Who’s word counts? ◦ Experts as the “soul” of modern media ◦ We choose “our personal versions of truth by subscribing to the clutch of specialists we find agreeable and trustworthy” (107)
More data leads to more confusion… vs. Swimmers in the sea of facts ◦ Style or substance? ◦ The best teachers?
Style or substance? ◦ Could a cripple win the presidency today? ◦ Are and valued for their knowledge? ◦ The role of seduction
Central Route Peripheral Route Recognition Heuristic So, how do we make decisions? ◦
Caution! Data do not speak for themselves! ◦ Why did official numbers differ from the exit polls? ◦ Experts can make large numbers look important
Two “experts” have two opposing opinions. Which one do you believe? ◦ The social world of the expert
How news outlets must change to satisfy differing niches The system “created” personalities like Lou Dobbs, Ed Schultz, Glenn Beck, etc. ◦ The importance of viewership in the age of a gazillion channels
The objective The subjective Naïve realism The News Corporation Hacking Scandal ◦ “Slanted reporting works only in certain conditions.”
Perceptual effect problem Naïve realism problem ◦ ! What happens when the “rubes” get it right? ◦ “high-feedback” vs. “low-feedback” ◦
In practice ◦ The more there is out there on a certain topic, the the news organization will slant the information ◦ Selective focus on what to cover and how to cover it