Soc. 118 Media, Culture & Society Chapter Seven: Media Influence and the Political World

OVERVIEW The Influence of Media on Politics Media and Political Elites The Decline of Political Parties Politics as Spectator Sport The Politics of Image Style Over Substance Video Presentation: “Wag the Dog” Media and Individual Citizens Media Effects Theories Media and Society Social Movements “New Media” and the News Politics and Entertainment Media

Influence of Media on Politics Media shapes political process Social level Politicians, election campaigns, polls Individual level Public opinion, voting behavior, citizenship Dramatic change due to media 60th anniversary of TV (1998-2008) 1950's: McCarthy trials 1960's: Social movements, Vietnam War 1970's: Watergate 1980's: Reagan era politics 1990's: Gulf War and Clinton era scandals 2000’s: Rise of the Internet

The Media and Political Elites Most profound and direct influence Takes place among elites and insiders Politicians, lobbyists, campaign managers, financial contributors, pundits Other levels of influence Politicians use the power of the media Framing both image and issues Influence on elections Impact on how government is run What does this mean for democratic system? What effect does it have on those who are in power? What effect does it have on individual citizens?

Media and Political Elites Decline of Mediating Institutions Clubs, schools, churches used to mobilize voters Decline of Political Parties Less grassroots organizing Less party allegiance Candidate’s personality is of greatest importance Politics as a Spectator Sport “Horse race” coverage of elections Electability rather than issues Polls Signaling how to vote Pundits Interpreting the news Public service announcements “Rock the Vote, ” “Choose or Lose” The Media and Political Campaigns Two primary goals Fundraising Media exposure Those who spend the most tend to win By 90% in House By 80% in Senate Cost of winning seat in Senate 2006: Average $9.6 million

The Politics of Image: Style Over Substance The importance of appearance “Telegenic” candidates Nixon/Kennedy debates First to be televised in 1960 TV audiences judged winner by appearance (Kennedy) Radio audiences judged by performance (Nixon) Next debates not televised until 1976 Video clip of debates Campaign coverage Focus on stories, personalities, pre-planned events Less likely to explain background and issues Examples: Presidential candidates People get more information from ads than from news coverage Video clips

The Politics of Image Postmodern theory on media and politics Media Handlers Advance teams Pre-planned events Scripted, staged, choreographed “Photo ops” “Spin Doctors” Sound bytes Talking points Rise of the celebrity politicians Ronald Reagan “The Great Communicator” Others: Bill Bradley, John Glenn, Sonny Bono, Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger Postmodern theory on media and politics Importance of images signals a new kind of reality “The image has come to replace the real” “Simulacrum” Growth in the manipulation of images Gulf War coverage Example: “Wag the Dog”

Video Presentation:

Media and Individual Citizens: Theories on the effects of media Minimal Effects Model Reinforcement Theory Media reinforces, rather than changes, existing belief Two-Step Flow of Influence Opinion leaders (often celebrities) Transmit information Potential to influence Agenda Setting Directs attention toward certain issues Telling people what to think about “Gatekeepers” Hypodermic (Silver Bullet) Model Earliest theory Direct and powerful influence Example: “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast Mass Society Theory Post WWII Increasing isolation and alienation Media’s role in uniting and homogenizing population Concern over propaganda