Photo Op
Campaigns & Negative Ads
• What role might Citizens United, Super PACs
& 501(c)4s being playing in the increasing
negativity of campaigns?
• Disclose Act…Will this help?
Post-Debate Ad
Romney Negative Ad
Big Bird Attack Ad
Mourdock Attack Ad
47% Negative Ad
Super PAC Ad
Attack Ad: Flip Flop
Big $ Fueling Negative Ads?
Colbert Interviews Nancy Pelosi--Disclose Act
Coverage of Branches
• Sep of Powers:
• Multiple Beats, competing for attention
• Press is a weapon
• Media Events
• Exec = Easiest to cover…why?
• 1 Person at Top…Figurehead of Government
• President’s use of the Bully Pulpit and Media to “set the
agenda”
• Congress = Hardest to cover…why?
• 535 Members
• Who receives focus?
• Judicial = Least Coverage…Why?
• A growing desire to incr. coverage. Good or Bad?
Politicians Use of the Media
• Bully Pulpit
– President’s most powerful tool in setting policy agenda
– What president says is important…so automatically
receives coverage
• Trial Balloons
– Information leaked to the media by a government
official/politician or candidate
– Goal: See what the political reaction will be when the
public hears it.
• Spin
– A politicians attempt to present his actions or position
on a policy in a positive light
Media/Review Basketball
• Each team will send one representative to the table. The 2 players
will stand on either side of the table/desk with the ball/paper wad
resting on the middle between them. The “Host” will read a
question. The players will try to be the 1st to grab the ball from the
table. The player that wins the jump, gets to try to answer the
question. If they miss, the other player can try to answer. If the
player gets the answer correct, they get to shoot the ball from one
of the 3 designated areas for 1, 2, or 3 points, assuming a made
shot. That concludes the round and the next 2 players approach
the table/desk.
• Every person on the team must attempt the jump ball before a
player can take a 2nd turn. There is no coaching from the team (i.e.
no yelling out answers to the player with the ball)
• The team that scores the most points will earn 3 bonus points on
the Unit Exam.