Media Influence in Politics? Myth or Reality? March 23, 2004

The Media Do the media distort reality? How? Does it matter?  To what ends is reality distorted?  intentional or unintentional?  Does this distorted reality shape or mirror public opinion?  Do people expect the media to be unbiased?  Do people NOT recognize media biases?

Chomsky – Manufacturing Consent Do the media distort reality? How? Does it matter?  To what ends is reality distorted?  intentional or unintentional?  Does this distorted reality shape or mirror public opinion?  Do people expect the media to be unbiased?  Do people NOT recognize media biases?

An Alternative Interpretation... profitability is key  importance of audience to profitability media is biased  however, it mirrors (rather than shapes public opinion) media concentration  not evidence that media can shape public views  evidence that media cannot shape public views

Types of Media Bias distorted view which shapes public opinion  what is there is biased distorted view by leaving issues out  bias lies in what is not there

Is the Media Biased? how would one judge?  depends upon perspective  media that mirrors public opinion may seem biased to the observer media concentration and the issue of bias  overall media bias seems less likely in a 500- channel, Internet universe  counter-arguments?  overall media bias seems less serious

Media Bias – Another Angle distorted view which shapes public opinion  what is there is biased distorted view by leaving issues out  bias lies in what is not there the medium is the message  creates passivity (not interactive)  atomizing  consumerism/commodity fetishism

The Media and Democracy what model of democracy do you think Chomsky’s most closely reflects?

The Media and Democracy participatory democrats  press should foster political participation by providing wide range of information, opinion, and opportunity for debate  concern that concentration of media undermines the influence of mass participation

The Media and Democracy elite democrats  control of media by elites to manufacture consent is fine  consensus in society is central to pursuing the general welfare  so long as media control does not undermine competition among elites (e.g. allowing one political faction to dominate)

The Media and Democracy liberal democrats  most important element is protecting the freedom of the press from government interference/control  so long as the press is free and individuals enjoy the right to freedom of speech (e.g. free to start their own press), there are no worries

Final Exam Thursday, April 8 th – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm PAC

Final Exam* five sections  four long-answer questions (70%)  27 multiple choice (30%) *Disclaimer: The following information is provided as a courtesy for use by students. Any student misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the following information will not be accepted as grounds for appealing an exam grade.

Part A – Long-Answers Section 1 – Concepts  single mandatory question  how main concept of course (democracy) is applied in Part 3 Institutions and Part 4 Political Competition (with students illustrating using their own choice of 3 examples) Section 2 – Guest Lectures  student choice from three questions  drawn from four guest lectures (Momani, Langenbacher, MacDonald, Petit) Section 3 – Political Institutions  student choice from three questions  drawn from political institutions (legislatures, constitutions, courts, electoral systems) Section 4 – Political Practice  student choice from two questions  drawn from political practice (media, political parties, interest groups)

Part B – Multiple Choice (27 questions) readings  February 10 th -April 3rd video presentations  Michael Moore, Lecture from Democracy University  Struggle for Democracy  Balance of Power  Manufacturing Consent  Rich Media, Poor Democracy  The Unelected: The Lobbies

Mandatory Question A central argument of Part III/IV of the course is that various issues regarding political institutions and political competition are viewed differently by each of the various models of democracy discussed in the course. After outlining the distinct models of democracy as discussed in class and clearly identifying how they differ, discuss the statement above with reference to three examples from the various topics discussed in class including parliamentary vs. presidential systems, legislatures, the courts, electoral systems, the media, political parties, and interest groups.