1. Media 5/1/2012

2. Clearly Communicated Learning Objectives in Written Form Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: – discuss and critically analyze political events in the United States government – students will be able to identify and explain the role of informal institutions and their effect on policy.

3. Office Hours and Readings Pages 130-151 Office Hours – Today 11-1:30 – Wednesday 10-2

4. The Media and Politics III

5. HORSE RACE COVERAGE How the Media Makes things exciting

6. Horse Race Coverage What is it? What does it contain Why?

7. Type of Coverage in 2008 Primary

8. Horse Race Dominates 2008 General

9. DEBATES

10. Presidential Debates A Recent Phenomenon General Strategies Do not screw upscrew

11. Why Candidates Like these A chance for exposure A chance for Legitimacy A chance to move in the polls

12. Presidential Debates Who Wins (the leader in the polls) The Person who doesn’t make a mistake Does it matter?

13. Presidential Debates Win by not losing What don't you want to do? – The 1960 DebateDebate – Look ancientancient – Seem heartlessheartless – You are no Jack KennedyJack Kennedy – Eastern Europe is Free Eastern Europe is Free – The Global TestGlobal Test – Adm. James Stockdale Blind, Deaf, Dumb BlindDeafDumb

14. THE MEDIA STRATEGY

15. The Media Strategy Getting the Message Out – Paid Advertisements – Free Press You campaign for votes and you campaign for media by getting free coverage Avoid cannibalizing

16. Getting Free Press Having your message get covered by the media You can reach a wide audience and It is not costing you money This is fully mediated

17. Maximizing Free Coverage Create a package Convey a winning message Shape an Image

18. Maximizing Free Coverage Don’t Say too Much Repeat the Few Basic Points Bad Press is Bad Press

19. The Role of the Media Is an informal institution Is a linkage institution It is profit driven

20. The Media and Opinion Formation We are exposed to it constantly, but does it matter? Direct Effects model says it matters a lot

21. Indirect Effects Model Two-Step flow Model The Role of Elites

22. THE MINIMAL EFFECTS MODEL Does the media really matter

23. The Minimal Effects Model The Fall Campaign is not that important Most people have made up their mind

24. Spurious/Minimal effects model We do not seek out political information We have selective/exposure perception We rarely make major changes

25. Who is influenced the most Those with the least political attention Those without stable party identification Elections can swing if it is close

26. GATEKEEPING AND AGENDA SETTING

27. What the Media Does: Agenda Setting What is it Bring Matters to the forefront, or conceal them

28. Goals of Agenda Setting Make people aware of issues Make issue salient Set the priority of issues

29. Gatekeepers Key people who control what we watch Help to shape political priorities Driven by profit

30. What gatekeepers use The authority of the source The Amount of Controversy The importance

31. What gatekeepers use The authority of the source The Amount of Controversy The importance

32. WHERE WE GET OUR POLITICAL INFORMATION

34. Where we get Political Information

35. The Type of Media Matters Television is the most important The internet is the fastest, but has the most bias

36. We Would Rather Watch Mistakes Bad SushiSushi People Falling People A great collectioncollection

37. Newspapers and Magazines Newspapers – Provide more information and Detail – Very few cities have multiple papers anymore Magazines- vary in content and quality

38. The Decline of Old media

39. THE PRESIDENT AND THE MEDIA

40. The President Needs the Media Amplify his Message Coordinate the Message Try and set the Agenda

41. The President will try to Make News Make the media aware of what he is doing Generate news by the power of the office

42. The President Vs. The Media The President Create a favorable image of himself Push Positive News Minimize bad news The Media Report all news, especially that which will sell Try to get it out there first Set the agenda before the President

43. THE MEDIA AND CAMPAIGNS

44. Why a campaign? Minimal effects model says most people don’t switch Go after weak partisans and independents Make sure your base comes out

45. When are Campaigns Most important When we know nothing about the candidates There is no counter-information When the information is important

46. Why you try to get

47. Horse Race Coverage What is it? What does it contain Why?

48. Following The Polls

49. The keys to horse race coverage Polling Perception No issues

50. Component I: Categorizer Sorts the candidates into winners and losers Creates an Image for the candidate

51. Component II: Expectation Setter Puts odds on the candidates You want to be at the top… duh But it isn't as good as you might thinkthink

52. Component III: Mentioner You want the media to notice you Not all press is good press Mentions mean money and votes

53. Component IV:Winnowing The Press Winnows (narrows) down the candidates Attention is on Iowa and NH Frontloading is the results

54. Type of Coverage in 2008 Primary

55. Horse Race Dominates 2008 General

56. DEBATES

57. Presidential Debates A Recent Phenomenon General Strategies Do not screw upscrew

58. Why Candidates Like these A chance for exposure A chance for Legitimacy A chance to move in the polls

59. Presidential Debates Who Wins (the leader in the polls) The Person who doesn’t make a mistake Does it matter?

60. Presidential Debates Win by not losing What don't you want to do? – The 1960 DebateDebate – Look ancientancient – Seem heartlessheartless – You are no Jack KennedyJack Kennedy – Eastern Europe is Free Eastern Europe is Free – The Global TestGlobal Test – Adm. James Stockdale Blind, Deaf, Dumb BlindDeafDumb

61. THE MEDIA STRATEGY

62. The Media Strategy Getting the Message Out – Paid Advertisements – Free Press You campaign for votes and you campaign for media by getting free coverage Avoid cannibalizing

63. Getting Free Press Having your message get covered by the media You can reach a wide audience and It is not costing you money This is fully mediated

64. Maximizing Free Coverage Create a package Convey a winning message Shape an Image

65. Maximizing Free Coverage Don’t Say too Much Repeat the Few Basic Points Bad Press is Bad Press

66. POLITICAL ADVERTISING

67. Political Advertising Unmediated Protected by First Amendment Why So Popular?

68. Targeting Ads and their Effect Uncommitted voters vs Partisans When are they Most Effective? Ads are a sign of political viability

69. Why you try to get

70. Candidate Credibility We have to trust the messenger Issue Ownership Try to focus on your best issue

71. Getting More Votes Delivering a positive message about your candidate (mobilizing) Deliver a negative message about the opposition (mobilizing/demobilizing)

72. Biographical Ads Inform us about the Candidate Very important early in the campaign

73. Examples of Bio Ads We have Come A long Way since IkeIke Bio Ads in 2008 – Obama bio adbio – McCain bio adbio What you do not want to saywant to say

74. Issue Ads Focus on a specific issue or a policy area Associate yourself with favorable policies Do not mention issue weakness

75. Examples of Issue Ads The Bear in the Woods in 1984Bear Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris...Chuck Norris Hillary Clinton- Attack/Issue AdAttack/Issue Ad The Herman Cain “Smoking” AdSmoking

76. Attack Ads The Norm Rather than the Exception The Mother of all Attack AdsMother

77. The Effect of Attack ads on voters Some voters become disenchanted and disaffected Your Base Loves them!

78. How Effective are these If they didn’t work, candidates wouldn’t run them The Lessons of 1988 – The Revolving DoorDoor – Willie HortonHorton

79. Why They Work and Who uses them more We don’t trust politicians They are more memorable and informativememorable Challengers and vulnerable incumbents use them

80. Do Not Give your Opponent Ammo Never go to a Playboy PartyPlayboy Party Don’t Drive a Tank with a big helmethelmet Gee, thanks a lot IKEIKE The Defining Sound bite of 2008Sound bite

81. How To Deal with them Defend the Charges – Kerry Flip-Flopping on the issuesFlip-Flopping – The Kerry RebuttalRebuttal Counterattack on the same issue or up the ante- The Puppy AdPuppy Attack the Credibility of your opponentCredibility

82. How not to deal with them Do Nothing – The Initial AdInitial – Swiftboats Swiftboats – Kerry’s rebuttal to swiftboats? If you get Punched in the nose, you must punch back

83. How the attack can backfire If you are seen as being too evil

84. Ads Can Backfire You do it too late to make a difference You bring a knife to a gun fight