This post is due by Tuesday, March 4 @ midnight for full credit.
Email late posts to rob.williamsATmadriver.com for partial credit.
Read our MEDIA@SOCIETY book, assigned chapter above.
In a SINGLE blog post below, provide for the chapter:
1. A single sentence, IYOW, that captures the chapter's THESIS (main argument).
2. THREE specific pieces of supporting documentation - ideas, concepts, stats, data - to bolster your thesis for the chapter. (Use 2 - 3 sentences for each.)
3. A single PERSONAL story of 3-4 sentences that connects the chapter directly with your own personal media experiences.
4. A SINGLE specific question you have after reading and blogging on the chapter.
Game on,
Dr. W
1. Media and politics have an unfair interdependent relationship that continues to grow every day.
ReplyDelete2. • During presidential elections such as the 2004 and 2008 elections, media outlets were very bias. Major media networks and newspapers used their power to support presidential candidates. This was done by depicting the opposing candidate in a bad light while only showing the good sides of the favored candidate or simply not displaying the other party at all.
• Citizenship defines different periods of history in which different forms of media were prevalent. While during the 18th and 19th century, the deferential citizen existed, others began to develop such as the Partisan, Informed, Rights-Bearing and the New Partisan Citizens. For example, while during the Informed Citizen era pamphlets and local newspapers were the main source of information, the Rights-Bearing Citizen uses cell phones, cable news, websites and blogs as informational sources.
• Politician’s use media conglomerates like NBC and CBS to fuel interest or to alter perceptions and these conglomerates gain from this financially. For example, when ABC wanted to dedicate a special episode (Nightline) to the war in Iraq to inform the public about the loss of soldiers, it was denied because it was believed that this would result in “anti-war” attitudes. However, a documentary against presidential candidate John Kerry was proposed.
3. Growing up whenever I would find something interesting online, I would almost immediately believe and I would tell other about it. My mom would always advise me not to do this because everything that is online is not believable and just because the source seems creditable, doesn't mean it actually is. Of course, I have learned by lesson but my attitude then reminds me of the New Partisan Citizen. The New Partisan Citizen seems to think that cable news offer an “expert” opinion more so than actual experts.
4. How can the relationship between media and politics ever change if politicians rely heavily on the media for support (and vice versa)? Will there ever be a breaking point?
1. The media influence American society through the stories they tell or chose not to tell, thus placing a greater emphasis on the interests of big media than on an informed citizenry.
ReplyDelete2.
• In 2011, the film, music and TV industries spent about $100 million on lobbying efforts to promote the deregulation of media according to Politico (107). It is evident that large media companies are interested in expanding the quantity of their holdings rather than the quality of the media they provide to citizens. When they could have been informing citizens about the impact of media oligopolies, they were instead exacerbating the problem (107).
• One provision of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 referred to the digital spectrum which could have been auctioned off to media companies for as much as $70 billion, money that could have gone back to citizens. However, the broadcast industry ran ads that implied that consumers would end up paying a TV tax if media companies had to pay for digital spectrum space. This combined with "intense lobbying efforts" resulted in this spectrum space being given away as gift (110). Through these sensational and questionable stories and untold stories about lobbying, the big media cost the American people much more than $70 billion because this situation shows that companies headed by unelected CEOs can have an inappropriate amount of influence over the legislative process.
• Through the manner they structure political advertising big media have a great deal of influence over the political process. Rarely is free airtime ever provided to politicians to open a discourse about issues. Instead candidates pay exorbitant fees to media companies to air 30 second ads which often turn into attack ads rather than a rational discussion about politics. If a candidate wanted to buy a substantial amount of airtime to do this, it would be so cost prohibitive that only the wealthiest of candidates could afford to do so (118). This gives a greater voice to candidates with more wealth thus making money more important than merit.
3. I can understand all too well the frustration of political meanings of music being lost amid commercialism. I had long since lost interest in American Idol by the time I reached my junior year of high school, but one night my mother and I had grown curious about what the program had become and decided to tune in. I was taken aback by one performance in particular. A 16 year old female contestant performed "Unfortunate Son" by Credence Clearwater Revival and the whole time she pranced around the stage smiling. This was not a fitting interpretation as the song encapsulates the fear and anger young men felt during the Vietnam War that they could be shipped off to Asia to die at anytime because they weren't born into wealth. I can't help but think the show's dependence on advertising and high viewership to make money influenced this safe and apolitical performance. It frustrates me that there is such as fear of losing money or such as great emphasis on making money that messages of songs such as this are lost.
4. What is the likelihood that legislation that requires broadcasting companies to offer free airtime to political candidates could pass?
1)Those in power—particularly, political power—infuse their narratives into media platforms as a way to influence our views and decisions in subtle way; these two are becoming more and more intertwined daily, which is something we, as citizens, should be alert of.
ReplyDelete2)Storytelling shapes politics. During elections, politicians become characters in the stories they tell; stories told to swing the election in favor of them. These people spend crazy amounts of money and time building an image to sell to the people; we receive this image throughout numerous media platforms and base our opinions upon them.
Mass media can have huge effects on politics, and this is perhaps most recognizable in the way of music, in the past. Music from groups like the Beatles, and Pete Seeger, generated so much popularity that they began to make a widespread impact on political culture.
In a society that is heavily saturated with advertising, our lives as democratic citizens are heavily influenced by what we see in the media. Political advertising uses culture to sell and distort political messages… and considering that we probably all know someone who will pick their presidential candidate based on their Superbowl ad, isn’t this kind of scary?
3)In my Politics 101 class, our professor introduced us to Pete Seeger the day after he died, flabbergasted that we didn’t know the name. We learned how he used his musical talent to get people to learn and become engaged in political issues. He led rallies his audiences to social activism, and several of his songs were used as anthems for the Civil Rights movement. We discussed how someone like him wouldn’t make quite so much of a splash nowadays, because people in America now are much less united as a whole.
4)Are there any rules that politicians have to follow as far as bad-mouthing other candidates goes in mass media?
1. Those who are in powerful position in society especially pertaining to politics, use persuasive techniques and media to impact and alter our individual beliefs.
ReplyDelete2.
- In order to make political decisions based on personal beliefs it is essential to understand that "all news is biased. News, after all, is primarily storytelling, not objective science"(112). As viewers we need to keep in mind and be fully conscious that media are nevertheless storytellers and we should not let their embellishments fluctuate our individual beliefs.
- TV stations charge political candidates a fortune to air their advertisements, which leads to discrimination among candidates whom are less-financially equipped than their opponents who are more likely to have the "upper-hand" when the electoral process begins. Though this is unjust, without advertising we, as a society would be at a lost economically speaking since advertising does after all saturate our culture (116).
- "Those who wield power in our society, whether corporate executives, politicians, and lobbyists... have invested a lot of time, money, ideas, and energy in critiquing culture and arranging it into particular hierarchical categories that serve their interests" (120). Culture in the Media is such a wide category that it is classified in separate groups. For instance, “high culture” entertainment that was generally most popular in the past, such as, fine literature and opera; while “low” culture is more based on amusement nowadays like television and talk radio (120).
3. I have recently been aware of the manipulation regarding political ads and have found it somewhat frustrating to determine my own beliefs when I am in a constant state of flux. Though I am aware of advertisements persuasive techniques, it can be difficult to always remain consciously aware of it.
4. How can the less-financially equipped candidates ever have the "upper-hand" if their wealthier opponents are attacking them via ads, leading to a lower chance of winning the electoral process?
1) The link between media, advertising and politics reveals unequal power relationships which keep power in the hands of large media companies at the expense of developing an informed populace.
ReplyDelete2) The book describes how the powerful members of society have arranged art and culture “into particular hierarchical categories that serve their interests” (120). This influences the rest of society to believe that some forms of media, like music and reality shows, should be discounted as a distraction and a ruination of society. As a result, media cannot be evaluated impartially, and politicians use this negative view of media to gain votes. If media reflect only the interests of the powerful, those who want to cause changes socially or politically don’t have the ability to do so.
Because media are in the hands of the wealthy and powerful, candidates other than those from the main two political parties do not have the resources to compete on a national scale. Media bring attention to candidates, and because of “ the growing role of image advertising in politics,” if a candidate doesn’t receive attention from big media companies, voters will not be aware of him or her and consequently will not vote for that candidate (119). Candidates must pay large amounts of money just for 30-second TV ads. This limits the number of voices that can be heard as well as the ability to evaluate what alternatives there may be to those voices.
Political narratives work to create an image of a candidate that often skimps on that candidate’s full agenda and record. Americans use these images created by the media to make decisions about which candidate to vote for. The advertisements alone are often enough to convince a voter to choose a candidate without looking deeper into what that candidate is actually saying they will do and what impact they could really have on the political situation in America. Presenting George W. Bush in the 2004 election as a “rugged cowboy” based on his values may be an attractive image for voters, but doesn’t say a lot about how he would handle real, pressing crises (105).
3) I had never really given much attention to politics until the 2012 presidential election. In discussing the candidates, I recognized what the book calls polarization, with my views in favor and against certain candidates becoming stronger the more I talked to people about them. I agree with what the chapter paraphrases Cass Sunstien as saying, that there is a need to move away from one-sided views given by individuals or media that prevent discussion and understanding among those in support of different candidates. Democracy can really suffer if we don’t understand what opposing parties are working toward as well as take a good look at what our chosen candidate has done, rather than the image we see of them projected in media.
4) How has the growing popularity of social media affected political candidate’s abilities to spread their messages and agendas to a wider audience? Will the internet help less affluent candidates become more widely recognized?
1.) Thesis
ReplyDeleteMedia play a large role in forming, re-shaping, and twisting political stories in favor of or against a particular candidate.
2.) 3 Pieces of Supporting Documentation
- Presidential Election Narratives: Stories are told favoring different candidates based on when they are running. For example, John Kerry was projected as a "strong and capable leader" (105) in the election of 2004. This was in the wake of 9/11 and the beginning stages of the war in Iraq.
- Political Bias in the News Media: "Recent polling data show that public perception indicates that mainstream news media operate mostly with a liberal bias." (112) With the source of most of society's political information (especially around election time) leaning more to one side, where are we supposed to get truly untainted, unbiased information?
- Political Advertising and Democracy: "Since the 1950s, political consultants have been imitating market-research and advertising techniques to sell their candidate." (117) This truly speaks to what the role of media in our society has built up to- even the leaders of our country are treated as objects and products to be sold.
3.) Personal Story
During the 2012 election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, I remember the pettiest stories coming out favoring one candidate and bashing the other. "Don't vote for Mitt Romney because he spoke of his binders of women and took a road trip with his dog on the roof of his car," and "don't vote for Obama because he called Kanye West a bad name and swatted a fly on TV." This truly shows how low the media is willing to stoop through their story-telling. One will go very far (and very low) in selling their product.
4.) Question
How far are political consultants and campaign teams willing to push it legally in terms of selling their candidate with warped or biased stories?
1. Whether it is through political persuasion or using rock and roll to distract people from unsettling news, media can have a great influence on the culture and views of society.
ReplyDelete2. “From our narrativist perspective, politics is about who wields power, how they use it, and how they maintain and “operationalize” it through stories” (107). The way the general society portrays the media stories on and from politicians and how it influences power is extremely important.
During the 1950s, “with constant concern over the atomic bomb, the Cold War, and communist witch-hunts, many young people sought forms of diversion-and meaning- from the menacing world created by adults” (108). These young people turned to rock and roll, dance music, and jazz as a way to escape.
“Our contemporary era is also marked by a decline in the kind of journalism and news media that promoted fact-gathering, documentation, and expertise and held up “objectivity” as the ideal for journalistic practice” (128). Advertisements subtly influence our decisions whether we are aware of it or not.
3. While reading the section on rock and roll as avoidance of the worries of war, I couldn’t help but think of the Billy Joel song “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” I believe it relates well to chapter. The lyrics state, “It was always burning since the world’s been turning.” Throughout history, media have used propaganda to influence the views of society. For example, during the time when women were struggling for suffrage rights, media produced many images of manly looking women neglecting their families as a way to influence society.
4. Is there or will there ever be some sort of legal restraint limiting the stories politicians are able to use in their campaigns against each other?
1. Powerful individuals use the media to impact our views on them and on ourselves.
ReplyDelete2. -President Barack Obama is a perfect example of someone who uses media to shape views on himself. “In 2008 Obama had 2.3 million ‘friends’ on Facebook (compared to 610,000 for McCain)” (p. 106). The chapter also explains how 66% of eighteen to twenty-nine year olds voted for Obama. The younger crowd was in part more attracted to Obama because he was so active on social media. He had a strong campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, three huge networks that are popular with young Americans.
-The news has a liberal bias.”After all, news media are agents of change” (p. 112). We live in an ever-changing society and this is, at least somewhat, due to news coverage; change is encouraged because change is what is covered.
-Advertising plays a huge role in society; people get ideas of who they should be. “With only a few large media conglomerates controlling national advertising and commercial speech,” only powerful individuals are sending us messages. Therefore, we are getting our ideological messages from these media conglomerates.
3. Watching movies in my film class last semester programmed me to search for a meaning in every piece of media. Every week, we would have to watch a movie and dissect the messages that were sent. One film in particular called Falling Down had deep political meaning. It pointed out the issues in today's society, such as racism, homophobia, terrorism, and gang violence. The media messages within were created by powerful people to say something about society.
4. Why do people support the negative campaigning that one politician does while demonizing the negative campaigning that the opponent does?
1. Thesis: Politics exist within media by creating political narratives that are major influences in major corporations, political campaigns and social reforms.
ReplyDelete2 Supporting Documentation
• AL Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign narrative made him look like a wholesome romantic man in a cynical era making him unappealing to younger voters. Also, his abandonment of Clinton made him look disloyal which counteracts his romantic persona which emphasizes strong friendships and loyalty. The narrative created an image for Gore that cost him the pectoral votes needed to win the campaign
• Politics in general is a struggle for power which plays out in everyday culture. Rock and Roll changed the world by creating social reform and an “integrationist” between African Americans and Whites in the 1960s. The media promoted this music which ultimately ended up providing support for African American reform in the United States
• Our role as citizens and change agents in a contemporary democracy come in many forms and constantly change with the media. The 3 major periods of political citizenship include the deferential citizen era, the partisan era, and the 20th century informed citizen all of which are distinguished by the media that existed during their eras. “Scientific expertise, bureaucratic organization, and information dissemination would become the foundation that modern citizenship would build upon”. (pg 126)
3. Personal Story:
My Political Science professor did a mini lesson one class on Pete Seeger after the news of his death. I was a bit confused at first to why we were talking about this old musician in a political science class but then Professor Grover began to explain Pete Seeger’s music career and how he was an activist musician. His music was in support of social reform and often used at rallies in the Civil Rights Movement. When reading the section about political culture a rock and roll, I immediately thought of him and how his music had so much political power behind it.
4. Will a new type of political citizen emerge as our ever-changing media transforms and what type of political citizen era will it be?
Thesis: Media and Politics have been interwoven and continue to become closer and closer.
ReplyDelete1. Because news is a storytelling platform, bias is inevitable. "Editors choose certain issues and events to cover and ignore others; reporters choose particular words or images and reject others. This creates bias in favor of dramatic and conflicting quotes, in favor of telling just two sides of a story, in favor of powerful and connected sources, and in favor of practices that serve journalists' space/time limitations and deadline pressures." (112) This quote accurately depicts how certain networks, based off of who is making the final decisions, can show bias on the little things as what does and does not make the cut and how they even word the segment.
2. Political advertising utilizes the different digital media platforms to further reach their audience. At first, it was running commercials and print ads in the newspapers and on local news stations. Even though there is a lot of fire behind advertising, "As a society, we realize that without advertising our mass media and economic system would need reinvention; it is also unlikely that the commercial power wielded by corporate and political interests will diminish any time soon" (119)
3. There are many different types of citizens that are present when it comes to politics in the media, such as the deferential citizen, the partisan citizen, and the informed citizen. In society today, it had become much more important to know about politics because the information is so readily available. "In this era, citizens are expected to be knowledgeable about party politics, individual leaders, and contemporary issues. "(125-6) It is now more important to know what is happening in the world because it is in front of us.
Personal example: I am just remembering back to the California Governor ad campaigns for Meg Whitman, CEO of Ebay, and Jerry Brown, who was a former Governor. The ads would always tear the other one apart based off of what they did in the past and what they weren't going to do for the state. Ultimately, Jerry Brown won the election. For me, the ad campaigns stick out the most when it comes to politics and elections.
Question: How has politics changed with all the new advances in media?
Chapter 5
ReplyDeleteThesis: Media can be used to change opinions, especially in politics.
Support:
1. The media tell the messages on politics and it forms what people believe. “Because mass media often function as narrators and agents of change—in everything from fashion and style to technology and politics” (119).
2. Politicians use dirty tactics to try to turn voters from the other candidate to themselves. “This was an argument that many politicians—then and now—have seized on either pander to voters by villainizing media or because they genuinely believed that popular culture was society’s ruination” (121).
3. Journalists who are supposed to tell both sides of the story end up telling middle of the road stories, which can affect politics. “Such a balancing act did not make conventional journalists objective or free from politics; rather it made them centralists in their politics, always seeking middle-of-the-road positions in their most controversial stories” (113).
Story: The Washington Post has been posting stories in favor of Hillary Clinton. One of the stories was titled “Poll: Benghazi is no Achilles heel for Clinton.” This is helping push the public to be more pro-Clinton for the 2014 presidential race.
Question: Why are there no laws in place for running negative campaigns against a competitor?
1. When it comes to politics, media is helping sway the information that the public receives in order to convey a certain message.
ReplyDelete2a. When the political campaigns start, they choose a slogan. For many it is a phrase that sways the public opinion. For Kerry's campaign they portrayed him as a military man.
2b. With the new being biased, that means that whatever is shown on it reflects the views of the news program. This is good for the candidates, as long as its their channel, but it is bad for the viewer because they are given one choice. Their choice is vote for this man or don't vote.
2c. Media is a huge help for political campaigns. Though media is one of the huge political issues. More the way that media is effecting our culture.
3. When I was getting ready to vote in the 2012 election I was not sure as to whom to vote for. When they had their final debate my friends and I crowded around the TV in my dorm room and we watched as Obama and Romney answered question after question. We used a source of media in order to get our political information. The facebook ads during the debate were annoying but influential.
4. How is the media going to change politics for the next election? The next 20 years?
Fantastic meditations here, posse.
ReplyDeleteSee you shortly,
Dr. Rob
1. Media can influence people’s thought and action, and politicians and movements use this function to achieve their political motives.
ReplyDelete2.
1) People depend media platform to judge who would be the next presidents. They think that the information that media platform is true, impartial, and accurate. In fact, media companies just work for their “Boss ” who gives their money. Perhaps, the owners of media companies also consider the benefits that the “ Boss” be the leader of this country.
2) Media becomes the tool of politics to win the supports. Media give campaigners new image that voters want to see. This image was not the right real quality of campaigners; it is a mask to cheat support at sometime. The example is the case that the speech of Michelle Lavaughn Obama during the 2012 election. I also remembered that the providers who upload video in Sina Weibo said that one of the comments is that if you want to become a president, you must have a wife like Michelle. Of course, she is an excellent female. However, who knows the image that the video showed whether true or not.
3) All news is biased. Actually, most of the mainstream news media has own view about politics. They will choose people who they liked and promoted for their person.
2. Before one year, the Chinese netizens were very easily influenced. Some public figure would show their views about Chinese politic and give a wrong guide to people sometimes. However, this year, when the MAS370 Air crash happened, the comments of netizens were more just. They would consider and judge that the view is right or wrong. To my surprised, the media platform all information that proved by government or experts. This is tremendous progress of Chinese Media liberal.
4. Who connives that media platforms offer the inaccurate and unjust information to the public?
1. Media and politics have a strong and ever growing dependence on each other and how people portray them.
ReplyDelete2. We are shown that by “These narratives are not simply broadcast by various media; they’re connected to the very survival of the media industries.”(107) I found how extremely informative and true when it was stated that “presidential elections aren’t just about the traditional political parties – about who won and who lost- but, more importantly, about who brandishes power, how mass media produce cultural meanins, how those meanings circulate in our culture’s stories and champion particular values, and how we react to these as key issues that affect the quality of democracy.”(107).
3. When I was in 8th grade I was home sick from school for the week of the presidential election and it was then when I really realized how much the media and politics went hand in hand.
4. How does the newer generation of voters’ dependence on media vary from veteran voters?
1. Media are large factors when it comes to influencing the general public in political matters, depending on how the media portray certain political figures or sway certain information in order to convey a specific message or opinion.
ReplyDelete2. Presidential election narratives- There are several stories that got told to swing the election for one candidate and against the other. Media is used in the case of presidential elections and campaigns to construct a reality that may differ from what the actual facts are (persuasive technique: reality construction, some stories are not being completely told).
- Media as political narratives. Presidential elections aren't just about the traditional political parties- about who won and who lost- but, more importantly, about who brandishes power, how they use it, and how they main and operationalize it through stories (media is implicated in the process).
- Sex, Violence, and Headlines. Described as the "stepchildren" of the print media is the visual media, which is described in Media in Society as mostly directed toward the younger generation in order to influence them, as well as expose them to falsehoods of social norms and allows them to grow more accustomed to become more accepting of violence, crime, and sex by mere exposure.
3. My personal experience is the an exposure to the sheer massive amounts of commercials and other media that go into the news and daily television during the months and few weeks before election time. I remember at every dinner, my parents would want to watch tv and almost every commercial was either attacking or bolstering each candidate.
4. What tactics are most effective when portraying the opposing candidate negatively as opposed to portraying oneself in a superior mode?
Politics are an ever-present part of our society, and we see politics in everything we do. Media can be used as a political tool to tell stories, provide information, and evoke reaction from society.
ReplyDelete-Our country's elections are focused on storytelling. Everything a candidate uses in his election campaign involves stories and, subsequently, the media.
-Media is driven by narratives. By telling stories, we are fully using media's spectrum, and then we can connect it directly to politics.
-The relationship between politics and media is a complicated one, but the two feed off each other well. Media is used by politicians and the political world to express their messages and garter support from society.
The best example, to me, of the tight relationship between media and politics is the Arab Spring of 2011. Refugees and revolutionaries in dozens of Arab countries were able to use social media like Facebook to rally and ultimately redefine the political landscape in Arab countries. Without the media, politics would be a very different concept.
How did the development of media and politics form the essential connection they share in today's world?