WayneOpenLectureOnMediaInfluence

HierarchyReportersRoutinesOrganizationOutsideinfluencesSocietyWhatcanbeinfluenced?1.Issues/peopleWhatgetscoveredJournalistsshowbiasjustbythetopictheychoosetocover.Example:Beatsystem.Journalistscoverbuildings.Whatcanbeinfluenced?2.Framingofissues/peopleWhataspectsofstoriesgetcoveredExample:Cutsinwelfareprogramsvs.increaseintaxes.Whichmakesabetterstory?Whatcanbeinfluenced?3.QualityofcoverageHowpositive/negativethecoverageisExample:Adversarialrelationshipbetweengovernmentofficialsandreporters.MonicaLewinskycase?Whatcanbeinfluenced?4.WhogetsquotedSourcesframestoriesAvailability,quotability,namerecognition,knownopinionWhatcanbeinfluenced?5.Howsomeonegetsquoted“...Quotes…canbe…changedby…simplegrammatical…techniques...”Canthespeakerstringacompletesentencetogether?Whatcanbeinfluenced?6.VisualcontentDophotographerscapturethemostsignificant“frozenmomentofreality”?Dophotographerscapturetheunusual?Whatcanbeinfluenced?7.JuxtapositionPeopleconnectelementsplacedneareachother.LibelcaseinAlbuquerqueNixoncommercialWhatcanbeinfluenced?8.ChoiceofwordsHiddenmeaninginwordsWalk?Talk?Whatcanbeinfluenced?9.ContextReportingcanbeaccurate,yetmisleadingbyremovingthecontextoftheinformation.Half-hourinterviewtogetoneortwosentences.LevelsofinfluenceFromShoemakerandReese,“MediatingtheMessage”HierarchyofinfluenceShoemakerandReeseHierarchyofInfluence:BullseyewithdifferentlevelsofinfluenceHierarchyReportersLevelIInfluenceofindividualsReportersinfluencemediacontentmerelybyselectingstorytopics.Reportersalsoinfluencemediacontentthroughframing.KeystudyDavidManningWhite(1950)Usedtheterm“Gatekeeper”firstcoinedbyLewin,asociologist.Mr.GatesWhitekepttrackofstoriesselectedbyawireeditorinPeoria,Ill.WhiteaskedMr.Gatestokeeptrackofwhyheselectedsomestoriesandeliminatedothers.Gatekeepingresults“Notinteresting”“B.S.”Don’tcareforsuchstories.Gatekeepingconclusion:“Thecommunityshallhearasfactonlythoseeventswhichthenewsman,astherepresentativeofhisculture,believestobetrue.”Theselectionprocessisextremelysubjective.HierarchyReportersRoutinesLevelIIRoutinesHowreportersgatherinformationinfluencesmediacontent.Reportersusecertainstrategiestogetinformationfortheirstories.Trytobebalanced,unbiasedKeystudyIGayeTuchman:“Objectivityasastrategicritual”Mediaorganizationsuseobjectivitytodefendtheirproductfromcritics.Tuchman’sideasReportingisfastpaced.Reportersdon’thavetimetoreflectonwhetherthey’vegottenatthetruth.Theyuseasetofstrategiestoprotectthemfromhazards(libelsuitsandreprimandsfromsuperiors)Tuchman’sroutinesUsingquotemarksIncludingmanynamestokeepreporter’sviewsout.Presentingsupplementaryevidencefora“fact.”Factsareoften“truth-claims.”“Truth-claims”canbefalse,however.KeystudyIIOscarGandy:“Informationsubsidies.”Book:BeyondAgenda-SettingGandy’sideasJournalistswanttogetinformationwiththeleastamountofwork.Sourceswanttheirinformationpublishedwiththeleastamountofeffort.Journalistsandsourcesformaworkingrelationship,relyingoneachotherSupportforGandy:HighrelianceuponnewsreleasesatnewsmediaPressconferencesarealwayswellattendedCansourcesmanipulatepress?SourcestimetheirpressreleasesGeorgeSteinbrennerHierarchyReportersRoutinesOrganizationLevelIIIMediaorganizationsReportersfacecertainconstraintsintheirreportingbasedonthemanagementandownershipstructureoftheirplaceofemployment.KeystudyWarrenBreed(1955),“Socializationinthenewsroom”NewhireslearnquicklywhatisacceptableandnotacceptableTheydon’twanttobefired,sotheyconformHierarchyReportersRoutinesOrganizationOutsideinfluencesLevelIVOutsideinfluencesMediaorganizationsarebusinessesTheyhavetomakemoneytosurviveInfluenceofadvertisers,consumersKeystudyILacy(1989),“Monopolisticcompetition”SincesofewU.S.citieshavemorethanonenewspaper,reporterstrytobeattelevisionreportersfornewsDoescompetitionmatter?CompetitivemarketsmakenewspapersspendmoremoneyKeystudyIIRosse(1978),“Umbrellamodel”Largenewspapers(SanFranciscoChronicle)aredoomedbecauselocaladvertiserscan’ttargetaudiencesMid-sizedpaperscantargetsomeareasUltimatesurvivors:Small,localpapers.HierarchyReportersRoutinesOrganizationOutsideinfluencesSocietyLevelVSocietyMediaorganizationssupportthestatusquoMediaorganizationsprovideonlywhatsocietydeemsacceptable,appropriateKeystudyCanthisbetested?ToddGitlin(1980),“TheWholeWorldIsWatching”IntroducedframingButcantheinfluenceofsocietybemeasured?Bullseye,or…Weddingcake?Seriesofpipes?AmericanJournalistsPoliticalleaning:1971:7.5%farleft,30.5alittleleft,38.5middle,15.6littleright,3.4farright.1983:3.8%farleft,18.3alittleleft,57.6middle,16.3littleright,1.6farright1982U.S.adults:0%farleft,21.0alittleleft,37.0middle,32.0littleright,0.0farright.Journalists’politicalleaningsPositionsshiftwithpopulation(WeaverandWilhoit).Mostjournalistsseethemselvesaspoliticallycentrist(Johnstone).Journalists’partyaffiliation1971:33.5%Democrat,32.5Independent,25.7Republican,5.8other1983:38.5%Democrat,39.1Independent,18.8Republican,1.6other1982U.S.adults:45.0%Democrat,30.0Independent,25.0Republica