The Media of Mass Communication Chapter 17 Mass Media and Governance Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-1

Media in Theory Does the News Media “Manufacture Consent”? Some argue that the news is a tool to keep elite in power by restricting access to dissenting positions Some think that ideas planted in the working and middle class make it easier for the upper class to rule Still others believe that because media has become a commodity to be bought and sold it is more about profit and less about public debate and discourse Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-2

Media Role in Governance Since Medieval times class structures were popular – First Estate – Clergy – Second Estate – Nobility – Third Estate – Commoners – Fourth Estate – Press The Press was initially seen as reporting on all other estates with roots in none and a commitment to truth. But is this view still true? Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-3

Media Effects on Governance Agenda Setting – Some believe the media controls the course of events CNN Effect – TV news has brought global issues to our living room Framing – How a story is covered can affect audience perception Sensationalism – Scandals, Politics, Conflict, and War use ten-second sound bites Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-4

Government Manipulation of Media Influencing Coverage – The government regularly tries to manipulate the media to create its own spin on a story Scrums – Reporters and camera try to capture government opinions in the hallway outside the House of Commons – Some Prime Ministers agree and others try to control it Trial Balloons and Leaks – Governments to try to gauge public opinions before decisions are made public and are therefore irreversible Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-5

Government Manipulation of Media Stonewalling – Rather than face potentially difficult questions some government leaders purposely avoid media contact Overwhelming Information – To confuse the media one tactic is to bury them in too much information hoping the worrisome story is overlooked Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-6

Political Campaigns Campaign coverage is often critiqued on its: – Issues, agenda, interpretation, inside coverage, polling, instant feedback, and depth Lessons from recent campaigns – Movies, Social Media, Bloggers, and Attack Ads are all playing increasingly important roles in politics Campaign advertising – Candidates create ad campaigns to get their image out – Media exposure and advertising are key in a campaign Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-7

Questions for Critical Thinking 1.What are major government and candidate tools for manipulating news coverage? 2.By what authority are news media the people’s watchdog for government accountability? 3.How do mass media influence public policy? 4.Why is news coverage of political issues often formulaic and superficial? 5.What role do social media and new media play in the political process? Copyright © 2012 Pearson Canada Inc.17-8