Media as a Linkage Institution
Why is media a linkage institution?
• Media educates citizens and politicians• For politicians, candidates, and interest
groups:– They use media to communicate a message
integral to political success• Politicians want to: gain control of and
influence the political agenda
Media Events!
• Politicians will often hold media events to communicate an image
• Typically, a candidate will spend 60-70% of his/her campaign funds on television ads, commercials, print media, etc.
• Media Event example:– President Barack Obama– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-QDfEMXAgk– What is President Obama proposing in this video? What is he
trying to do/change? ______________________________________________________________________________
Types of media
• Broadcast media: television programs, more popularly watched and followed– Examples: Nightly News (not with Brian Williams
anymore…womp womp), ABC World News Tonight, etc.
• Print media: written news articles; these are commonly more popular amongst the more politically informed, activist types– Examples: The Washington Post, The New York
Times, The Washington Times, USA Today
The Rise of Cable News
• Narrowcasting: viewers can select what information they want and what they do not want (selective attention/”tuning stuff out”) and they would rather watch sitcoms, TV dramas, reality T.V., etc.
• As a result, the electorate is less knowledgeable, more suspicious of politicians, more unaware of everyday political activity, and policymaking/agenda, and simply less politically involved
20th Century (and beyond) Changes to Media
• Radio, T.V., press conferences, debate, internet (i.e. youtube debates, individual websites, etc.)
• In the 1800s, we had yellow journalism; today, we have investigative journalism = detective-like reporting methods to unearth scandals and negative interest stories– Today, this makes news more adversarial and
watchdog
1960s- Present
• More negative• More focused on politician’s daily behaviors
and personality lack of depth in content• SOUND BITES: 10 seconds on average; in the
‘60s, they were 40 seconds
Roles of Media
• Watchdog– Scrutinizing the behavior and decisions of public
officials– Since the 1970s, there has been a significant rise in
the popularity of investigative journalism– Clips:
• http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/22/pentagon-violated-law-with-bergdahl-prisoner-swap-government-watchdog-says/
• http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/4d109s/investigating-investigative-journalism
• http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/44gj25/who-s-watching-the-watchdog----liam-mccormack
Roles of Media, Con’t.
• Gatekeeper/agenda setter– The media determines what they will print or ain
and in turn, this dramatically affects what the public knows about
– Clip:• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/media-
jobs-report-2012-election_n_1654738.html
Roles of Media, Con’t.
• Scorekeeper/horserace journalism– Media keeps track of where candidates and those
in office stand in the polls, especially during an election year
– Clip:• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/polls-201
2_n_2038645.html• http
://video.foxnews.com/v/4000389588001/poll-numbers-encouraging-mitt-romney/#sp=show-clips