1 Chapter 18 Mass-Mediated Political Communication Effects

2 Influences on Political Communication Social scene Political landscape Media environment Media content

3 Functions of Mass Media in Democracy 1. Surveillance of contemporary events that are likely to impinge upon the welfare of citizens 2. Identification of key sociopolitical issues 3. Provision of platforms for advocacy 4. Transmission of diverse content across the various dimensions and factions of political discourse

4 Functions of Mass Media in Democracy (Cont’d) 5. Scrutiny of government officials 6. Incentives and information to allow citizens to become more actively informed participants 7. Principled resistance to external sources attempting to subvert media autonomy 8. Respectful consideration of the audience as potentially concerned and efficacious citizens

5 Media Content Two types: Political advertising: primary form of communication between political candidates and the voting public News stories: television advertising for political candidates usually used for major campaigns

6 Media Content (Cont’d) Political ads on television usually: Present particular candidate images Provide information about key issues Provide more information about campaign issues than candidate images

7 Types of Media Content Frames Abstract notions that media professionals use to present news stories News flaws Personalization Fragmentation Dramatization Normalization

8 News Flaws That Influence Political Communication Personalization The tendency for news stories to concentrate on individuals when reporting on large-scale social concerns Fragmentation The delivery of news in brief capsule summaries

9 News Flaws That Influence Political Communication (Cont’d) Dramatization News is selected based on entertainment value rather than its importance as an issue. Normalization News stories show how particular problems can be solved within the existing political system.

10 Research on Political Communication Effects Most political communication studies concentrate on the individual. Macro-level studies examine effects on systems. The nature and strength of effects from mediated political communication depend on a number of different factors.

11 Micro-level Studies Four major areas: 1. Formation and change of opinion 2. Effects of cognitive processes 3. Voter perceptions of the political system 4. Effects on political behavior or participation

12 Formation and Change of Opinion Political media messages produce much stronger effects than previously thought. Models used to conduct studies: Petty and Cacioppo’s Elaboration Likelihood Model Fishbein and Ajzen’s reasoned action model Variables of interest in persuasion include: message variables, channels, timing, audience variables, and effects from polling information

13 Effects of Cognitive Processes Four types of research have been used: 1. Agenda-setting research 2. Priming research 3. Knowledge gain 4. Framing Researchers have tried to measure audiences’ broader understanding of political information conveyed in news stories.

14 Voter Perceptions Voters are persuaded less by personal “pocketbook” matters than by their perceptions about the economic health of the country. Media coverage may cause voters to perceive individuals to be responsible for particular social problems such as poverty or crime. Two types of frames for political news stories: Episodic- using case study examples Thematic- approaching an issue from a general perspective

15 Political Behavior Media effects may be direct or indirect. Political ads have proven effective in influencing voting decisions. Many people learn from political ads and may be influenced by both positive and negative ads. Negative political ads are effective in influencing voters when: Voters perceive them to be fair They focus on issues that are important to voters

16 Political Behavior (Cont’d) People tend to remember negative ads more than positive ads. Adwatches provide analyses, interpretations and evaluations of the ads. The strength of influence on voting behavior attributed to interpersonal communication has varied.

17 Macro-level Studies Few macro-level effects studies are conducted due to difficulties in measurement. Purely descriptive macro-level studies abound

18 Descriptive Macro Studies Few people are politically knowledgeable and active. People with high levels of education tend to vote more often. Television has been blamed for problems with the American political system.

19 Effects on Policy Making The use of investigative reporting contributed to civic reforms in several areas. Media publicity has been shown to help lawmakers achieve their goals and raise money toward reelection campaigns.

20 Factors Influencing Media Effects Individual characteristics influence: Party preferences Personal images or evaluations of the news media Personal motivations for particular gratifications Information processing The more attention a person gives to a story, the more the person learns from it.