Lecture 1
3 elementen
1. politics
2. media
3. public
“Politics is above all a contest” Wolfsfeld
The nature of what we call the ‘media’ may have changed considerably after the creation of
the internet, but the need to be heard remains a central part of the political game
- Media provides/zorgt voor the audience
The legacy media staat bovenaan ofzo
“If you don't exist in the media, you don't exist politically”
- become known
- mobilize supporters
- influence public opinion → bv om te zeggen als partij dat abortion murder is
- influence policy
5 principles in political communication
1. Political power can usually be translated into power over the news media → all types
of media
2. When the authorities lose control over the political environment they also lose control
over the news → als iets fout gaat in politiek dan ook in nieuws
3. There is no such a thing as objective journalism → nor can there be → de selectie
van het nieuws is al bias, want je selecteert bepaalde dingen om te bespreken
4. The media are dedicated more than anything else to telling a good story and this can
often have a major impact on the political process → de media wil altijd een goed
verhaal vertellen, der moet iets van entertainment in zitten. News is constructed het
is gemaakt op een bepaalde manier. Politica moeten weten hoe ze moeten samen
werken met het nieuws
5. The most important effect of the news media on citizens tends to be unintentional
and unnoticed → De meeste zijn unintentional and unnoticed.
Media and politics competitive symbiosis* Mutual dependence; publicity versus info
The relationship between political antagonists/actors and the news media can be described
as a “competitive symbiosis” Wolfsfeld, in which each side of the relationship attempts to
exploit/profiteren the other while expending a minimum amount of cost. Each side had
assets needed by the other to succeed in its respective role.
Ze hebben elkaar nodig.
Ze willen zo min mogelijk geld uitgeven en het meeste bereiken. Als je cheap info wil dan
doe je bv interviews of debats.
,Mutual dependence
- politicians need good media coverage; media provide the audience
- Journalists need info/sources and justification (powerful and relevant actores)
Two theories
1. mediatisation
2. indexing
Vandaag is het onderwerp de power van media
Hoeveel controle heeft de media
Wolf zegt dat political power = media power
- front door; the powerful get more/automatic media access
- back door; powerless have to work hard to get into the media
We willen weten wat de powerfull mensen doen want dat bepaald ons leven.
The more powerful get covered more often and more positively
Media bias in favor of the powerful
We zijn obsessed met powerful people
Elites also get more positive coverage - Obsession with elites limit the range of political
discourse/overleg.
Sidedoor: civil disobedience
Als je niet powerful bent maar je hebt wel een goed punt vind jezelf dan ga je een statement
maken. Denk aan mensen die hun handen vastplakken aan schilderijen.
State (public) media versus ‘free market’ (private)
Media; what level of political control?
State media biased towards incumbents/zittende leden
Inequality is not accidental, but structural (also in media)
Inequality is constant te zien in het nieuws. Minder powerful mensen staan niet in de media.
De power bias is reflected in the media.
The political economy of mass media is missing in Wolfsfeld.
Noam Chomsky; the political economy of mass media
Edward S. Herman;
Developed the ‘propaganda model’ of media criticism arguing that ‘market forces,
internalized assumptions and self censorship motivate newspapers and television networks
to stifle dissent/afwijkenden meningen stilhouden.
Alle argumenten waarom het verhaal van manufacturing consent fout is staan in het artikel.
,Herman and chomsky describe US media as businesses that sell a product (audiences =
consumers to others businesses)
Media verkoopt je aandacht. Wij geven aandacht aan merken die dingen hebben
gesponsord. They sell your attention. Onze data, aandacht, etc.
Media as democratic watchdog (bennet & serrin 2005)
Dit moet je allemaal doen;
- media takes initiative
- investigative reporting
- independent scrutiny; vraag mensen die kennis hebben maar geen stem
- documenting, question, and investigating
- provide public and officials with timely information
A well functioning media is of paramount importance/groots belang for democratic societies;
- report events objectively as they occur, to allow citizens to make informed political
choices
- control power holders and unearth abuses of power through investigative journalism
Journalisten moeten onderzoeken en kritisch zijn. Maar er wordt gefaalt daarin.
Herman and chomsky; Us media fails to perform democratic tasks and are basically akin
to/verwant aan propaganda systems in totalitarian states.
, Chomsky and Herman consider that the media is often involved in misinformation, and argue
that the media has extended the cold war. Chomksy even contends that the media is in
essence against democracy. → omdat ze niet alle perspectieven laten zien.
De media is dominated bij powerful mensen. Ze zeggen zelfs dat media desinformatie geeft
Als je commentaar hebt over de elite en powerful dan zal je niet op de media komen.
In an often quoted remark, chomksy stated that propaganda is to a democracy what the
bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.
“Unlike totalitarian systems, where physical force can be readily used to coerce the general
population, democratic societies like the US can only make use of non violent means of
control.
Michel Foucault
Power is everywhere; diffused and embodied in discourse, knowledge and regimes of truth.
Norms are embedded beyond our perception - causing us to discipline ourselves without any
willful coercion from others. / Macht is overal; verspreid en belichaamd in discours, kennis en
waarheidsregimes.
Normen zijn verankerd buiten onze waarneming - waardoor we onszelf kunnen disciplineren
zonder opzettelijke dwang van anderen.
Panopticism; the systematic ordering and controlling of human populations through subtle
and often unseen forces (surveillance techniques) →
Power
Power = the intentional production of causal effects
Power is the intentional caution/waarschuwing of effect
Power is the ability to achieve one's goals or objectives. Power is also the ability to
overcome oppositions, to exercise control over people
Power is hieracle; A gets B to do something that B would not otherwise have done.
Power relations are hierarchical/asymmetric relations between a superior (principle) and a
subordinate (subaltern)
In power relations there is intentional action of a superior/hoogwaardig. The
subordinate/ondergeschikte always has some room to manoeuvre/speelruimte, some
freedom and choice to resist.
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