Politics & TV 2
Understanding Political TV
Introduction to Political TV
The aim is to explore the relationship between politics and television.
The goal is to understand political TV through frameworks and concepts.
Frameworks and Key Ideas for Understanding Political TV
Definition: Frameworks refer to large ways of understanding political TV operations and implications.
Concepts serve as a language for discussing political TV effectively.
Example: "Law and Order" is identified as a procedural legal drama rather than a political TV show, but it does contain political themes.
Mediated Citizenship by Jeffrey Jones
Definition: Mediated citizenship relates to how political TV impacts our understanding and engagement with politics.
It helps audiences interpret, analyze, and engage with their political world.
Research Evidence: A Pew Research poll from 02/2012 demonstrates that viewers of political satire shows (like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report) may have greater political knowledge than traditional news watchers (e.g., those who watch CNN).
This suggests that satire can convey political messages more effectively or broadly than conventional news formats.
Political TV encourages or discourages participation in political processes.
Example: Women's marches since 2016 were propelled by extensive online organizing and television coverage, presenting a narrative of a global movement.
Participation Suggestions: Political television can suggest different types of political participation.
For instance, watching Scandal might inspire viewers to aspire to roles like a "backroom fixer" rather than running for office.
Mention of figures like Eddie Goldenberg as Canadian backroom operatives reflects this dynamic.
Notable Individual: Donna Brazile as a broker of deals among political candidates in the U.S.
Frontroom Participation: Examples include political aspirants mimicking strategies seen in political dramas to engage voters.
The Evolution of Political TV and Media
Network Era to Multichannel World: In the network era, networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, CTV, and CBC controlled what constituted political news.
News was often repetitive and lacked diversity, focusing mainly on significant incidents rather than nuanced narratives.
Limited coverage of positive stories unless dramatic events occurred.
Multichannel Era: The emergence of diverse channels expanded the landscape of political TV and introduced new formats, such as 24-hour news channels and platforms like VICE News, which offered serial documentaries.
Post-Network Era: This era is characterized by unstable broadcasters and fragmented audiences.
Unstable broadcasters face challenges with funding, market presence, and navigation of advertising revenue.
Example: The rise and fall of Sun TV in Canada, which aimed to present a right-wing perspective but ultimately failed.(e.g. like Alex Jones' model of supplement sales supporting broadcasting).
Fragmented Audiences: Individual news sources vary widely across viewers, contributing to a lack of shared narratives.
Example: Different viewers may prefer various platforms (e.g., streaming, cable news, Facebook news feeds).
Depth vs. Brevity: Modern political news often lacks the depth of traditional investigative journalism, which can compromise the quality of political discourse.
Discussion of the decline of deep investigations, such as those associated with historical events like Watergate.
Echo Chamber Issues: Viewers' selective news consumption leads to echo chambers reinforcing their existing beliefs, resulting in narrower political communities.
People are less likely to encounter opposing views.
Real-world implications, such as the divisive nature of discussions around police carding, illustrate the polarization stemming from selective engagement with media.
The absence of shared narratives or dialogues between opposing viewpoints manifests in audience choices.
Conclusion
The interplay of political TV, mediated citizenship, and audience engagement is intricate:
Political TV shapes perceptions of citizenship and political participation.
The evolution from the network era to the current post-network landscape raises questions about the quality and comprehensiveness of political discourse.
Ongoing conversations about political media's roles and responsibilities are crucial for understanding contemporary political engagement.