Politics, Power and the Media Brian M Conley Suffolk University. Government Department

Politics, Power and the Media How do we Define Our Terms: Politics? Power? The Media? It is always important to try to define your terms.

Politics, Power and the Media How do we Define Our Terms: Politics? One definition… “Politics is who gets what, when, and how.” -Harold Laswell. Any others?

Politics, Power and the Media How do we Define Our Terms: Power? Here there are several well-known schools of thought, among them: 1) Pluralism (First Face or Dimension) 2) Agenda-Setting (Second Face or Dimension) 3) Hegemony (Third Face or Dimension)

Three Faces of Power Face of PowerFeaturesInaction PluralismSystem is unfair, but open. You can act on your grievances. Apathy, and ignorance. Agenda-SettingThose who control the agenda, control policy outcomes. Rational calculation. HegemonyThose who shape perception, define what is politically possible. Consequences of power: grievances are not recognized.

Politics, Power and the Media How do we Define Our Terms: The Media? How do we study the media? 1. Study the views of individual reporters, editors or owners? 2. Study the media institutionally (or as an institution)?

Politics, Power and the Media How do we Define Our Terms: The Media? How do we study the media? 1. Study the views of individual reporters, editors or owners? 2. Study the media institutionally (or as an institution)? Advantages of an Institutional Analysis: Link Bias with Ownership How is media content determined?

Politics, Power and the Media Media Ownership: Trend Toward Consolidation (1980s-)

Media Ownership: News Corporation (Fox) TV: DBS & CableMagazineBooksOther FOXTEL BSkyB Star DirecTV Sky Italia Fox News Channel Fox Movie Channel FX FUEL National Geographic Channel SPEED Channel Fox Sports Net FSN New England (50%) FSN Ohio FSN Florida National Advertising Partners Fox College Sports Fox Soccer Channel Stats, Inc. Film 20th Century Fox Fox Searchlight Pictures Fox Television Studios Blue Sky Studios last updated 08/16/10 InsideOut donna hay SmartSource The Weekly Standard TV Guide (partial) Newspapers United States New York Post Wall Street Journal United Kingdom News International News of the World The Sun The Sunday Times The Times AUSTRAL/ASIA Daily Telegraph Fiji Times Gold Coast Bulletin Post-Courier HarperMorrow Access Amistad Caedmon Avon Ecco Eos Fourth Estate HarperAudio HarperBusiness HarperCollins Harper Design International HarperEntertainment HarperLargePrint HarperResource HarperSanFrancisco HarperTorch Perennial PerfectBound Quill Rayo ReganBooks William Morrow Other Los Angeles Kings (NHL, 40% option) Los Angeles Lakers (NBA, 9.8% option) Staples Center (40% owned by Fox/Liberty) News Interactive Fox Sports Radio Network Sky Radio Denmark Sky Radio Germany Broadsystem Classic FM Festival Records Fox Interactive IGN Entertainment Mushroom Records MySpace.com National Rugby League NDS News Outdoor

Media: Institutional Structure Owners Publishers Editors ConsumerReport Advertiser How is media content determined?

Media: Institutional Structure Owners Publishers Editors ConsumerReport Advertiser How is media content determined? In what direction does power (decision-making) flow? Power: Owners down to Reporters

Media: Institutional Structure Owners Publishers Editors ConsumerReport Advertiser How is media content determined? In what direction does power (decision-making) flow? Power: Reporters up to Owners

Media: Institutional Structure Owners Publishers Editors ConsumerReport Advertiser Direction of influence helps address the bias question. Power: Owners down to Reporters More Conservative: Republican

Media: Institutional Structure Owners Publishers Editors ConsumerReport Advertiser Direction of influence helps address the bias question.Power: Reporters up to Owners More Liberal: Democratic

Politics, Power and the Media Media Bias: Liberal or Conservative Bias? Who shapes the content of news reporting? 1. Owners and Publishers (More Conservative)? 2. Reporters (More Liberal)? Research Design: Examine how the media covers or discusses certain issues.

Political Spectrum: US Politics Left: Public Positive Liberty: Freedom to… Center: Public-Private Hybrid More Government Scale Less Right: Private Negative Liberty: Freedom Free… Politics, Power and the Media

Political Spectrum: US Politics Right: Private Negative Liberty: Freedom Free… Left: Public Positive. Liberty: Freedom To… Center: Public-Private Hybrid More Government Scale Less Public Democratic Party Private Politics, Power and the Media

Political Spectrum: US Politics Right: Private Negative Liberty: Freedom Free… Left: Public Positive. Liberty: Freedom To… Center: Public-Private Hybrid More Government Scale Less Politics, Power and the Media Public Republican Party Private

US Politics: Health Care Reform Right: Private Negative Liberty: Freedom Free… Left: Public Positive. Liberty: Freedom To… Center: Public-Private Hybrid More Government Scale Less Public Democratic Party Private Single Payer Public Option Private Insurance Politics, Power and the Media

US Politics: Health Care Reform Right: Private Negative Liberty: Freedom Free… Left: Public Positive. Liberty: Freedom To… Center: Public-Private Hybrid More Government Scale Less Single Payer Public Option Private Insurance Politics, Power and the Media How often did the New York Times refer to differing health care policy options? (March 2010)

US Politics: Health Care Reform Right: Private Negative Liberty: Freedom Free… Left: Public Positive. Liberty: Freedom To… Center: Public-Private Hybrid More Government Scale Less Single Payer Public Option Private Ins/Health C Politics, Power and the Media How often did the New York Times refer to differing health care policy options? (April April 2010)

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US Politics: Social Security Privatization Right: Private Negative Liberty: Freedom Free… Left: Public Positive. Liberty: Freedom To… Center: Public-Private Hybrid More Government Scale Less Public Republican Party Private Public Social Security Private Investment Politics, Power and the Media

How do we Define Our Terms: The Media? There are several well-established debates concerning the media: 1. Is the media bias (how do you measure that)? 2. Is the media free (who owns the media)? Any others?

Politics, Power and the Media Explaining Quiescence Why, in circumstances of inequality, do challenges to that inequality not always occur? “What is there in certain situations of social deprivation that prevents issues from arising, grievances from being voiced, or interests from being recognized?” How do we explain inaction in the face of inequality. This is the key question Gaventa is attempting to answer.

Power and Participation Gaventa Thesis: Political Participation Shaped by Power (4) “In situations of inequality, the political response of the deprived group or class may be seen as a function of power relationships…”

Protocols of Persuasion What is the Nature of Power? (4) Lukes: Three dimensions or faces of power. 1) First: Pluralists 2) Second: Agenda-Setting 3) Third: Hegemony

Three Faces of Power 1) One-Dimensional Approach: Pluralists (5) Theory of Power: A has power over B to the extent that A can get B to do something he otherwise would not do. Characteristics of A Plural System: 1) Grievances are freely acted upon, when they develop. 2) System is open “to virtually every group” 3) Leaders function not as “elites,” but as representatives and may be studied as such.

Three Faces of Power 1)One-Dimensional Approach: Pluralists (5) Theory of Non-Participation: Since system is open, and there is no block no getting involved, non-participation is thought to result from inertia, or apathy. That is, it results from some personal defect of those who do not participate. (6-7)

Three Faces of Power Two-Dimensional Approach: Agenda-Setting (8) Schattschneider: non-participation results from the “suppression of options.” “Whoever decides what the game is about also decides who gets in the game.” (8-9)

Three Faces of Power Two-Dimensional Approach: Agenda-Setting (8) Bachrach and Baratz: Power works to shape not only who is included and excluded, but also which issues and problems are included and excluded. (9)

Three Faces of Power Two-Dimensional Approach: Agenda-Setting (8) Mobilization of Bias: Organizations are designed to favor certain individuals or issues and disadvantage others. Example: US Steel and Air Pollution (9) Gary Indiana: People did not pursue air pollution issue, or challenge US Steel because of its assumed power. “The reputation for power may have been more important than its exercise. It could have enabled US Steel to prevent political action without taking action itself.” (9)

Three Faces of Power Alternate Theory of non-participation Inaction is related to power: Limits of Second Face: Does not Consider How Power May Effect Conception of Grievances (10-11) It failures to see that the absence of a grievance may itself be a consequence of power. (11)

Three Faces of Power Three-Dimensional Approach: Hegemony (11) Theory of Power: “Not only might A exercise power over B by prevailing in the resolution of a key issue, but also through affecting B’s conceptions of issues altogether.” A over B Power is ability not only to get B to do A wants, whether B wanted to or not, but to directly shape what B wants, or thinks “he” wants. (12)

Three Faces of Power Three-Dimensional Approach: Hegemony (11) This type of control may happen in absence of conflict, which has been averted. Theory of Participation Theory of Power cannot focus on actually behavior: it must consider also the way in which “potential” conflicts or debates are avoided, or prevented from ever occurring. (12) Both 2nd and 3rd faces of Power help us explain inaction in the face of inequality.

Three Faces of Power Face of PowerFeaturesInaction PluralismSystem is unfair, but open. You can act on your grievances. Apathy, and ignorance. Agenda-SettingThose who control the agenda, control policy outcomes. Rational calculation. HegemonyThose who shape perception, define what is politically possible. Consequences of power: grievances are not recognized.

Three Faces of Power Corporate Personhood: Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad (118 U.S ) Fourteenth Amendment: Section 1 (of 4). All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.