COMS305: Media and Politics

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Mass Media and Politics: Lecture Overview

1. Democratic vs. totalitarian regimes

2. News filters1. Ownership2. Advertising3. Sources4. Anti-communism

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Mass Media and Politics: Lecture Overview

3. Media regulation in democratic societies

1. Military2. Radio3. Deregulation4. Ownership regulation: US & NZ5. Content regulation: US & NZ

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Mass Media and Politics: Lecture Overview

3. Effects theory1. Aggressor2. Victim3. Desensitization4. Structure and agency

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Last week: Economic influence on the media

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Political influence on the media

Mass Media & Politics

• We must consider the differences between democratic and totalitarian regimes

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Propaganda• Propaganda is the deliberate and systematic

attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist

Mass Media & Politics

• In totalitarian regimes, audiences become adept at decoding propaganda

• This propaganda can have a domestic and/or international focus

Mass Media & Politics

• In totalitarian regimes, audiences become adept at decoding propaganda

• Of course, some attempts at propaganda are more subtle than others, even in totalitarian regimes…

…there are no protests…

Mass Media & Politics

• In democratic regimes, we pride ourselves on our relative freedom of expression…

Tiananmen Square

Mass Media & Politics

• But should we really be so secure in our superiority? Some say ‘no’…

Mass Media & Politics

• Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky: ‘The Propaganda Model’ of news creation in ‘Manufacturing Consent’ (1988)

The existence of 5 new filters:

1. Ownership2. Advertising3. Sourcing4. Flak5. Anti-communism

Mass Media & Politics

• Ownership

Mass Media & Politics

• Advertising:– Monsanto– Bhopal - Dow– BP Oil

Mass Media & Politics

• Sourcing: political elites over-relied upon

Mass Media & Politics

• Anti-communism: now better conceived of more generally as ‘threats to capitalism’

Mass Media & Politics

• ‘Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media’

• Well-worth watching• Should be available

at some video stores if your internet isn’t up to streaming the whole thing.

Mass Media & Politics

• Therefore, in democratic societies, the questions become:

– Should the media

be regulated?– And if so, how

should they be regulated?

– By who?

Media Regulation

• Military content regulation– Press pools are

established, which• Help the military

ensure safety• But they do so by

restricting press access

– Information is censored

Media Regulation

• Military content regulation– Does it just end up producing propaganda?

Media Regulation

• Military content regulation– Propaganda

• not necessarily true

Media Regulation

Military content regulation• Propaganda has a long history, and was very

prominent during WW2 on both sides

Media Regulation

Military content regulation• But is it persuasion or propaganda?• Is everything relativist propaganda?• Who controls the flow of information?

Media Regulation

Radio• ‘Pirate radio’ rebels

against idea that the radio spectrum is a protected space that can be owned…

• but the spectrum is limited

Media Regulation

Radio• Spectrum scarcity has resulted in licenses being

issued to “protect the public interest”

Media regulation

Radio• Pirate radio is based on the idea that

the radio spectrum should be free and open to everyone– Radio Hauraki: Later granted a

private land licence

Media Regulation

Radio • on the margins

– Democracy Now– Plains FM

Media Regulation

Deregulation• AGAINST

regulation• ...but what do

they favour?• …what would

media like that look like?

Media Regulation

Media regulation• Can be hard to

detect, but it is fairly widespread

• Content regulation• Ownership

regulation

Media Regulation

Advertising regulation in NZ• The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

– Public & professional with public majority– Public decision-making process

Objectives• Regulating misleading or deceptive advertising• Promote voluntary self-regulation• Fund Advertising Standards Complaints Board

Media Regulation

Regulation is generally done in the name of the public interest

• What public?• What interest?

Media Regulation

The BBC or Reithian model

• Government control of organisation & financing– Emphasizes public

service– Nationalistic– Politicized– Noncommercial (but

some private interests)

Media Regulation

Media ownership regulation

• The US situation:– 1996

Telecommunications Act in U.S.

– Eased restrictions on cross-media ownership

Media Regulation

Media ownership regulation

• The New Zealand situation:– No regulatory body

examining:– Ownership

restrictions– Programme-based

license requirements

– Programme quotas

Media Regulation

Media content regulation• The US situation

– The (repealed) Fairness Doctrine

– Broadcasters must cover public issues & provide both sides

– Result: one-sided popular programming

Media Regulation

Media content regulation• The NZ situation

– New Zealand Press Council (NZPC)• Created in response to potential for Labour

governmental interference– Mix of industry & public reps– Objectives

• Considering complaints against the press• Promoting freedom of speech/press• Maintaining professional standards of the

press

Media Regulation

Media content regulation• The NZ situation

– The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA)• Funded by Parliament & broadcasters• A government-initiated regulatory

framework– Tasks and objectives

• Receiving complaints about alleged breaches of practice

• Encouraging broadcasters to develop codes of ethics

• Conducting research on broadcast standards

Media Regulation

Media content regulation• The NZ situation

– The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA)• Responsible for programme

standards– Good taste – Fairness– Accuracy– Privacy

• They can impose fines and other punishment if the complaint is upheld.

Media Regulation

Film content regulation• In the US, the Motion

Picture Association of America (MPAA)• In NZ, the Office of Film

and Literature Classification (OFLC)

Media regulation

Content regulation• Regulation via citizen protest

– Monitorial citizen groups

Media Regulation

Film content• Realities

– 80 percent of R16/R18 rated films marketed to kids

Media Regulation

Broadcast content• Realities

– V-chips rarely used

Media Regulation

Music• Realities

– Advisory labels boost sales

Media Regulation

Content regulation• Violence

– 8,000 murders seen before finishing primary school

Effects Theory

The ‘Aggressor Effect’• Violent programming leads to violent

acts

Effects Theory

• Exposure to violence and the Aggressor Effect– Exposure to violent media DOES have short

and long term effects on children’s aggressive behavior

Effects Theory

The ‘Victim Effect’• Violent programming

leads to fearfulness of violence

Effects Theory

The ‘Desensitization Effect’• Violent programming leads to callousness

about seeing others in violent situations

Effects Theory

• Overall, there is a positive and significant relationship between television violence and aggressive behaviour

Effects Theory

How can you explain the tension between institutional structure and individual agency?