PO101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Clickbait, Daniel J. Boorstin, Factcheck.Org
Media and Our Understanding of Politics
Magic Bullet/Hypodermic Needle Method: Powerful Media injects audiences with
messages that batter them into acceptance.
Two-Step Flow Method: The media’s messages are reinforced by personal interaction of
readers. They are only as strong as our support.
Broadcasters encode information that the public decode, not always as originally intended. We
invent our own narratives.
Traditional Mass Media Multi-Media
Autonomy from each source Convergent
Centralized consumption Interactive consumption
Professional production Social production
Target audience Social communities
Consumers not able to produce Consumers can produce news
National Global
5 Filters of Media
Size, ownership & profit - central to traditional mass media. There is a clash btwn profit &
truth.
Advertising - What do we see? What are we supposed to buy? The media are not selling a
product, they are selling advertisers you.
Sourcing News - defining what is newsworthiness.
Flack & enforcers - When the story is inconvenient to establishment power, Flack is thrown at
whoever writes the story.
Common Enemy - as a control mechanism.
Document Summary
Magic bullet/hypodermic needle method: powerful media injects audiences with messages that batter them into acceptance. Two-step flow method: the media"s messages are reinforced by personal interaction of readers. They are only as strong as our support. Broadcasters encode information that the public decode, not always as originally intended. When the story is inconvenient to establishment power, flack is thrown at. People who establish new communities through cell phones & internet create greater potential for political impact. There is a wider opportunity for commentary & reporting as well as ability to transform decision-making. There is greater mobility for candidates w/in & outside of party structures, dissident groups can mobilize more quickly w minimal notice from authority. This leads to tightening of state control on info flow. Each responds to facts as they understand them then tells the truth or lies. The response of one is guided by authority of truth, while the other defies that authority in interest of narrative.
