Discussion of the role of the media on democracy, examples pertain to the UK. Seventh lecture for final year students on the Political Communication option in Bournemouth University
2. Jon Snow, Conference Sept 2003
We are the way through which the public
are able to demand that politicians
account for themselves. If we don’t pursue
them, investigate them, interrogate them
who will? It is our democratic duty and
our social function.
3. Con MP, Interviewed June 2005
The media have to be our friends, we
must make ourselves media friendly, if not
we are unable to get our message out.
The media should inform society but also
interrogate what we do; the fear is all
they do is entertain and aren't really
interested in serious politics
4. Lab MP, Interviewed June 2005
The media have ways of working, clear
ideas of what will interest their readers
and viewers and we must fit with that. It
is no use just being an MP and expecting
coverage, we must fit their agenda and
their rules; the only leverage we have is
when a story is breaking then we have
power over how its covered, but only for
the first bulletin.
5. Labour MP, Interviewed March 2002
What you've got to understand is that the
national press employ a bunch of bastards
that have no fucking idea about how we
work. They're just out to shaft us, the
leaders the government the whole bloody
system. In my opinion TV journalists
aren't much better neither!
6. Focus Group, March 2003
R. I’m not sure we can trust politicians,
we know they lie, they avoid the hard
questions, they line their own pockets,
I mean why should we?
D. How do we know they do this?
R. We hear it every day don’t we, I read
the Mail and by god they show you
what this government does behind
closed doors
7. Key Considerations
What do politicians expect/want from the
media
What is / should be the function of the
media
What do the public expect from both
politician and media
8. Communicating Politics
Politics needs access to the public
Putting government/party arguments over
Convincing through argument
Explaining policy
Informing the public
Branding / Impression management /
Persuasion???
9. Media function
The watchdog
Accountability
Representation
The Informer
Allows public debate
Unbiased evaluations
Public service
11. Media within society
Market Orientation
Needs to sell copy/advertising space etc
Must provide the audience with what they
want
The Entertainer
Prime time closed off to politics
Politics is introduced in an informal way
Political news is converted into soap opera
12. The Public
Needs Information
To be able to make judgements
Wants power
Is knowledge power?? What is knowledge??
Wants representation
If not by MP by media
Wants entertaining
Either by politics or (usually) something else
13. The Mediated Society
The media provides our window into the
world
Politicians become entertainers
News becomes entertaining
Packaging of news
Dumbing down
Information presented in soundbites
Media talk to their own audiences
14. Audience / Media Bias
Argued that media and its readers share an
ideology that binds them
15. Press affiliation 1992-2005
1992 1997 2001 2005
Sun Con Lab Lab Lab
Mirror Lab Lab Lab Lab
Star Con Lab Lab Lab
Mail Con Con Ind Con
Express Con Con Lab Con
Telegraph Con Con Con Con
Guardian Lab Lab Lab Lab
Times Con Ind Lab Con
Independent Ind Lab Ind LibDem
FT Lab Lab Lab Lab
18. The Sun Effect?
Backed Major totally in 1992
“if this man is elected, will the last person to
leave the country please turn off the light”
Talked of celebrities going into exile
Paul Daniels & Frank Bruno
Virulently anti-Con by 1997
Ran celeb stories, ridiculed them
Supported Lab and ridiculed Con in 2001/5
19. Alternative Views
Circulation Decline – less effect
But not that bad:
Sun 1992: 3.57m; 2001: 3.45m; 2005: 3.23m
Impact of TV – less credible
Only 18% rely on press for news
Similar figure to number reading broadsheets
Interpersonal communication thesis
Doris Graber (2001) ‘Processing Politics’ etc.
20. Does the media have an effect
Who Knows!!
Hypodermic effect – constant drip
Framing
Single perspectives (Sleaze = Malaise)
Agenda-setting
Can’t tell you what to think, only what to think about
“We can’t ignore The Sun, even if we’d like to”
(Interview with Ed Balls, 2000)
21. Thoughts for Seminar
What is or should be the role of the
media?
Should the media simply inform?
Should the media make news
entertaining?
What do they do, and what is the effect
on politics?