POLITSC 4165 Lecture 1: POLITSC 4165 (Media and American Politics) Notes
16 Dec 2019
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Document Summary
Large segments of u. s population have limited literacy skills, finding it easier to consume video/audio. Functions of mass media: functions of media: (1) surveillance of the world, (2) interpretation of the meaning of events, (3) socialization of individuals" into their cultural settings, and (4) deliberate manipulation of politics. Journalists reject these charges: they deny political motives in news selection, and defend their choices on basis of newsworthiness. Individual who gains a hearing on radio/tv often becomes a national celebrity; their unpublicized counterparts remain obscure: because publicity is crucial for political success, actors on political scene often create situations likely to receive media attention. Pseudo-events : events arranged primarily to stimulate media coverage (i. e. news conferences with no real news, assaults on people/property in protest: newspeople loath these events, but must cover them due to competition. Manipulation: most common way for a journalist to break out of the role of political bystander is through investigation.
