POG 110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Canada Act 1982

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Politics and Public Administration
• Course: POG 110
• Professor: Tracey Raney

Document Summary

Pog110 - power and influence in canadian politics. Most canadians have little direct access to political events so rely on the media for information. Different forms of media: outlook national versus local, ownership. Impact of new media and a changing media market. Media plays an important role in socialization. Limits to this: not what we think but what we think about. Media reporting does not mirror reality but construct a version of that reality. Choice of how to cover (ie. sources) The media constructs that reality through a number of filters. Economic filters - capitalism and profitability: advertisers have significant influence, audience appeal and entertainment, media concentration and audience fragmentation. Regulatory filter: domestic ownership provisions, content rules. Each medium imposes constraints: tv tends to focus on short stories that focus on personalities, sound bites , stereotypes and biases (ie. conflict) Organizational filters: access to sources and experts. Ideological filters: the views and personalities of journalists can shape coverage.