Download Freedom of the Press is crucial in facilitating the political discourse

Chapters 5 and 6 – Media Coverage
• Four Topics We’ll Be
Covering:
1. Bias in news reporting…
2. Propaganda Techniques*
3. “Hype” in news coverage
4. Ethical responsibilities of the
media
Topic #1:
Recognizing Bias
&
“Slanted Words”
This is not rocket science,
simply be aware of “slants” or
“bias” in the news. It may be
obvious, it may be very subtle,
but it’s almost always there.
Bias/Slanted News Coverage
• CNN – Obama appeals to
Pepsi drinkers
• FOX – Obama declares
war on Coke
• BBC – ISIS carries out
executions
while Obama
does nothing
Afghanistan
The Media’s use of
Lively/Heated
Threaten/Warn
Riot/Demonstration
Plan/Scheme
Aggressive/Assertive
Explained/Insisted
Bold/Shrill
Agenda/Platform
Lecture/Speech
Integrity/Stubbornness
In regards to GOV shutdowns in recent years:
‘Breaking News:
Senate Kills House Bill’
(FOXNews, September 30, 2013)
‘Breaking News:
Senate Rejects House Bill’
(MSNBC, September 30, 2013)
‘War Imminent as Hussein Rejects
Ultimatum’ (New York Times, March 19, 2003)
‘Saddam Scorns U.S. Ultimatum
(New York Daily News, March 19, 2003)
‘Butcher Tells U.S. – Come and Get
Me’ (New York Post, March 19, 2003)
‘Baghdad Rejects Bush’s Warning’ (ArabicNews.com, March 19, 2003)
Hillary spoke at the National
Convention on Friday. Her
chat was followed by an
address by Senator Joe
Lieberman.
Swiss men’s tennis player
Roger Federer beat his
opponent soundly in straight
sets.
It was also 6-0, 6-0 for
America’s sweetheart,
Serena Williams
The Navy’s mission team
included four aviators from
Miramar and one female
aviator from the Naval Air
Station.
11 year-old boy charged with
murder, was an avid hunter.
Two organizations sent
representatives to the hearing:
The Griffin Group, a
conservative lobbying group,
and the Burchard Group, a
non-profit advocacy institute.
Young woman, 22, was bound
and raped repeatedly for 10
days.
(One station reported she was a prostitute and went to his
house for “business”, the other station never mentioned it)
Topic #2: Propaganda and the
various Techniques used
Propaganda
The methods and
approaches used to
spread ideas that
further a political,
commercial, religious
cause.
Why use
Propaganda?
To manipulate the viewers'
reason and emotions; to
persuade you to believe in
something or someone, buy an
item, or vote a certain way.
Propaganda is amoral
Not right or wrong…it just “is”
and you have to decide good or
bad
Propaganda
Many techniques are
used not only in politics,
but in marketing as
well.
Propaganda
In terms of Government, Who
regulates all of this?
1. The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) regulates advertising.
Their role is consumer protection
2. (FCC – TV, Radio, cell phones,
internet, etc..)
The IPA
1937-1942
An organization composed of social
scientists, opinion leaders, historians,
educators, and journalists.
“To teach people how to think
rather than what to think.”
The IPA created the
ABC’s of propaganda:
7 basic techniques very much used
and
discussed today
#1 Name-Calling
Barack Obama is a liberal.
Obama’s foreign policy is “feckless.”
“Romney-Hood”
“Do we want a lazy politician
representing us?”
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The burning question in
the U.S. presidential election is, when will the
"your mama" jokes start?
With the fate of the world's most powerful
country hanging in the balance, President
Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt
Romney turned to childish name calling on
the campaign trail this week.
----Toronto Sun times
#2 Glittering Generalities
(Virtue Words)
Making broad statements
that really say nothing of
importance.
“If elected, I will get this country
back on track!”
A vote for me is a vote for peace
and security
#3 Transfer
Attempting to make viewers apply
their feelings of love, admiration,
distrust, or disgust from one thing
to something else totally
unrelated.
(blatant and subliminally)
Republican endorsers say
Obama “may be a Muslim”
Sometimes the images are
“subliminal”
Transfer as “Name Dropping”
Rick Perales mentioned he
was at Mitt Romney’s $1,000
a plate fundraiser.
#4 Testimonial
“Our customers say……”
#5 Plain Folks
Many lawfirms are from big cities;
Dyer, Garafalo, Mann and Shultz have
always been from right here in Dayton,
Ohio.
#6 Card Stacking
Emphasizing one side and repressing
another. (bias)
#7 Bandwagon
Don’t be the last on your
block to own a new
Chevrolet !
“hundreds of
people have taken
advantage of …….”
“One of the hottest
trends right now”
“Trending”
“One of the hottest trends right now”
Many different (and
similar) techniques have
been added/identified
through the years as
politics and advertising
have evolved
“Ad Hominem”
An assertion which
usually attacks a person,
rather than looking at
the merits of their
argument.
You can’t trust Jane Higgins to
be your mayor, she’s just a
soccer mom!
*Reverse ad hominem may work
as well…
Jane Higgins is such a
professionally dressed woman,
she will make a great mayor.
Appeal to Authority
Referring to a well-known
expert to strengthen an
argument.
Scientific Appeal
Providing the audience with
survey results and statistical
evidences to publicize their
product.
(overlaps many times with
A.T.A.)
Appeal to Elitism
Appeal to the
audience’s desire to be
better than other
people.
Appeal to Tradition
Something is better simply
because it is older.
This government has worked
for over 200 years, why
change it?
“Vote to keep the curfew in effect in
Beavercreek, after all, it’s been
around for 15 years now!
…any ad with
“since(year)”
Appeal
to
Emotion
Sex
Appeal
Euphemisms and
Dysphemisms
Euphemism: a polite expression used in
place of something that otherwise might
be considered harsh or unpleasant to
hear.
Dysphemism: The opposite: making
something sound worse
Car dealerships no longer sell “used
cars;” they sell “______ vehicles.”
Euphemisms
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Passed away”
“Collateral damage “
“Birds and the Bees”
“Gentlemen’s Club”
“Fricken”
Correctional facility
“Put to sleep“
Dysphemisms
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Feminazi”
Junk Food
Snail Mail
You’re chicken
He’s a pig
B*tch!
False Dilemma
Framing an argument in a
misleading way, as though
there are only two possible
options.
Making illogical assumptions
Superintendent Jones opposes
school prayer. She must be an
atheist.
DirectTV Ads
“Don’t wake up in a roadside ditch”
Straw-Man
Ignoring a person's actual
position and substituting a
distorted, or misrepresented
version of that position.
(very similar to a false dilemma)
"Senator Jones says that we
should not fund the attack
submarine program.
I can't understand why he wants
to leave us defenseless like
that."
Fear
Disaster will result if people
do not follow a particular
course of action.
Storm Center 7 Weather can save
your life!
Fear
Help! I’ve fallen….and I can’t get up!!
Repetition
Topic #3:
Hype
&
Sensationalism
Media
The 4th branch of government?
SO ? They hype
Are the media outlets actually the
up some
onesstories
who set the agenda?
Multiple reasons lie behind the
lack of real investigative
journalism today and the
plethora of simplistic, eyecatching stories.
$$$ and Media Conglomerates
Did the shift from issues to
character result from the shift
from newspapers to television
(and computers today)?
Does the press meet its obligation to
provide objective, issue-based
coverage or does the media tend to
focus on the trivial and sensational??
Topic #4: Ethics
Freedom of the Press has been
crucial in facilitating the
political discourse and
education necessary for the
maintenance of democracy.
(Code of Ethics)
Ethics
1. the study of standards of conduct
and moral judgment; moral
philosophy
2. the system or code of morals of a
particular person, religion, group,
profession, etc.
WIKILEAKS
Is it ever ethical to….