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Summary media, society, and politics for exam
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Introduction Chapter- Media plays an important role in politics
- Politics is divided to two groups: the powerful and the challengers
- Media is influenced by the people, and people are affected by the media
Media ←→ people
- The five principles:
1. Political power can usually be translated into power over all forms of media
2. When the powerful lose control over the political environment, they also lose control
over all forms of media
3. Every political story is biased - there is no objective news
4. All forms of media are primarily dedicated to telling good stories, which can have a
major impact on political processes
5. Many of the most important effects of the various forms of media on citizens tend to
be unintentional and unnoticed
-
- Political power is power over all forms of media
- When the powerful lose control over political area, they lose control over media
- Every political story is biased
- Media is dedicated to telling a good story - major impact on political processes
- The important effect of the news on citizens tend to be unintentional
Chapter 1
- Journalists run after the politically strong, while the politically weak run after the journalists
- The relationship between politics and journalists is a competitive symbiosis (mutualism):
1. Symbiosis - there is an interdependent (both depend on one another) relationship with
shared goals
2. Competitive - even though they need each other, they do not want to pay for each
other’s services.
- This is an issue because a lot of news and opinions get lost in the “important opinions” of those
in powerful positions
- “Weaker” politics still get news coverage for possible conflicts that can be reported, and the elite
don't have a complete control over media, but they have an advantage
- The powerful enjoy the digital media in two ways:
1. They can afford people who will work the web 24/7
2. They can get more attention and enhance their power
- The powerful struggle with digital media in one way:
1. It is easier for the public to spread conspiracy theories and misinformation about them,
leading powerful leaders to shut off the internet in chaotic times.
- The control of the media is not only in powerful politics, but also in powerful individuals,
companies, organizations, and countries - the more powerful they are = the more coverage they
will get
- Three ways to enter the news:
, 1. Front door - perfectly prepared what they're doing and why they're doing it
2. Side door - civil disobedience, but not completely destroying every day life. Includes
non-violent actions such as blocking a road.
3. Back door - for the weaker actors. They only get to the news if they're doing something
different
- Cumulative inequality - those who need attention in the media the most are often those whom
it is hardest to get it.
- Goals of political movements with the help of digital media:
1. Get people to support their cause
2. Have their messages go viral
3. Have an influence on the politicians and other movers around the world
4. Have a real impact on a problem
- Slacktivism - people who are recruited digitally, and they feel as if that by joining online it is
enough and don’t do anything actively
The Herman-Chomsky model
- The propaganda model was developed in 1988 and tried to explain the behavior of american
mass media
- Liberal-pluralist - allowing different ideas and groups to coexist and have a say
- Capitalism - an economic system where businesses are privately owned for profit (USA)
- Socialism - the means of production and distribution are commonly owned or controlled by the
government or the community as a whole (kibbutz)
- Liberal democracy - a political system where people have the power to choose their leaders
through voting
- The liberal-pluralist view says that in societies with both capitalism and democracy, there's a
variety of ideas. It believes this mix of opinions guides society in a good way, like a marketplace
of ideas.
- In liberal-pluralist view, the media is seen as a watchdog = helping the public by keeping things in
balance and making sure everything is ok
- Marxist theory - the ultimate goal is the establishment of a classless and stateless society
(socialism and communism)
- Marxist-model - a way of thinking about society where economic factors, especially ownership
and control of the means of production, play a key role in shaping social relations. Marxist model
sees the media as part of the ruling elite.
- Five filters that shape the news in the herman-chomsky model:
1. Who owns and profits from the big media companies
2. How ads - which fund the media - affect what news gets made
3. How those in power often define what’s considered important news
4. Groups that help control and influence public opinions
5. Ideas and beliefs that that can be used to support the interest of the powerful when
needed
,Lecture 1
- If you don't exist in the media, you don’t exist in politics
- Herman’s propaganda model says that since media companies want to make money, they avoid
certain topics and practice self-censorship (avoid certain issues to not upset audience)
- Chomsky and Herman argue that the media isn’t really the strong supporter of democracy
- 4 types of power:
1. Physical force - using actual power to limit choices (military)
2. Agenda-setting - deciding what topics are important, influencing others (through news,
media)
3. Preference shaping via institutions - molding the meaning and importance of things
through organizations (schools)
4. Value-shaping - controlling ideas and discourse to influence beliefs and behaviors
(politicians)
- Framing - making some things stand out while keeping other things quiet or not as noticeable
- Ideological hegemony - some beliefs are very common in society, and you’ll see them
everywhere because they are encouraged and accepted by most (like hard work leads to success.
It is promoted in the media, schools, workplaces…)
- ideological apparatus - systems and institutions, like schools or media, that spread and reinforce
specific beliefs and values in society
- 5 filters of media which is ideological apparatus:
1. Size and ownership (who owns the media) - big and powerful people control the media,
showing us only what they want
2. Advertisement (commercials) - media focuses on what advertisers want, not necessarily
what’s important
3. Sourcing (who speaks) - only certain people or ideas are invited to talk about the news,
while different opinions are pushed aside
4. Flak (the threat) - powerful groups have a team to counter negative stories and make
them seem untrue
5. Fear (make them afraid) - to change behavior, media sometimes tries to scare people
into thinking or acting a certain way
- The two criticism about the propaganda model:
1. The model was not elaborated enough
2. The name of the model was more connected to the media effects than the media
performance
Chapter 2
- Strategies leaders use to maintain successful political control:
1. Their ability to take control in important and relevant events - leaders need to handle
important events well. If things go well, leaders are less likely to face public criticism.
, 2. Their attempt to take control over the flow of information - leaders try to control the
information flow, especially in strict regimes, as losing control can hurt their image
(dictators)
3. Successful leaders can gather widespread support for their policies, especially among
other political leaders.
- Events and conflicts make it harder for leaders to control the media, to handle the events with
no damage, and to gather support for their policies.
- WEIRD countries = Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, Democratic countries.
- Political-media-political cycles - politics react to the media, then the media reacts to politics,
and so on…
- The media doesn’t just mirror political changes. Often, it can amplify and speed up the process
of change
- The internet proposes a threat against controlling the flow of information
- Media can sometimes affect politics on it own or afterwords, but usually, political changes
happen first
Bulmer (2014 ) - mediatization and democracy
- News media logic is divided in three:
1. Professionalism - news production according to distinctively journalistic norms and
criteria
2. Commercialism - news production according to economically motivated rationales
3. Media technology - news production according to different media technologies’
affordances
- The way politics and news media work isn’t the same all the time, in every country, or in every
political or media organization within a country. Instead, both political and media approaches
depend on the situation and can change over time
- Mediatization of politics - the increasing influence and impact of the media on political process,
behaviors, and communication. It involves the ways in which media shapes public opinion,
political campaigns, and the overall landscape of political discourse
- Implications for the mediatization of politics:
1. Highlights the tension between how politics and the media interact depending on
different situations. For example, do politicians change their behavior to look good in the
media?
2. The relationship between politics and media changes depending on the situation and is
not the same for all political figures and institutions in different countries
3. The way politics and media work differently now helps us understand discussions about
how much control the media has over politics. Media has a better chance of affecting
politics, while politics can strengthen its position by shaping the narrative
- The paradox is that politicians can gain more influence by following what the media likes which
shows the power of the media. On the other hand, the media might see politicians trying to
control them as a sign of increased political power, leading them to counteract by being more
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