participation in government how media reports. how does the media report on politics? “speak...

Participation in GovernmentHow Media Reports

How does the media report on politics? “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” “I am not a crook.” “No new taxes.” “Building a bridge to the twenty-first

century.” “Fuzzy Math” “I hear you, the world hears you, and the

people who knocked down these buildings will hear you very soon!”

“The Man,” T.R.

Richard Nixon

Franklin D. Roosevelt

George HW Bush

William Clinton

George W. Bush

George W. Bush

How does the media report on politics? Answer: The media takes long speeches and cuts

them down into little snippets.

Sound Bites: A small portion of a speech that is

reported by the media

The average sound bite is 7 seconds followed by 30 seconds of commentary.

What assumptions does the media make? The public isn’t informed and/or intelligent

enough to understand. Public’s attention span is too short The pundits (people who report on

politics) are smarter than the people.

What is the impact of sound bites? People don’t receive comprehensive

information. It is easy to distort the actual meaning of

what was said Media outlets are biased and put their own spin on information.

Spin: biased interpretation of a situation

How do politicians work the media? “time to start kissing babies”1) Photo-Op:A staged event that a politician can be

seen at by voters in a particular way.Ex) A front page picture of George W. Bush

reading Green Eggs & Ham to 1st graders.How can this picture be used in both a

positive and negative manor?

How do politicians work the media?

2) Free Media:Media coverage of a candidate/politician for

which there is no cost.ex) Barack Obama appears on Larry King Live.

++: It’s Free!!---: there is no control over length or angle

http://youtu.be/RsWpvkLCvu4

How do politicians work the media?

3) Paid Media:Media coverage that is paid for by the

candidate’s campaign or political partyex) Billboards, commercials, and print ads

++: total control over content---: costs $$ and is biased.

http://youtu.be/BkmJ4gIa8ek