This document discusses political communication and the role of mass media in a democratic society. It covers how democracy originated in ancient Greece and how political communication is now transmitted through mass media. It evaluates whether political information available to citizens is useful, sufficient, and trustworthy. The document also discusses how media can act as a watchdog on government or collaborate with government. Additionally, it addresses how media covers political leaders and issues around privacy. The role of media in terrorism and advocating for minority groups is debated. Standards for evaluating political messages are provided.

1. LIB235 Week 7
Law and Ethics of Mass
Communications
MASS MEDIA AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
DR. RUSSELL RODRIGO

2. Evaluating Political Communication
 Democracy began in ancient Greece, where art of politics was considered as a gift
from the gods
- all men were considered able to exercise politics through rhetoric and argument in
the assembly: a form of direct democracy, surviving for a few years in Athens
► Political communication nowadays is transmitted by the mass media
- rather cacophony than opinion
- opinion pretends to be analysis on Cable TV
- the Internet offers thousands of blogs, Twitter and Facebook shape opinions
► Most Americans under 50 get their news about politics from late night comedians
- they are often lacking even basic facts about political candidates

3. Evaluating Political Communication
 Political scientist Bruce A. Williams asked in 2009, what determines, whether
information has political relevance?
► Is it useful?
- does it help in individual and collective decision making?
► Is it sufficient?
- do we have enough information and does it help us to make an informed choice?
► Is the information trustworthy?
- does it come from a trustworthy source?
► Who is the intended audience of the message?

4. Evaluating Political Communication
Williams again suggests standards for the evaluation of messages.
1. Transparency
 Does the audience know who is speaking?
2. Pluralism
 Are diverse points of view provided?
3. Verisimilitude
 Do the sources of the messages take responsibility for the truth claims they explicitly
and implicitly make?
4. Practice
 Does the message encourage modeling, rehearsing and learning for civic engagement?

5. Evaluating Political Communication
In real life and in real theory, individual organizations can fulfill multiple roles
simultaneously:
1. Radical role
 It operates, when the media provide an alternate vision to current political and social situation in a
country.
2. Monitorial role
 Describes the watchdog function of the news media.
3. Facilitative role
 Best captured by news coverage of elections and political advertising
4. Collaborative role
 For instance, when media promotes the view of the states, in a less benign form, the weather
forecast fulfills this role.

6. Leaders and their Characters
 Politicians use the media to speak to the public
 Mass media have turned into the primary source of political information.
- this also includes information about character
► Media provide framework to understand facts.
► When front-runners for elections are being covered, it runs differently.
- the journalist, covering the winning candidate for a network for the next 4 years, is
guaranteed a celebrity status, increased income and power
► Media have the right and responsibility to get “behind the curtain” to reveal the
candidate

7. Leaders and their Characters
 Just because information is available, it does not mean that it is
ethical or relevant to broadcast or print it.
 Journalists cover political character.
- the intersection of personality and public performance
- the dynamic of a person within an environment
- journalists, who explore character often do so for an ethical reason,
despite apparent invasions of privacy

8. Leaders and their Characters
 In some situations, Sissela Bok sees the invasion of privacy of political figures as
justified
- this invasion must be seen in larger factual and historical contexts
- private facts must be linked to public and political behaviors
- the invasion of privacy must further the larger political discourse and the “need to
know”
► Reporting needs to be filtered by the use of discretion
- not everything one is told, should be revealed
- discretion prevents mainstream media from becoming tabloid journalism

9. Role of the Media:
Guard Dog or Lap Dog?
 More coverage is done during elections and campaigning.
 Media are a player in the policymaking process.
- Especially the national press corps often reports “leaks” and grants “off-the-
record” interviews
- Government officials sometimes leak a story to check reaction
- Should media makers consciously participate in the leaking process?
► But primary media function remains to inform the public with information to make
informed political choices.
► Media are expected to act as a watchdog on government and as a guide dog.
► News are too much presented as conflict in order to make them more presentable.

10. Terrorism and Hate
 Terrorism can be perceived as an act of communication, communicating hatred
toward the target.
 Scholars suggest that terrorism was not possible, before modern mass media
amplified the message of hate.
 Terrorists and media have a symbiotic relationship
- Terrorists need the media to communicate their message
- media garner increased ratings, when terrorism is in the news
► Media must perform a dual role.
- They have to filter the terrorist’s message.
- They serve as watchdogs of government response.

11. Terrorism and Hate
 The issue of Terrorism raises hard questions.
 Terrorism is news and news coverage furthers terrorists’ ends.
 How to break the circle?
- Should news be censored?
- Do journalists have to take the side of humanity, even abandoning
objectivity, in cases of terrorism-related news coverage?
► Moral witness function
- The journalist acts as moral witness when reporting on events such as
terrorism, as he needs to embed such news stories into a moral framework.

12. Social Justice in a Democratic Society
 Minority groups seek access to politics and therefore to media, too.
 Mass media have become major players in the process.
 Media ethicists suggest that the media need to advocate for the politically
homeless.
 In a socially responsible press, “justice for the powerless should stand at the
centerpiece”

13. Week 7 Assignment
Group Video Presentation
Find a scenario/examples of political communication and analyze
whether it is ethical or not applying the following standards.
1. Political Relevance
2. Standards of Message Evaluation
3. Was the media’s role in this scenario more of a watch dog or a lap dog?
Explain.
4. Was it socially responsible?