ANCHIST 360 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Thelma & Louise, Vox Populi, Arab News
5 Jan 2017
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Political economic perspective: focuses on the ways private ownership affects what is communicated & the ways it affects the exercise of power. The overuse of television (4 hours plus) creates a homogeneous, almost universally fearful populace. Herbert j. gans, deciding what"s news (1979): media organization & journalists decide what to cover (study of cbs, nbc, times, First: concerned with gaining & keeping a mass audience, thus have some stories that appeal to a mass audience (i. e. famous people, violence, bloodshed, sex & scandal), tendency to report negative views if it bleeds, it leads. Second: national news shaped by & in the interests of the elite, stories chosen that will improve their reputation. Despite competition, degree of consensus among news organizations is striking. Communicated similar views: individualism, belief in responsible capitalism, desire for social order & strong national leadership. Much of the news communicated to audiences is inaccurate or at least distorted.
