1. With your table
What role do you think the media plays in politics? Is this any different from the role you think the media should play? Explain why or why not.

2. Agenda Lecture – media in American politics
Exit ticket – thesis about role media will play in the future
Note: grades are being updated for progress reports

3. How can media function as a linkage institution

4. Media as Political Institution
Figures
The People
Democracy presupposes a tight connection between political leaders and the people
How to reach each other?
Direct contact options

5. Media as Political Institution
Figures
The People
Use media to reach the people, but message is “mediated” by the media

6. Media as Political Institution
Figures
The People
Use media to reach political leaders, but message is “mediated” by the media

7. Media as Political Institution
Informs voters about what is happening in our country / what our leaders are doing
Tracks public opinion with polls / trending stories, which allows politicians to respond to voters’ needs
Also socializes voters by shaping how we think about issues

8. Ideal roles of the media
Gatekeeper/Agenda Setter
Scorekeeper/Horserace Journalism
Watchdog/Muckraker

9. Mass Media and Public Opinion
Framing - the media focuses on certain events, and contextualizes them in a certain way
Media influences the political agenda (agenda setting) to a certain degree 
What are examples of “media framing” in news you’ve seen?

10. Types and Forms of Media
Basic media types:
television
radio
print
internet
cinema
music
advertising

11. Print Media Long history in US Early partisan press
Federalist Papers
Yellow Journalism – sensational stories
Muckraking – getting the scoop
The cartoon was published in the wake of the Spanish- American War, the cartoonist suggests that, having won the war, the government ought to attack yellow journalists at home.

12. Radio News FDR’s fireside chats Today
1930’s weekly address to the nation
Today
AM Talk—conservative dominance
Sean Hannity
Rush Limbaugh
Alex Jones
More Moderate/liberal: National Public Radio
Link to Web sites to play students an excerpt from the different talk radio programs.

13. Television News Network News Cable News:
CBS
NBC
ABC
FOX
Cable News:
C-SPAN
CNBC and MSNBC
Comedy News: SNL, the Daily Show, The Nightly Show
Photo caption: What is C-SPAN?
C-SPAN, shown here, is a public access channel that (through the main channel and its affiliates) provides gavel to gavel coverage of the House and Senate. It also airs a variety of other public affairs programming.

14. TV is the one we view the most
99.5% of homes w/ electricity have TVs
95% watch some TV every day
Ave Home: TV on 7 hrs/day
Ave Adult: watches 4 hrs/day
By age 8: more time watching TV than will speak to your parents for rest of your life

15. However, Internet is growing

18. What are some reasons for the trends shown
What are some reasons for the trends shown? What are some implications of the trends shown?

20. How do politicians use the media? How does the media use politicians?
How media IS Used

21. Political Uses of Media
Intentional
Unintentional
Content intends to change political beliefs
Political ads, PSAs, Documentaries
Content is political, but no intent to influence political behavior
News
Explicit
Political content is implied, intent is change political beliefs
Entertainment to make a point scandal
Political content and consequences are unintentional
All other media
Implicit
Think about the TV, movies you watch - how much falls into each category?

22. Political Uses of Media
Political leaders in U.S. need media, but can’t do much to shape and control message
With the exception of ads, it’s up to reporters, editors, publishers/producers, owners
Note for later: this begs the question of who owns media companies…

23. Political Uses of Media
Political leaders WANT to use unfiltered content -- they get their message right to the people

24. They want it like this
Political
Figures
The People

25. Political Uses of Media
Unmediated Content:
Political figure has direct and immediate access to the public

26. In reality, it’s mostly thisD I A
Political
Figures
The People

27. Political Uses of Media
Partly Mediated
Political figure uses media and media has partial element of control in dissemination and/or content of the message

28. Political Uses of Media
Fully Mediated
Media controls dissemination and/or content of the message
“Two movies, one screen”

29. With your table…
What motivates media? What are they trying to do / what drives them?

30. Motivation of media Interest in ratings
Media outlets need to develop stories that engage audience
If you ran a news station, what kind of stories would you run to get good ratings? What would you avoid?

31. Political Uses of Media
Media is sensationalized
“Horse race” angle of the election -- who’s ahead? by how much? who’s going to win? -- rather than the issues that are driving the election
“If it bleeds, it leads”
Strong narrative – conflict, heroes, villains, plot lines
Give an example of news you’ve seen that fits this model of a “good story”

32. Evidence of this trend…
We can see this in coverage spent on events:
Supreme Court Citizens United Decision: 8%
All Supreme Court Decisions except Obergefell v. Hodges: 2-12%
Obergefell v. Hodges (gay marriage): 31%
Missing Malaysian Airlines Plane: 71%

33. Trends in media

34. Consolidation Consolidation of news media outlets
Weakened FCC = companies can own multiple forms of media
Leads to less diversity and more homogenization

35. Consolidation

37. If a handful of companies own most media, what happens to public opinion?

38. News as entertainment
Why do you believe the sound bite has decreased in recent years? What are the implications of this for our political culture?

39. Media Bias
Is media biased? If so, to what party?

41. Party affiliation and citizens’ news sources

42. 1. Bias through Omission
Sometimes, certain facts or details will be cut out of a story, and others will be included.
This can change how readers or viewers think about the story.
Make sure to read several different sources to get the full story!

43. Bias through Omission
A news story can be written about people booing during a speech.
“The president’s remarks were greeted by loud jeers.”
“A small handful of people disagreed with the president’s remarks.”

44. 2. Bias through placement
Usually, the stories that are chosen to be put first are seen as more important.
Stories in the back of the paper or at the end of the news broadcast are seen as less important.

47. 3. Bias through labeling
The way a person is described or labeled can influence how we think about them.
“John Doe, an ex-con, is now running for office.”
“John Doe, who was convicted 20 years ago for a minor offense, is now running for office.”
Experts, Far Right, Ultra, extreme, crazy, etc

48. All of this bias is what we call “media spin”

49. Spin: Same facts different story

50. To recap… Media can play several roles: Gatekeeper/Agenda Setter
Scorekeeper/Horserace Journalism
Watchdog/Muckraker
But trends may shape its role in the future

51. Exit ticket
Develop a thesis: in light of existing media trends, what role will the media play in the future of American politics?
Support with 2-3 arguments