Media

Media POLSC 11000

  • Professor Christiani

Election Day Information

  • Election Day is Tomorrow!

  • Find your polling place; early voting locations may differ.

  • Polls open from 6am to 9pm.

  • Expect certain procedures at polling places.

The Role of the Mass Media in American Politics

  • News Sources: Where do you obtain news? What's your "news diet"?

  • Initial thoughts on what represents "the media".

Factors Driving Our News Diet

  • Partisan Hypothesis: Selection of media based on political or ideological leanings.

  • Agenda Hypothesis: Choosing media based on interest in specific issues; emphasis on particular policies.

  • Engagement Hypothesis: Individuals interested in politics gravitate towards political news, while others prefer entertainment.

  • Trust in Media: Do you consider mass media trustworthy?

Trust in Mass Media (1972-2024)

  • Trust levels in mass media regarding complete, accurate, and fair news reporting.

  • Graphs showing trust trends:

    • % trust over the decades from 1972 to 2024.

Partisan Trust in Mass Media (1972-2024)

  • Assessment of trust based on party affiliation (Republicans, Independents, Democrats) over time from 1972 to 2024.

  • Notable shifts and current trust levels depicted in graphs.

Current Role of Mass Media

  • Evolution of Media: The function of media in American politics today versus historical contexts.

  • Media Basics:

    • Definition: All forms of media conveying information to the public.

    • Acts as a two-way information channel between the government and citizens.

    • Functions: Informing and holding the government accountable.

Historical Perspective on Media

  • Jefferson's Belief: Preferring newspapers to government for information dissemination.

  • Forms of Media: Newspapers, radio, TV, new media (cable news, internet, social media).

Functions of the Media

  • Providing Information: Updating the public on global events.

  • Evaluating Events: Providing context for understanding news events.

  • Addressing Collective Issues: Prioritizing societal issues through news coverage.

Media Influence Techniques

  • Framing: The presentation of news stories affects public perception.

    • Example: Reporting on healthcare can focus on economic or health outcomes.

  • Priming: Influences what viewers think is important.

    • Example: Focusing on healthcare in a political context can skew voter evaluations.

Trend 1: Changes in Bias and Objectivity

  • Partisan Origins of Media: Historically partisan press dominated early American media.

  • Decline of Partisan Press: Economic forces led to the rise of independent journalism.

  • Golden Age of Newspapers: Through muckraking, they exposed corruption.

Modern Media Landscape

  • Shift from strictly objective reporting to mixed biases and perspectives.

  • Cable News Growth: Fragmentation creates diverse media options, leading to echo chambers.

  • Debates on Objectivity: Tension over the idea of real objectivity among journalists today.

Legal Aspects of Media Fairness

  • Fairness Doctrine: Historically required equal coverage of issues; repealed in 1987, affecting media objectivity.

Media Consolidation and Profit Motive

  • Telecommunications Act of 1996: Led to increased media ownership concentration.

  • Most media is for-profit, emphasizing sensationalism.

  • Influence of corporate interests on journalistic integrity.

Bias in Media

  • Difficulties in measuring ideological bias vs. gatekeeping bias (coverage) and coverage bias (emphasis on stories).

  • Social Media Dynamics: How social media influences interpretations of bias.

Public Perceptions of Bias

  • Majority of Americans perceive media as favoring Democrats, leading to distrust in journalism.

Trend 4: Disinformation and Fake News

  • Understanding the dynamics of fake news and its implications on public perception and confidence in media.

  • Misinformation Types:

    • Categories such as satire, misleading content, imposter content, fabricated content.

  • Combating Fake News: Emphasize source credibility and accountability in media.

Conclusion

  • The press has evolved to be both more consolidated and partisan since the mid-20th century but remains vital to American democracy.