Media Influence in Politics? Myth or Reality? March 4, 2003

The Media Do the media distort reality? How? Does it matter?  To what ends is reality distorted?  intentional or unintentional?  Does this distorted reality shape or mirror public opinion?  Do people expect the media to be unbiased?  Do people NOT recognize media biases?

Chomsky – Manufacturing Consent Do the media distort reality? How? Does it matter?  To what ends is reality distorted?  intentional or unintentional?  Does this distorted reality shape or mirror public opinion?  Do people expect the media to be unbiased?  Do people NOT recognize media biases?

An Alternative Interpretation... profitability is key  importance of audience to profitability media is biased  however, it mirrors (rather than shapes public opinion) media concentration  not evidence that media can shape public views  evidence that media cannot shape public views

Types of Media Bias distorted view which shapes public opinion  what is there is biased distorted view by leaving issues out  bias lies in what is not there  e.g. Chomsky’s comparison of coverage of East Timor and Cambodia

Is the Media Biased? how would one judge?  depends upon perspective  media that mirrors public opinion may seem biased to the observer media concentration and the issue of bias  overall media bias seems less likely in a 500- channel, Internet universe  overall media bias seems less serious

Media Bias – Another Angle distorted view which shapes public opinion  what is there is biased distorted view by leaving issues out  bias lies in what is not there the medium is the message  creates passivity (not interactive)  atomizing  consumerism/commodity fetishism

The Media and Democracy what model of democracy do you think Chomsky most closely resembles?

The Media and Democracy participatory democrats  press should foster political participation by providing wide range of information, opinion, and opportunity for debate  concern that concentration of media undermines the influence of mass participation

The Media and Democracy elite democrats  control of media by elites to manufacture consent is fine  consensus in society is central to pursuing the general welfare  so long as media control does not undermine competition among elites (e.g. allowing one political faction to dominate)

The Media and Democracy liberal democrats  most important element is protecting the freedom of the press from government interference/control  so long as the press is free and individuals enjoy the right to freedom of speech (e.g. free to start their own press), there are no worries

Political Parties Interest Aggregation Interest Representation

Political Parties vs. Interest Groups both represent political interests  political parties also aggregate interests interest groups strive to influence political outcomes political parties strive to become the governing party

Type of Political Parties basis of organization  electoral-professional parties vs. mass parties basis of electoral competition  pragmatic parties (brokerage parties)  ideological-programmatic parties  interest parties

Ideological/Programmatic Parties organized around social cleavages  class  religion  ethnicity  region

The Ideological Spectrum The Left -- Socialist The Right -- Conservative government regulation of the economygovernment regulation of the economy policies to help disadvantaged groupspolicies to help disadvantaged groups policies to redistribute incomepolicies to redistribute income greater reliance on the marketgreater reliance on the market fewer government regulationsfewer government regulations no special treatment for special interest groupsno special treatment for special interest groups lower taxeslower taxes More Gov’t Less Gov’t

General Trends, Political Parties the rise of pragmatism

The Ideological Spectrum The Rise of Pragmatism The Left -- Socialist The Right -- Conservative Tony Blair (Britain) New Labour Bill Clinton (US) New Democrats George W. Bush (US) Compassionate Conservatism

General Trends, Political Parties single member plurality systems encourage pragmatic parties; PR promotes ideological/interest parties the rise of pragmatism  parties increasingly competing to occupy the centre of the political spectrum  reasons?  the fall of communism  affluence of western industrialized societies

Political Parties & Democracy mass parties vs. electoral- professional parties  mass parties encourage greater participation in politics by the public  majoritarian democrats  electoral-professional parties  elite democrats

Political Parties & Democracy ideological/interest parties vs. pragmatic parties  ideological/interest parties  gives clear electoral choices help make elections meaningful encourages greater mass participation majoritarian democrats  pragmatic parties  depend on party elites  elections differences between parties are limited electoral choice is really about best management team elite democrats

Interest Groups Interest Representation

Interest Groups are organizations whose members act together to influence gov’t policy on specific issues, without contesting elections (different from parties!)  lobbying play an important role in representing citizen demands to gov’t

Determinants of Interest Group Influence: size (membership) and cohesion information, expertise leadership, level of organization resources high-status (celebrity) membership values, goals, tactics, issue - compatible with broader political culture? e.g., Sierra Club vs Greenpeace vs Earth First!

Determinants – cont’d links to decision-makers gov’t receptivity, is function of:  budgets  philosophy compatible?  public opinion supportive?  media attention?  credibility? institutionalization: degree to which a group has become an acknowledged actor in/part of the political process institutional/associational/anomic interest groups co-optation?

Interest Groups and Democracy liberal democracy  pluralism  as long as individuals are free to form interest groups, interest group competition represents interests in society  groups do not have to be equal; have to have equal opportunity to compete

Interest Groups and Democracy majoritarian democratic critique of pluralism  interest group politics is grossly uneven  well-financed, privileged interests hold the advantage  the paradox of interest group influence  the strongest interest groups (e.g. economic interests) do not have to lobby in order to have influence

Interest Groups and Democracy elite democracy  interest group competition and lobbying (even if grossly uneven) is fine so long...  as political elites retain the power to make overall decisions in the general welfare the summation of all interest group demands does not equal the general welfare