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