Questions and Answers FINAL

What is the difference between internal and external efficacy, and how do these ideas fit into Baumgartner and Morris' study?

Internal efficacy is the idea that you can understand politics and therefore participate, and external efficacy is the idea that the government will respond to one's demands. These shows may increase internal efficacy but lower external efficacy, which isn't good on balance.

What do Grabe and Bucy say about television news in the conclusion of "News and the Visual Framing of Elections?"

That TV news may be better at getting information to the public than other forms and than many previously thought. TV must be reconsidered as an important news transmitter.

What is the CNN effect, according to Graber and Dunaway?

The CNN effect is the belief that graphic media coverage of events abroad occasionally forces the US Gov to engage in unplanned and undesired interventions.

According to Zaller, what is the Burglar Alarm standard?

news should provide information in the manner of attention-catching "burglar alarms" about acute problems, rather than "police patrols" over vast areas that pose no immediate problems.

What two factors does Ott believe are key in understanding Donald Trump's election?

1 - He accepted Twitter and social media as viable forms of spreading his message to consumers 2 - The mainstream news treated his Tweets as if they were news, so he also got news attention

Bennett lists three core problems with Zaller's thesis. What are they?

1 - In all his examples, the mechanisms for this already exist 2 - No provisions for what happens if there's a problem and the alarm doesn't go off 3 - This sets the alternatives up like they're the only two options and they're not

Levendusky notes that the resurgence of the partisan media "reshapes the relationship between political elites, their campaigns, the press, and the mass public in at least two ways." What does he mean here?

1 - campaigns have to make ads specifically pointed at getting exposure on television and cable news channels 2 - It's harder for elites to reach all audiences through TV news because it's watched less, so they have to change how they craft messages

According to Sunstein, "a well functioning system of free expression must meet two distinctive requirements." What are they?

1. people should be exposed to materials that they wouldn't have chosen in advance. (New exposure) 2. many or most citizens should have a range of common experiences.

At the beginning of the piece, Stroud and Muddiman cite some interesting pieces about selective exposure, and note that "these studies tell us a lot about selective exposure." What do they mean here?

1. selective exposure doesn't always occur. 2. politics may inspire a greater degree of selective exposure in comparison to other topics.

Gibson believes that the new wave of web technologies may empower citizens, and lists three implications on the wider policy. What are they?

1. the shifting or at least rebalancing of the focus of control from the central headquarters to the new volunteer army. 2. a new kind of grassroots politics where citizens become involved and active once again in their parties. 3. citizen campaigning might engineer some type of democratic renewal lies in the wider domain of altitudes.

According to Stroud and Muddiman, what is the relationship between like-minded political media and political activity?

1.) It reinforces what you already believe 2.) It may help decide when people go to vote 3.) It may be linked with more intense political participation

What are soft news media, according to Baum?

A set of story characteristics, including the absence of a public policy component, sensationalized presentation, human-interest themes, and emphasis on dramatic subject matter, such as crime and disaster

According to Graber and Dunaway, what were embeds, and what was the response to the embedding process?

An embed is a journalist trained by the Pentagon and sent along with the military to war to cover it. The response was pretty negative because it's easy to be biased and present people well when they're protecting your life, and the government got to censor some of the coverage.

How do the ads aired by "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" illustrate John Geer's thesis on media negativity?

As a result of the press attention paid to a set of controversial ads aired by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) against John Kerry, the term "swift boat" has become part of the American political vocabulary. These attacks became so well known that political commentators now refer to making nasty allegations during a campaign as being "swift boated." The facts are that few Americans actually saw the attacks aired directly on TV. Americans learned about these ads from the news media's coverage of them. Journalists became enamored with these attack ads about Kerry and gave them a huge amount of attention.

Why are visuals particularly important in the coverage of foreign news, according to Graber and Dunaway?

Because they bring foreign sights right to the homes of people who otherwise wouldn't be able to see them, which is important when talking about an area you aren't familiar with. Larger issues like starvation and genocide in a foreign place may be more comprehensible with images than without.

What do Graber and Dunaway discuss in the section "Blogs?"

Blogs have similar problems to citizen journalists. They've caused problems with taking the audience away from more established media channels, and they have similar problems with ethics and professionality. Additionally, blogs can help set the agenda by criticizing the current media and their willingness or unwillingness to challenge government.

What does it mean to suggest that "media systems such as that of the United States can now be described as hybrid"? How does Trump's 2016 presidential campaign support this idea?

Both old and new media have substantial influence over interplay between the public and public officials. Both are important and understanding how they fit together is crucial. Trump was a master at exploiting old media by tweeting at prime moments to disrupt the news cycle. He used new media to get into the old media in a prime way.

What do Graber and Dunaway discuss in the section "Citizen Journalists?"

Citizen journalism has pros and cons. It gives a variety of view points, but the people who do it are not professionally or ethically trained. This can lead to problems with unverified information or bias that training could help prevent.

What does Dickinson argue in the conclusion?

Dickinson argues that the overwhelming evidence is that voters do cast their vote based on their understanding of fundamentals, such as the state of the economy, as viewed through their own partisan predispositions.

Hart notes that "despite the frustrations of democracy, digital tools offer new possibilities." What does he mean here?

Digital tools offer many new options. 1. Citizen counternarratives can create change 2. Journalistic accountability to readers through direct access 3. Strangers can find each other online to support causes 4. New constituencies 5. Politicians can target messages online 6. Crowdsourcing

How did the "gaining ground" frame figure into the 2016 presidential election, according to Graber and Dunaway?

Donald Trump really benefited from the "gaining ground" frame in the 2016 election. This frame is the idea that a candidate is gaining ground and popularity, and because of this, they get more media coverage and hype. As the media covers them more, they grow more popular because they're seen as a possible winner, and the cycle continues.

What does Levendusky discuss in the section "Partisan Media, Gridlock, and Contemporary Governance?"

Elite viewers may become more polarized due to partisan media, and because of this, candidates may need to become more extreme to attract them. This media also causes gridlock by shifting both sides to the extreme and making people view each other as enemies. This means no one will want to compromise and work together on things.

Entman notes that "with the disappearance of the Red Menace, invoking patriotism to block opposition becomes more difficult." What does he mean here?

Entman means that with communism gone as a real reason to band together and push forward, it's harder for people to unite under a common cause and shut down opposition from media without a large threat looming overhead.

In the conclusion of the piece, why does Levendusky note that the consequences of the partisan press in America are unlike the consequences of the partisan press elsewhere?

Even if other nations thrive with a partisan press, because of our unique system of government, the consequences here are unlike the consequences elsewhere.

According to Ott, what is "medium theory?"

Every communication platform has distinctive features that make it unique and shape how users of that platform use it and view the world

According to "News and the Visual Framing of Elections" by Grabe and Bucy, why is it important to study "image bites"?

First, nonverbal, emotional displays can serve as a potent vehicle of expression by candidates whether intended or not. Second, viewers distinguish between different types of televised displays, which are frequently shown at close-up range and increasingly in high-definition. Third, the emotional and evaluative reactions that viewers experience upon exposure to visual portrayals of candidates can translate into lasting feelings, attitudes, and political behaviors.

What does Levendusky say about American history and partisan media?

For most of American history, news was super partisan. The news value of objectivity came around the 20th century, and now we're shifting back to the world of partisan news

What does it mean to say that "foreign news stories must be exciting and engaging, according to Graber and Dunaway?

For people to overcome their desire to not look into foreign news, it must be particularly exciting or engaging.

According to Zube and Lampe, what drawbacks of using social media for organizational mobilization did the respondents identify?

Generational and digital literacy gaps Speaking with a single voice Separation of personal and organizational use You need a personal connection for effective mobilization

What does Hayes discuss in the section "Why the New Media Might Make for Better News?"

Hayes says that new media may be more likely to use a wider range of sources and they don't have the typical space constraints of old media. That means they can cover news more in depth than in the past. Also, because they don't have some things like beat reporting, they may be less likely to rely on public officials as much as traditional journalists would because they aren't as tied into that system.

Would Dickinson argue that campaigns do not matter? Why or why not?

He would argue they do matter, but they may not swing things. He says that Obama used the normal campaigning method of picking frames for himself, and he chose the economy which is a powerful frame. Romney didn't really campaign well and didn't shift the issues enough?

What do Graber and Dunaway mean when they note that "there are also economic incentives for news organizations to cover polling and the horserace"?

Horserace coverage tends to be the coverage that people like the most, so they all tune in and watch it, which generates money for media companies.

What do Graber and Dunaway mean by the statement that "unfortunately for Clinton, the interaction between the political context and the peculiarities of certain social media platforms did not serve her well?"

In the 2016 presidential race, outsiders of the establishment and genuine, personable people were valued by the public. This disadvantaged Clinton, who had a strong political history and experience. It also hurt her on platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where personalization is everything. Crafted political messages aren't as normal here, and this hit her with a double whammy during the election.

In this study, Zube and Lampe found that most advocacy groups believed that social media "provide a variety of benefits that help facilitate civic engagement and collective action." What are these benefits?

It can help strengthen outreach efforts You can engage in feedback loops Communication speed is faster Tools are cost-effective

According to Morozov, what is cyber-utopianism? What are cyber-utopians incorrect about in their analyses?

It is the naive belief that the internet is a freeing platform with no downsides. They're incorrect that this is true everywhere. Authoritarian regimes, anyone?

What does Hart mean when he says that reporters are not in the "fact business" but instead that they are in the "meaning business?" How will this sustain journalism in the face of digital challenges?

Journalists aren't just supposed to spew out facts at the public, but they give the greater context and meaning to what the facts are to further give information to the public. This will sustain journalism because even as information online grows larger and larger, people will always need someone to give meaning and help them understand the information

How does John Geer answer the question of why the news media began to pay more attention to political advertising during the 1988 campaign?

Journalists got pissed about the idea of attack ads shaping campaigns and came down on the idea that they need to be evaluated just like speeches. People also started to perceive they could change elections, and journalists picked up on this.

What is meant by the "double bind on leadership," according to Entman?

Media outlets tend to be the first to encourage US intervention in conflicts abroad but then they also tend to be the first to criticize the government when they do. They're damned if they do, and they're damned if they don't.

What do Graber and Dunaway discuss in "Support for the Status Quo?"

News coverage tends to follow stereotypes about regions and the world, either based on notions about good and evil or based on international issues like poverty. News doesn't break the status quo and redefine what people think, it enforces it.

In "Taking the Fun Out of Fundamentals," how does Dickinson answer the following question: "Does Obama's election point to a changing electoral dynamic, one in which traditional economic factors will play a smaller role?"

No, in this case, Obama sold the narrative that he inherited a bad economy and it was on the mend, and Romney claimed it wasn't going fast enough. In the end, more people bought Obama's frame, and it was still about economics.

According to the data presented by Graber and Dunaway, do Americans have a great deal of interest in international news?

No. The numbers are decreasing from the past, and Americans do not pay attention to international news.

Does Entman argue that the media can determine public policy or public opinion by themselves? Why or why not?

No. They are inmeshed in a system that determines the public policy and opinion, but they are not at the top of it. The White House still puts out the narrative and can contribute to it.

What is "piggybacking," according to Baum?

One means of minimizing the costs associated with paying attention to low-benefit political information might be to attach or "piggyback" it to low-cost entertainment-oriented information. This would allow individuals to learn about politics passively, even if they are neither interested in the subject matter nor motivated to learn about it.

What does Levendusky discuss in the section "Partisan Media and the Mainstream Media Agenda?"

Partisan media can set the tone and agenda for national media discussion, maybe meaning they aren't as good at gatekeeping as one might previously have thought. It's both good and bad but it just means mainstream journalists NEED to be objective and fact check out the wazoo

According to Levendusky, do partisan media shape how viewers behave in and understand the results of an election?

Partisan media increase party voting by changing how voters feel about the candidates and their issue positions. partisan media shape not just vote choice itself but also how viewers understand and interpret the election.

What do Graber and Dunaway discuss in the section "Political Polarization?"

Partisan media might make us more polarized. It could also be because political leaders are growing more polarized and causing the public to follow. It may also be causing people to dislike the other side more.

According to Gibson, what are some of the downsides that may result from boosting mass participation?

People may have multiple or conflicting campaigns for the same person or party, and this may scramble the message and make people less likely to join on the campaign.

According to Hayes in "The News Anew," what two criteria are the hallmarks of a well-functioning press?

Substantive coverage and independence from government

According to Stroud and Muddiman, what are cognitive misers?

People who avoid political info overall or political info that goes against their beliefs because it's too much mental work

What do Austin et al. argue in the "Discussion" section of "Celebrities and Media Literacy"?

Political satire can engage and educate young people with the potential for longer term benefit, to the extent that these beenfits lead to the development of information efficacy- an aspect of media literacy as- applied to public affairs.

Why does Entman suggest that the party controlling the White House makes a difference?

Republicans tend to be able to exercise more control over the framing of events during their administrations. Republicans tend to be more unified on foreign policy and more likely to be amenable to following leadership, so they're better at coming together to flip a counter narrative.

How does the distinction between "seeing" and "understanding" relate to the Livingston's thesis in "What Amateur Journalism Means for International Affairs?"

Seeing is simple, and can be done just by showing people the news through technology. Understanding is much harder, and often requires the media to slow down and stop to explain what's going on instead of just flying on. In this way, immediacy gets in the way of real news and context is often ignored.

According to Ott, what are the three key features of Twitter?

Simplicity, impulsivity, incivility

What do the authors mean when they note that "several features of social media make political learning opportunities distinct from those provided by traditional media?"

Social media are networks that people can customize to both limit or expand their horizons. Elites can share messages to the public unfiltered and hear back directly. None of this can be done with traditional media.

How does the story of WikiLeaks illustrate McChesney's thesis?

Some claim we are now truly free and have the power to hold leaders accountable in ways journalists can't or won't. In fact, the wikileaks episode demonstrates precisely the opposite. wikileaks was not a journalistic organization and it just dumped secret documents to the public. There was no interpretation of this or care taken in what was released. There was no vetting and this is baaaaddd.

According to Gibson, why is the United States a particularly "ripe context" for a "more devolved approach to electioneering"?

The U.S. has a weaker control of candidates and campaigns and a lack of an established membership body.

What does Gibson label as the "birth" of citizen campaigning?

The arrival of Howard Dean on the political landscape in 2004. he was unable to get the nomination, but his ability to raise funds and volunteers was strongly linked to his strategic use of the internet.

Precisely, what is the standard of news coverage that Zaller advocates?

The burglar alarm model

Regarding traditional news versus new media outlets, what does Hayes find in his study of the 2011 Debate Over US Intervention?

The content of the two were pretty much the same. New media did use varied sources, but in the end the content was almost exactly the same.

What new explanation does John Geer, the author of "the News Media and the Rise in Negativity," offer for the rise of negativity?

The news media bear (at least some) responsibility for this rise in negativity. The core idea is that the news media now cover negative ads so extensively that they have given candidates and their consultants extra incentive to produce and air them.

According to Entman in "Independent Framing and the Growth of Media Power," what was the dominant paradigm during the Cold War period?

The dominant paradigm was that the problem was communist aggression and their intent to take over and conquer the world. The remedy to the problem was constant vigilance.

What do Graber and Dunaway describe as "the most significant change in the modern media environment"?

The dramatic expansion of content choice

What does McChesney claim is the second component of the American free-press tradition?

The government must make sure their is a free press so there's a source of information that can't be censored.

What is the "citizenship news voucher?" What advantages does McChesney believe a voucher system would provide?

The idea is that every american adult gets a $200 voucher that they can use to donate to any nonprofit news medium of their choice. this system would provide a way for the burgeoning yet starving, nonprofit digitial news sector to be self suficient.

What is the "Al Jazeera effect," according to Graber and Dunaway?

The idea that the Western monopoly on narratives about the international realm is over and there are other international media orgs and the internet to allow foreign people to create the narrative about their own countries.

Why does Gibson believe that the Internet may "offer a new opportunity to spread 'power to the people'"?

The internet is new and user-driven. This means that anyone can create a voice for themselves in media and gain power that used to just be reserved for old media.

What does Ott mean when he notes that the "Age of Television" has given way to the "Age of Twitter?"

The invention of new media doesn't mean the disappearance of older media like television. however, it does change television. twitter usually creates discourse that is simple, impetuous, and frequently denigrating and dehumanizing, and it also creates media that ends up being talked about in the news

What does it mean to say that the media "index" their coverage, according to Graber and Dunaway?

The media weigh their coverage based on how professional thought leaders feel compared to the US government. The media won't lead dissent against US foreign policies, but it will follow along once many professionals begin to criticize policy.

How does John Geer address the question: do news media simply reflect the goings on of campaigns?

The news media are not just reflecting the goings on of campaigns. Instead, their coverage has altered the conduct of campaigns. They do more than cover the process; they shape it. That is, the increase in attacks in presidential campaigns is partly the result of the news media's extensive coverage of advertising, in general, and negative advertising.

What is cheap framing, according to Baum?

The soft news media frame issues in highly accessible terms, emphasizing dramatic and sensational human-interest stories, intended primarily to appeal to an entertainment-seeking audience.

What do Graber and Dunaway mean when they note that "some research suggests learning from digital media may be more difficult?"

The way digital media is structured online could give people less cues about where to look which may make it harder for people to actually learn the information

What does Hart mean when he describes the Web as promoting "statelessness"?

The web has so much information, some true and some false, about so many things. And seeing it all makes it hard to know what is it true and makes it hard to hold onto loyalty to the state

According to Livingston, what is thematic framing? What is episodic framing? What did Iyengar's research reveal about both?

Thematic framing is when you place issues in a very broad or general context. Episodic framing is when you focus more on concrete instances of a thing and ignore the context and history more. Iyengar's research revealed that with thematic framing, people tend to more blame society as a whole for the issue, but with episodic framing, people more blame the individuals involved.

Although Levendusky notes that only a small number of Americans watch partisan media, what does he mean when he suggests that the shows "shape the broader contours of American politics in ways that do not depend on reaching a large audience?"

These shows help set the agenda and discussion for politics in america, meaning that people don't actually have to watch these shows to be impacted. If they set the agenda, a lot of times they also set the tone.

What are medialities, according to Graber and Dunaway?

They are events or situations that the media has elevated for some reason and distorted the real meaning and significance of the event.

According to Morozov, what is Internet-centrism? Why is it a flawed philosophy?

They believe the internet is at the center of everything and shapes everything. Really, lots shapes the internet.

What does Hayes discuss in the section "Why the New Media May Look a Lot Like the Old Media?"

They still rely on ads to stay in business, meaning that they still need to attract an audience to keep above water. Audiences still prefer entertainment, so it's not as likely these new media can go in depth. Many former journalists also run these things, meaning that they are still tied to those structures and they want to keep tied to people who will continue to run the discussion, so they will probably stick to individuals in power.

What makes partisan media consumers really distinctive to Levendusky?

They tend to be more polarized and distrustful of the opposing side. and they also tend to be more politically engaged, informed, and active than the general public.

What do Graber and Dunaway say about media coverage of primaries?

They tend to give skimpy coverage to all but the two or three frontrunners in the race, giving them the unfair advantage in terms of name recognition and free advertising and the like.

According to Baum, what does it mean to say that the soft news media has "democratized" foreign policy, any why is this both a challenge and opportunity for America's political leaders?

They've taken foreign policy, which used to be controlled by governments, and made it something that governments need to reformulate to give to the public in a way they can understand. It's a challenge because they have to reformulate the information to get people to listen. The opportunity is that they can reach people that would never have been interested before.

What do Graber and Dunaway discuss in "Good Frames for Friends, Bad Frames for Foes?"

US journalists tend to frame the US as the good guy and the hero in news stories, and they tend to frame whoever is against the US negatively and in a bad light overall. This isn't intentional, though, and reflects journalists unintentional biases.

What do Grabe and Bucy mean when they note that "visuals convey information on multiple levels?"

Visuals show us lots of things, like facial expression, timing, feelings and traits like aggression. There are varied levels of info that we make inferences about when we watch visual content.

What is the media echo effect, according to Graber and Dunaway?

When media conduct a poll that says someone is doing well, then the politician reacts to it, then they conduct another poll and analyze if what the politician did helped or hurt them, and then the politician adapts and it pretty much just creates what the media predict.

According to Stroud and Muddiman, what is cognitive dissonance?

When you hold two conflicting beliefs

What do Graber and Dunaway discuss in the section titled "Voting Behavior?"

While media coverage is unlikely to sway a person's voting choice, it may be more likely to sway whether or not a person may go to the polls, which is important because most elections are won by a percentage or a fraction of a percentage. The biggest media influence is in selections during primaries, though.

According to Levendusky, do partisan media decrease support for bipartisanship and compromise?

Yes. It demonizes the other side of the aisle, and this makes people more distrustful of the other side and because of this they are less likely to compromise and support the other side.

According to Levendusky, do partisan media polarize viewers?

Yes. The people who watch these are probably already more polarized, and the media shifts them all farther. It shifts moderates to more extremes and extremists farther out.

What hypotheses do Morris and Baumgartner claim receive support in their study in the Daily Show article?

Young adults perceptions of presidential candidates, especially those of lesser known candidates, are diminished as a result of exposure to the Daily Show. the evidence in this study qualifies previous arguments that soft news adds to democratic discourse.

In his critique of Zaller, what does Bennett mean when he contends that the argument "to endorse his [Zaller's] standard is almost perfectly backwards."

already is sounding burglar alarms all the time. this incessat ringing of alarms about dubious problems, unsemmly scandals, and daily threats to health and safety discourages citizens from taking the press, politicians, and public life seriously. It wears everyone out and that's not good.

Why does Zaller believe that mass media frenzies may have positive value?

an intense, dramatic story that keeps up a critical mass over one or several news cycles in all information media- TV News, mainstream and tabloid newspapers, etc. breaks through the fog of disjointed news and engages the monitorial citizen. Media frenzies catch the eye of citizens and can mobilize them.

According to Sunstein, what is a general interest intermediary? Why are they valuable?

general interest intermediaries are things like newspapers, magazines, and broadcasters. People who rely on them have a range of chance encounters, including shared experiences with diverse others, and also exposure to materials and topics they didn't seek out in advance.

How does Levendusky define partisan media?

opinionated media, they present facts in such a way that supports a particular conclusion. stories are "framed, spun, and slanted so that certain political agendas are advanced."

Hart lists "distantiation" as one of the "seven deadly sins of the digital era." What is distantiation?

the deliberate or inadvertent attempt to create social distance

According to Zaller, what is Schudson's "monitorial citizen"?

the monitorial citizen scans the environment for events that require responses. For many purposes, just scanning the headlines is sufficient. Then look into what needs responses.

What is the "Full News" standard? Why does Zaller view it as unrealistic?

the news should provide citizens with the basic information necessary to form and update opinions on all of the major issues of the day, including the performance of top public officials