1. “I Have a Scream”: Howard Dean and the Media
Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy
Fourteenth Edition
Case Study:
“I Have a Scream”: Howard Dean and the Media
Special Topic Lecture
Chapter 7: The Mass Media and
the Political Agenda
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman.

2. Dean’s Scream
After the Iowa Caucus in 2004, Dean makes his “I Have a Scream” speech.
View this video at:

3. “I Have a Scream”

4. Dean’s Scream
Dean’s campaign collapsed after extensive (633 national airings in four days) media coverage of the scream.
The problem: what brought about the media’s feeding frenzy?

5. Reporters and Bias Liberal Media?
Reporters are overwhelmingly liberal.
News stories are generally not politically biased.
Why do we think so?
Media’s role as critic of government is something we associate with liberals.
Newspaper editorial pages are biased; selective perception sees that bias in the media.

6. Reporters and Bias Liberal Media?
Most journalists want to be first and foremost good journalists.
Professional ethics: good journalism must “tell both sides” and be free of opinion.
Role of journalism is to inform the public.
Dean was the most liberal mainstream candidate.
Why would the “liberal” media attack a liberal candidate?

7. Reporters and Bias
What does being a journalist means to journalists?

8. Ownership of the Media
Another source of bias might be the economics of news.
News in America is a commodity provided by the free market.
American news media are privately-owned businesses.
Chains of massive media conglomerates control most media.
These conglomerates are entertainment, not just news, companies.
Two important factors

9. Ownership of the Media All of these channels are owned by one company.
Logos depicted are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

10. Ownership of the Media All of these channels are owned by one company.
Logos depicted are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

11. Ownership of the Media Voice of corporate America?
Mass media loves a good corporate scandal.
The media are profit-driven businesses.
News outlets are expected to make a profit, just like other corporate divisions.
Advertising revenues depend on drawing a large audience.

12. Presenting the News Most news coverage today is superficial.
“If it bleeds, it leads.”
See you local news station’s website.
Infotainment: News presented in entertaining, rather than thought-provoking, formats.
See an example on YouTube:
Dateline NBC's "Hair Growth Challenge" began with

13. Sound Bites Short video clips, not long segments.
Keeps news programs fast-paced and interesting.

14. Horse Race Coverage Focus on strategy and competition, not issues.
Exciting to political junkies who watch the news.
See figure 9.1 in the Brief Edition.

15. Dean’s Scream Dean’s scream made good television.
The media shows stories that people will watch.
People like to see politicians look like fools.
The media took advantage because it would increase ratings and thereby increase advertising revenue.

16. American Media and Democracy
Is the media the “watchdog of democracy”?
News provides more entertainment than information.
The media gives the people what they want, not what is good for them.
. . . a problem inherent in democracy, generally.