GlFinal Exam Essay 2 1) Define and illustrate (i.e., give examples of) agenda-setting theory. How might a president try to use the media’s presumed agenda-setting powers near election time? In other words, might it behoove a president to take (or threaten to take) certain highly dramatic actions-especially concerning foreign affairs- just before an election that will impact strongly on the power of his/her political party? If so, what actions might a president be likely to take and under what circumstances? (For example, would the likelihood of taking such actions depend on how the economy is doing? Explain. Would it matter whether business scandals, the budget deficit, crime patterns or a previously initiated war were detracting from …show more content…
As for the President Utilizesing the media’s dramatic emphasis on the economies downward spiral, a President or presidential candidate would likely focus his media use in a positive way. He can use the valence principle, as far as ensuring to discuss the topics being targeted by the media in his favor. As I mentioned earlier, if the media is negatively discussing an issue, the President can try to turn things around, so that he can get the people on his side. As we all know, there are multiple ways to view the media and see what events are happening in the world around us. Being that we as Americans are in a recession, a President or candidate would probably want to steer away from supporting corporations or businesses that are hording taxpayers money over oil spills, environmentally hazardous accidents, or natural resources being wasted away. What I’m trying to say is that, in a presidential speech, or campaign speech, taking the supportive side of something that is worsening our economic state would hurt the chances of a successful presidency. For example, if a President wanted to persuade us to support his new healthcare proposal, he would likely manipulate the medias impact on our views by displaying and airing various commercials and programs which bring light to certain hospitals, or health policies rise in providing wider more sufficient care to certain families without
McCombs, M. (2013). Setting the agenda: The mass media and public opinion. John Wiley & Sons.
This started off by just a newspaper . Early politicians saw the value and the importance of basing campaigns around this important media device. The newspapers back then were extremely bias due to the rich only being able to read and then publishers were apart of this upper class. Even then many of the readers could not vote due to not owning property. Another source of bias came from the fact that newspapers were openly partisan. The use of newspapers could also affect politicians in an very positive or negative way. With the relatively newfound use of this media format, politicians had to watch what they said or else if an newspaper or leaflet came upon the incriminating thing or items it could spread like wildfire. Another tool of the media that is accessible …. Some presidents found a key way to wrap up the media around them in support. This was how the “Rhetorical Presidency” was born. Since the very beginning, presidents have struggled to influence Congress to pass their agenda. George Washington, in a fit of frustration after delivering his policy proposals, vowed never to go back to Congress. Presidents sought to use the media to spread their plan if congress did not approve. They would bring it to the
The president declined to be interviewed for this article. But in recent weeks Mr. Bush has shared his views of how the nation came to the brink of economic disaster. He cites corporate greed and market excesses fueled by a flood of foreign cash -- "Wall Street got drunk," he has said -- and the policies of past administrations. He blames Congress for failing to reform Fannie and Freddie. Last week, Fox News asked Mr. Bush if he was worried about being the Herbert Hoover of the 21st century.
The media has always played an important role in the President’s relationship with the public, but just what kind of affect does it really have on the executive office? The first televised presidential debate in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon marked the beginning of a new era – the inaugural shift of the media’s role in politics. Since that time, the media has continued to transform the way the president is perceived by the public through print, broadcast, and more recently, social media. All of said outlets have played vital roles in not only a president’s campaign, but also in their presidency and likability throughout their time in office. While the White House is still the source of most presidential news, the media are the shapers of the story and can frame it pretty much any way they want. There used to be limits on certain issues or realms of the presidency that were to remain untouched, however, first amendment freedoms take precedence over almost any restriction the government could try to place on the media. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the media and the president throughout recent years, looking briefly into the past to establish the scale of the dramatic change, and to study their reciprocal connection of how each utilizes the other.
Currently, the office of the United States Presidency is one of the most powerful positions in the world. The President has the power to influence Congress, the nation and the free world. However, the US Media, which is also the freest and most powerful press, has had control over the presidency. The advent of CNN, ABC, NBC and others has had the effect of being able to sway the population of the United States, either garnering support for a president or destroying his credibility. The media has permitted the spread of information, allowing the people to take a more active role in politics making the general will better known, but it has also made politicians and the public hostage to the
The negative impact on presidential elections which television has caused can be explained in 3 words, “image over content”(C). This has led to representatives of their respective parties to
Media plays a huge role in today's society. Media, in its many forms, can be very persuasive and can change how people view a certain topic. The past few years, media has greatly affected how people feel about topics such as: gay rights, abortion, racism, and anything political. Depending on what site, or source you are on, media can depict the topic you research however it wants. It has been argued that there are political bias in media, which is not wrong. You can find just about anything in whichever political view you want. When talking politics, there are multiple media outlets that are party-based. Even in print, you can find just about anything in favor of what you believe if you look for it. Media does a fantastic job of manipulating people to believe certain things without the audience realizing it. The media provides constant information about politics, and in more times than not, political rather than professional. In this lesson, we learned about liberals and conservatives and how political parties can be affected through media bias and public opinion.
Understanding the background and history of the Agenda Setting Theory is imperative to this analysis. Dr. Max McComb and Dr. Donald Shaw developed the Agenda Setting Theory in a study conducted during the 1968 presidential election (McCombs & Shaw, 1972, p. 178). This study describes how if an audience is exposed to the same media, they will place importance on the same issues. This theory strictly presents information and sets the terms of public discourse. At the time, this was a trailblazing new idea.
The documentary ‘Going Clear’ is focused on the Church of Scientology. Some of the important figures in the documentary included Paul Haggis, Lawrence Wright, Sara Goldberg, Spanky Taylor, and Marthy Rathbun (Going Clear). In this documentary, these former scientologists were interviewed about their personal experiences, where they revealed information about what actually happened behind the doors of the Church. The documentary was based on Lawrence Wright’s book, ‘Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief’ and was a compilation of the opinions of several former scientologists about the true colors of Scientology and Hubbard’s history (Going Clear).
Agenda-setting is one of the most important factors in shaping public opinion. Agenda-setting can be defined as the ability of the media to direct public attentions toward the issues they believe are important to the public. But whose choice is it that determines which issues are more important over others? The news media can set an agenda-setting by focus attention on selected issues on which the public will form opinions from (McCombs). The media can paint a memory in your head by repeatedly repeating the issues on different media sources as Internet, network televisions, newspapers, etc. Since these sources are the cheapest and easiest to access, the information can be view by vast number of audiences. As quoted in a 1922 classic called “Public Opinion” by Walter Lippmann,
How has media influenced public perception of political figures, issues, and institutions? Through agenda setting and framing, media has the power to set the agenda for political discussion by providing public attention to political figures, issues, and institutions. In addition, the media can frame political agendas by influencing public perception and interpretation. (Ginsberg, Lowi & Weir, 1999)
The way the media frame issues has a subtle yet significant effect on the general public. Studies have shown that frames can help determine which procedures we find medically necessary (Edwards, Elwyn, Covey, Matthews, & Pill, 2001), can influence our ability to recall critical details of a news story (Valkenburg, 2000), and can even subtly influence elections (Shah, Domke, & Wackman, 1996). Given the impact frames can have on the general public, it is important to have a clear way to conceptualize and measure their effects.
The media has been able to manipulate people by making them believe what they say. One example that satirizes the media is a movie called The Truman show. Throughout the Truman show, the main character, Truman Burbank, is trapped in a stage set which he perceives as the real world. As he has lived there for around 30 years he starts to get the perception of being in a false environment. The media plays a big role in our lives as Truman is exposed to the corrupt side of them.
Around 50 million people watch CBS, ABC, or NBC every single night in order to obtain information from the day. Since the amount of people watching a news channel every night is so great, the media has had a great effect on the lives of everyone living in the United States. In our state and local government regions, each and every news channel or newspaper is going to take a certain view and stand-point on what the people say, think, and believe. Media effects are classified as direct or indirect, and the Media itself as well as the people behind the headlines can create positive as well as negative publicity. The media also has ways of going about their business and they even have their own terms for what they do, and how it should be
The 2000 Presidential Elections are upon us and who do we turn to for information regarding the candidates? What issues will be the hot topics for the election race? For that matter, what will be the hot topics in the media for next week? Just as this paper must be structured, organized, and center around a main idea, so must all information presented to an audience. Information can only be easily processed if it contains some kind of structure. This includes the information that is provided by the media. The media have to structure their ideas and stories on a daily, weekly, and even monthly basis. This process is known as agenda setting. Television, radio, and print medias all use agenda