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How influential is the media in politics?

Media and PoliticsPossible Question1.Identify and explain 3 ways in which

the role of the media in politics has changed in the last 30 years (9 marks)

24 hour media, more intrusive reporting (phone hacking), less respectful of leaders, TV debates, internet, blogging, social media, organised press offices for all major parties – use of ‘spin’ and ‘spin doctors’

Possible Questions 2Politicians and parties need to understand

the role and influence of the media if they are to succeed. To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence agree (33 marks)

Key Ingredients – changes in media role (see last slide), theories of media – pluralist, Marxist, pomo, the media and elections (press and broadcasting, arguments for and against the idea of an important media, findings of the GUMG, Leveson inquiry. Conclusion – how crucial is the media to politicians or is it of secondary importance to other factors?

Circulation and press bias

Read a sample of newspapers. Do they show political bias??

Sun 3, Sun 3, 521,144521,144

Mirror 1, 997, Mirror 1, 997, 846846

Star 849, 689Star 849, 689

Record 514, Record 514, 488488

Mail 2, 341, Mail 2, 341, 999999

Express 888, Express 888, 145145

Telegraph Telegraph 910, 725910, 725

Times 622, Times 622, 592592

FT 453, 282FT 453, 282

Guardian Guardian 396, 849396, 849

Indeped. 189, Indeped. 189, 664664

Daily newspaper circulation, March 2003

Media theory – MarxistThe mass media is controlled by a capitalist elite that uses it to preserve the status

quoNew Labour’s rebranding under Blair made the Labour Party more acceptable to

dominant elitePro capitalist Media moguls therefore hold significant power over politiciansE.G Ralph Miliband (Marxist) described the media as ‘the new opium of the people’ –

a hallucinatory drug which creates illusions and a false sense of well beingAll media portray capitalism in a favourable light suggesting their is no practical

alternative

Marxist theory – hegemonic theoryMarxists also suggest that those who

edit/write for newspapers & are involved in broadcasting have particular views due to their shared education, class, age etc.

They write from a particular perspective unconscious of bias

The owners of the media – e.g. News International, Lord Rothermere consciously set a pro capitalist agenda in their papers.

Pluralist/functionalist theoryThe media reflects the wide range on

interests of wider societyThey therefore present a broad spectrum of

ideas and ideologiesImportant functions to inform and

communicateSee media influence as limited – reflects

rather than forms opinionPro capitalist media simply a reflection that

more groups support such ideas – alternatives are out there but are just not very popular e.g. Morning Star

Pomo TheoryPost modern society is media saturated – we are

bombarded with media imagesThe line between image and reality becomes

blurred – ‘media images become reality’Media presents multiple reality (hyperreality –

Baudrillard)Multiple realities open to multiple interpretations –

truth becomes relative and therefore people become increasingly sceptical about politicians, their promises and ideologies – people disengage from politics

The media therefore plays an important role in causing apathy and disengagement

Media bias – the pressPress is not legally required to be impartialPapers indicate support during election

campaigns, e.g. 1992, The Sun, ‘Will the last person to leave Britain please turn the light out’

Neil Kinnock / Norman Tebbit cited press support as reason for electoral failure / success

Rupert Murdoch, press baron courted by New Labour & Conservatives in 1997

Paul Whitely estimates The Sun’s support for New Labour in 1997, lost Cons. 500,000 votes esp. in key marginals – so media played a crucial role in the outcome of the election

Media Bias - BroadcastingBBC & ITC controlled by Royal Charter & TV &

Broadcasting Acts – maintain impartialityWhat is impartiality? – right to respond, equal

air-time, quality news coverageAccusations of partiality and left wing bias –

Today programme’s coverage of run-up to Iraq War -

Over exposure of UKIP leader Farage would suggest a right wing bias

Over exposure of ‘royal stories’ might reflect an establishment bias

Glasgow University Media GroupStudied TV news coverage of strikes in the 80’s

and 90’sConcluded that TV news had pro Bosses biased

and reflected dominant capitalist ideology by;1.Always presenting unions as ‘militant’ and

aggressive2.Highlighting union violence over police violence

on the picket line3.Giving more news time to management than

strikers and treating management sympathetically and strikers unsympathetically

How much political influence does the media have?Katz and Lazarsfield (1955) argued that

most people are not directly influenced by the media

Social factors FAR more important – family, class, workplace

Media only influences ‘Opinion leaders’ within communities and parties – the media is much more important to ‘opinion leaders’ who then transfer this influence to the mass of people

They call this model the ‘two step model’

How influential is the media?Blumer and McQuail (1968) argued that

audiences use the media in different ways for different purposes

Some use the media to reinforce their existing views (gratifications), others to form their opinions (uses)

The audience is in control of how influential the media is in this ‘uses and gratifications model’

Cultural Effects TheoryMiller (1991) studied the constant

repetition of political messages in the media over a 12 month period and concluded that the media can have a long term effect on a persons voting intention

Getting your message on the media and getting it repeated therefore essential for parties and politicians

How influential is media?Psychologists challenge influence of media

- Festinger (1950s) & Denver (1980s)Selective exposure – individuals choose to

expose themselves to certain types of biasSelective perception – individuals mentally

edit news to fit their ideasSelective retention – forget content that

challenges their ideas

Other reasons to question media influenceIt is difficult to isolate media influence from

other social factorsSurveys suggest that media influence is

small over the period of electioneering – as little as 2% swing from one party to another during a typical election campaign

LevesonThe role of the mass media and its relationship

with politicians has been an important part of the recent Leveson Inquiry into press ethics (2012)

Response to phone hacking scandalConcluded that editors and owners are failing to

regulate their own behaviour In the course of the Inquiry the closeness

between editors/owners and politicians laid bareRecommended a new press standards body to be

set up to protect the population from unethical press intrusion and to protect the independence of the press from political interference