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