1. THE MEDIA, THE STATE
AND THE POLITICAL
PROCESS

2. 2 views of the media
•The media is in the hands of a
Free airing of social and political few powerful companies who
issues where opinions differ. Act impose their views on us. The
as watchdogs, criticising role of the media is to distort
politicians and the powerful when reality, justifying the deep
they override the interests of inequalities of wealth that exist at
ordinary people the same time keeping the masses
happy with pictures of attractive
women and stories of sex and
sport

3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Discuss
• the role of the mass media in the political
process
• Democracies and authoritarian regimes
• State censorship

4. To what extent do the press
promote democracy in Britain?
• Democracy: a system of government that
involves some form of election by the
people
p ect
l as
gica ed
d eolo valu
a n i t is a c ie t y
has se i o
lso ecau n our s
A b i
ure
feat

5. Reporting styles
• Axford identifies 3 broadcasting styles for
political coverage
– REACTIVE – party campaigners are reported
in a mainly descriptive fashion. (Photo
opportunities and leader profiles)
– REBELLIOUS – broadcasters set their own
agenda (not always as the parties would wish)
– REFLECTIVE – analytical and thoughtful
when looking at the issues and policies

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTiI1e-wVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B91Kwnpt7kk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2h28
John Prescott former Labour
Deputy Prime Minister
Suspend the Kyoto protocol

7. The media and the state
Regulation of the media serves to maintain the interests of the
powerful
• After WW2 there was an assumption of the free press. (free from
direct control of government)
• Government control was ad hoc and more concerned with the
structure and organisation of the media than their content
• Journalists and broadcasters had autonomy and were self regulating
• The main legal controls are
– Official secrets act (1989)
– The Prevention of Terrorism Act (1976) Pg 212 in Jones
– Laws of Libel and contempt and Jones make
– Privacy Laws (1997) brief notes
outlining each

8. • Propaganda
Literature: Desert
Storm/Desert Shield
1990/1991
• To help win that war quickly,
the U.S. Army created several
pieces of outstanding
psychological warfare literature.
• This image of Saddam Hussein
was designed as a wanted
poster, on light weigh paper, for
airdrop distribution. What was
its purpose?

9. created to redirect the guilt, if any,
felt by Iraqi soldiers, and to
encourage them to blame
everything bad on Saddam
Hussein since he is a criminal.
Thus, they might not fight with as
much enthusiasm or
determination.

10. ACTIVITY 1
• Media reporting
– Read pg 275 up to the ‘pluralist view’
– Answer the following questions
– Write a summary in no more than 100 words

11. 1. What effect did WW2 have on 2. What was the perceived risk of 3. Identify 3 ways in which
the way media reporting ? the media reporting on a General televised reporting of politics has
Election? changed ?
4. What is the role of a ‘spin 5. Why is the news of particular 6. How did the general public
doctor’ ? interest to sociologists? learn about political parties before
WW2?

12. ACTIVITY 2
• The pluralist view
– Read pg 275 –277 up to the mass-manipulative
view
– TRUE OR FALSE
– Summarise the pluralist view in no more than
100 words

13. ACTIVITY 3
• Marxist view
– Read pg 277 up to the Hegemonic view
– Answer questions

14. ACTIVITY 4
• Neo Marxist view
– Read pg 278 up to post-modernist
– Answer questions
– Summarise view in no more than 100 words

15. 1. What were the conclusions 2. Give an example of the 3. According to Hall (80) the
of GUMG study? language used that showed news is seen as closed text.
bias in the dispute Explain what this means.
4. In what way can the GUMG 5. How is the Hegemonic view 6. Explain how ‘good news’
findings be criticised? similar to Marxism? stories from Eastern media can
be viewed as propaganda

16. What were the Give an example of According to Hall
conclusions of the language used (80) the news is
GUMG study? that showed bias in seen as closed text.
the dispute Explain what this
Industrial relations favours Employers make ‘offers’ means.
the employers over the and ‘pleas’ whereas Events presented are
employed strikers make ‘demands’ partial and selective
and ‘threats’ revealing journalistic
values
In what way can the How is the Explain how ‘good
GUMG findings be Hegemonic view news’ stories from
criticised? similar to Eastern media can
Unrepresentative, no Marxism? be viewed as
evidence, not objective, Both see the media’s role propaganda
as maintaining and Focus is on increase in
reinforcing the status quo production and new public
in society facilities rather than crime

17. ACTIVITY 5
• Post Modernist view
– Read pg 279
– Baudrilland maintains the Gulf War didn’t happen.
– Draw a cartoon depicting what he means by this

18. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
A diminishing of the Audiences are better The content of The electorate gains
political process as able to assess the political debate comes by being better
media distort as well competence of second to its informed and more
as communicate government ministers presentation – images aware of political
messages dominate issues
It is simply the Politicians become The media Overall there is
inevitable result of more concerned with oversimplify and increased public
new technology and is their voice and trivialise political knowledge and citizen
beneficial to audiences appearance issues participation hence
greater government
accountability
Packaging political Parties are marketed The political message A widespread lack of
debates serves to like high street becomes less powerful public interest in
manipulate the public commodities and we than the projected politics associated
become disempowered image. At worst this with a cynical
consumers responding could be a means of evaluation of
only to the images on subverting democracy politicians in general
the boxes

19. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
THE STATE PLURALIST VIEW
THE MEDIA,
THE STATE
AND THE
POLITICAL PROCESS
MARXIST VIEW NEO MARXIST VIEW
Advantages and
disadvantages