Politics and the Media Exam 3

A goal of candidates making ad buys is to maximize gross ratings points for the least amount of money. What are gross ratings points?

Gross rating points are the ratings for each spot multiplied by the number of times the spot airs.

Satire and parody are not the same thing. Explain the differences between satire and parody.

A parody is the imitation of something, perhaps by exaggerating a point or someone's characteristics, for comedic effect. On the other hand, satire is comedy, which holds an idea, a person, etc. up for ridicule, in order to make a political point through humor.

What is a population? What is a sample? Why should a sample be both random and representative?

A population is a certain group you are interested in studying such as all registered voters. A sample is a group of people drawn from the population for study purposes. A sample should be both random and representative because it would mean everyone has an equal chance and the results looks like an actual representation of the population, which includes the diversity of it.

What is a population? What is a sample? Why should a sample be both random and representative?

A population is the group you are interested in studying, such as all registered voters or everyone who owns a car. A sample is a group of people drawn from the population for study purposes. Random means that everyone in the population you are sampling has an equal chance of being sampled. Representative means that the sample looks like a miniversion of the population—that is, it has the same percentages of men and women, whites and blacks, etc.

What sorts of issues were addressed on All in the Family that had not been addressed very much on American television before? Be sure to give at least two examples. Why did Norman Lear feel that humor was an appropriate way to deal with these topics?

All in the Family had an episode in its firs season about being gay, which set a standard for most television comedies that followed it. In addition, the show painted blue collar whites with the same racist brush, and just about every ethnic group is insulted in the show. Normon Lear felt humor was an appropriate way to deal with these topics because it is about the larger lesson in it all, and to root out bigotry has defied man's best efforts for generations and the weapon on laughter just might succeed.

What are interviewer effects? Give an example.

Interviewer effects is when the behavior of an interviewer can influence the answers given to survey questions. For instance, many interviewers are middle-aged women because this group has been found to be the least threatening to both male and female respondents.

Why is the story portrayed in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington so influential and enduring?

It represents the ideal of how the American political system is supposed to work. Jimmy Stewart's character goes to Washington, sees what is wrong and does what he can to fix it. This is a Hollywood myth because there is seemingly always corruption in Washington, but that makes the myth appealing because we are always hoping that if the right person comes along, such as Barack Obama in 2008, he or she can fix things.

What two main effects did Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama have on his campaign?

It was found that exposure to news about Winfrey's endorsement did not influence the extent to which participants held favorable opinions towards Obama or the extent to which they saw him as likable. Such exposure did lead participants to see him as more likely to lead participants to see him as more likely to win the nomination. In addition, Oprah significantly assisted Obama in both raising money and in gaining votes. They suggest that the Oprah endorsement was responsible for giving Obama enough votes to allow him to beat Clinton.

One question about advertising is whether negative advertising is good or bad for voters. In two to three sentences, summarize the research of scholars who argue it is bad for voters.

Iyengar and Ansolabehere suggests that negative ads depress voter turnout. They found that political ads reinforce the disillusionment of nonpartisans and convince them not to participate in what they see as a tainted process.

According to the research of Kam and Zechmeiser, there is one resource which is especially valuable to candidates, especially in low profile elections, which can be achieved through television advertising. What is this resource?

Kam and Zechmeiser found that name recognition matters. If a voter doesn't know anything about any of the candidates, they will vote for the name they recognize.

What is the major thesis of Patterson's book Out of Order?

Patterson's major thesis of the book is that The United States cannot have a sensible campaign as long as it is built around the news media.

In its assessment of social media's role in the 2012 campaign, the Pew report offered several observations about social media and politics. Briefly explain three of the four main points discussed.

Pew made the following observations about social media and politics: 1. Social networks are a mainstream venue for political discussion. 2. Social networks are a space for activism. 3. Social networks are a place where people go to "support the team" with "other fans". The growth of social networks contributed to more campaign engagement through Facebook, Twitter, etc. People go online for news, use it to communicate with others about politics and the campaign, and send and receive political information.

Patterson argues that the news media see campaigns differently than voters. He argues they use different schemas. What are these schemas and what is the impact of these two groups having different schemas?

Press has a game schema, voters have a governing schema. Press want to cover things as a competition, voters want to know who will be the best president, whom they should vote for. Voters are not well-served by reporting done from a game schema.

Why is radio now dominated by talk format programs, as opposed to music, according to Berry and Sobieraj?

Radio is now dominated by talk format programs as opposed to music because technological advancements has ushered in major changes in the ways people listen to music. In addition, getting rid of the fairness doctrine eliminated the risk of making money with one show and losing it with the other.

In two or three sentences, summarize the research of scholars who argue that negative advertising is good for voters.

Recent studies show that negative advertising has a positive impact on voter turnout. Geer argues that they are good because it is good for candidates to raise questions about each other and that negative ads tend to focus on important issues in the campaign.

Why, according to Baym, do shows such as The Daily Show have a positive effect on young people's levels of political knowledge?

Shows such as The Daily Show affect young people's political knowledge is because it leads them into consideration of issues they might not otherwise entertain.

Several possible explanations are offered in the commentary as answers to the question of why so many political talk radio programs are conservative. In one sentence each, describe three of these explanations

So many political talk radio programs are conservative because there are more conservatives than liberals, conservatives see a greater need for an alternate media, or liberals' listening needs are served by NPR and ethnic radio for Latinos and African Americans.

What is the difference between measuring and collecting opinion?

Some polls try to objectively measure opinion, meaning the people conducting the poll genuinely are interested in what people are thinking and design their polls using scientific techniques in order to get results that are as accurate as possible. Some people, though, want to collect opinions so they can use their poll results as part of a larger public relations campaign.

What is the recent trend in campaign fund-raising and campaign spending. What factors are driving that trend?

Spending has gone up dramatically with each election. This is due to the cost of media centered campaigns, but it is also driven, in the post-Citizens United world, by the advertising of independent groups, which are spending hundreds of millions of dollars.

What are the advantages to candidates that cause them to frequently appear on talk shows and other entertainment-oriented shows?

Such televised formats allow candidates the opportunity to do something endearing such as play the piano or saxophone, or even use jokes to confront public perceptions about them.

According to the Graber book, media coverage of campaigns has become more negative. What are the consequences of negative campaign coverage?

A consequence of negative campaign coverage is that is has contributed to an overall decline in citizens' trust in government and participation in politics.

Briefly explain each of the six production elements involved in putting together a campaign commercial.

(a) Visuals—film or graphic imagery—are the primary means of capturing attention and conveying messages. (b) Visual texts are print messages that appear on screen to reinforce the message. (c) The voice-over is the script read by an announcer that ties the visual elements together. (d) Next are the other sounds in the commercial—music and sound effects—which help create the mood. (e) Editing determines how the images are connected to one another. A jumpy, frenetic pace is usually chosen for a negative ad, while a smoother, more gentle pace is chosen for a positive ad. (f) Color also affects the tone. Rich colors send a positive message, while black and white has negative connotations.

Why did the press become journalist and candidate centered?

As parties became weaker and journalism became more prestigious as a profession, journalists were no longer willing to be faceless reporters of campaigns. They assert themselves more and have a different view of their role in the process.

Why was The Birth of a Nation controversial?

Because it portrayed the Southern story as one of whites being oppressed, it glorified the Ku Klux Klan as a righteous organization, and it featured on-screen oppression of African Americans. It engendered protests nationwide by groups representing African Americans, such as the NAACP. It even involved the White House after the movie was screened there for Woodrow Wilson.

Briefly explain the "digital divide" that was discovered by Carlisle and Patton in their study of Facebook use in the 2008 campaign.

Carlisle and Patton tested whether the kinds of variables that are helpful to explain why people participate in traditional political activities are also helpful in explaining whether or not people participate in politics via Facebook. They found that while there are many people who argue that the Internet is a way to get people more deeply involved in politics and civic life, the reality is that the same things that divide people in terms of regular political participation remain true with Facebook.

There are two major reasons politicians seek the support of celebrities. What are these two reasons?

Celebrities attract media attention, giving the politicians and causes they favor a higher level of exposure, raising awareness, and raising funds.

Why did Stephen Colbert create a Super PAC in 2011, and what impact did the research of Hardy, et al., show Colbert's creation of a Super PAC had on the audience?

Colbert created a Super PAC in 2011 because he declared his candidacy for the presidency. According to Hardy, et al., they found that those who watched The Colbert Report were more knowledgeable about Super PACS, campaign finance law, and the role of money in politics.

Explain the argument of Williams and Delli Carpini about why it no longer makes sense to make the same distinction between news and entertainment we once made.

Delli Carpini and Williams argued that there were a number of factors which reinforced a distinction between news and entertainment in what was a socially constructed distinction. They argue that too much attention is paid to traditional news. Traditional news has been discredited. Also, they argue that politically relevant communication is any information, which makes a difference to people, which informs people, which has an influence on people.

How does researcher Sarah Esralew explain the impact she found that SNL had on viewers' impressions of Sarah Palin?

Esralew found that Fey really played up the part of Palin's persona, over-exaggerating Palin's speech patterns and folksy expressions. Based on the Schema Theory, we have limited knowledge storage space and we develop mental shorthand to condense a lot of information into a short, easily used impression, such as Palin does not know what she is talking about or Palin isn't ready for prime time, which hurt her chances and made her a bit unpopular.

Candidates have become increasingly reliant on appearances on talk shows and other venues where they don't interact directly with journalists. Give some examples of this behavior. Why do they behave this way?

Examples include appearances of shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, The View, and The Tonight Show. They like to appear on these shows because it allows them to avoid journalists. This gives them more control over the messages of their campaigns. Talk show hosts tend to be friendlier and ask fewer difficult questions.

Briefly explain five of the six production elements involved in putting together a campaign commercial. Be sure to cite an example from the ads reviewed in the lesson when answering this question. You should refer to one ad for each of the production elements.

Five of the six production elements involved in putting together a campaign commercial are: Visuals such as film or graphic imagery. They are the primary means of capturing attention and conveying messages. Visual texts are print messages that appear on screen to reinforce the message. For instance, in 1996, Clinton's ads used big, splashy text to underscore the message that Republicans wanted to "cut Medicare," while Dole's ads featured the words "liberal" and "untrustworthy. Research shows that memory of a message is greatly enhanced by combining visual text with spoken words and descriptive images. The voice-over is the script read by an announcer that ties the visual elements together. In addition, there are other sounds in the commercial such as music and sound effects, which help create the mood. Editing determines how the images are connected to one another. A jumpy, frenetic pace is usually chosen for a negative ad, while a smoother, gentler pace is chosen for a positive ad.

In 1976, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter had specific goals to accomplish with their ads. What were they?

Ford had to present himself as presidential and explain his decisions. Carter had to tell Americans who he was because he was the first candidate to become his party's nominee in the new primary system.

What is the game schema?

Game schema is when reporters see campaigns as games to be won.

What does Patterson mean when he argues that campaigns should be organized for the press, not by the press?

He means that campaigns should be events which happen and are reported on by the news media. They should not be structured to please the press, and their outcomes should not be determined by how the press covers them.

According to Patterson, what metaphor do the news media use to describe campaigns in election news?

He uses the metaphor of the battlefield to describe campaigns in election news. Fighting words fill the stories. We see constant reference to war and fighting in stories.

In general, what is the contribution of the television shows of Norman Lear?

Lear's shows broke down many taboos and barriers. His shows were often the first to deal with divisive issues of race, sexuality, abortion, and others. Through the struggle of the characters to deal with these issues, in both serious and humorous ways, the American public saw the possibility of things being different.

Explain the reasons that conducting surveys by telephone is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible. Be sure to discuss two problems.

Many people with phones have unlisted numbers, so this would make the poll unrepresentative. In addition, there is number portability, which means that area codes don't represent geographic areas the way they used to because this means that the sample may be an inaccurate percentage of people from different parts of the country.

Why have the media become the mediators of elections, according to Patterson?

Media has taken over as mediator of elections largely because of the weakness of American political parties. The primary system makes it necessary for candidates to appeal to the masses, and parties can't do this for candidates. Thus, they must use the press.

Why does Mr. Smith Goes to Washington continue to be such an influential movie today?

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington continues to be such an influential movie today because the movie is now revered as s symbol of what is possible in public service. It represents the ideal of how the American political system is supposed to work. Jimmy's character goes to Washington, sees what is wrong and does what he can to fix it. This is a Hollywood myth because there is seemingly always corruption in Washington, but that make the myth appealing because we are always hoping that if the right person comes along, such as Obama in 2008, he or she can fix things.

What is the "first battle of politics" that candidates must win? Why do politicians and causes try to attract the support of celebrities? What effect do celebrities have on a campaign or a cause?

Name recognition is the first battle of politics. Celebrities attract media attention, giving the politicians and causes they favor a higher level of exposure, raising awareness, and raising funds.

What type of program was common in the early days of talk radio? Briefly describe two examples of such programs.

National talk programs emerged in the 1930s and were common. One example of this program was religions; Father Charles Coughlin was a Catholic priest who would preach sermons on the air. Another example was FDR and his broadcasts of fireside chats, which were a series of discussions that dealt with economic issues.

Why have the networks limited their coverage of the national party conventions? Is this a positive or negative development, and why?

Networks came to regard the conventions as unnewsworthy and as mere attempts by the parties to get free advertising time. Some see this as a negative development because they believe we should be exposed to more of what the parties have to say about candidates if we are to choose between them wisely.

Who was Norman Corwin and why was he so well-regarded in the radio era? What is his most famous production?

Norman Corwin was a talk show host in the radio era and regarded as one of the most creative minds of the broadcast era. His most famous radio drama was called "On a Note of Triumph" and it played on the day that victory in Europe was declared in WW2.

In the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, both major party candidates raised money and campaigned online but, in both elections, the Obama campaign was especially innovative. Briefly describe two ways in which the Obama campaign was innovative.

Obama's campaign had an Obama '08 application for use on iPhones and iPod Touch machines that could be used by people to organize campaign events. They used social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter and constantly uploaded videos and advertisements to YouTube. In addition, the campaign of Barack Obama was incredibly innovative when it came to using the Internet, especially as a way to mobilize voters under the age of thirty, both for fund-raising and for other purposes. The Obama campaign used virtually every Internet-based platform available for campaign communications.

Describe the difference between leadership and representation, using the concepts of trustee and delegate.

Officials who are entrusted by voters to make the right decisions and to use their own judgment, while delegates are officials who make decisions based on what their constituents want. While it is our expectation to be led (which is a trustee's job), we also want to be represented

According to the Graber book, there are three major consequences of media-dominated politics for campaigns. In a sentence or two each, explain two of these consequences.

One consequence of media-dominated politics for campaigns are the powers of journalists to influence the selection of candidates where the media has the role of kingmaker. In addition, another consequence is the requirement for candidates to "televise well," where image has become more important than substance.

What does Patterson argue is the consequence of negative coverage of politics and politicians by the news media?

One consequence of negative coverage of politics and politicians by the news media is avoidance of the press by politicians. It hurts the candidates' ability to lead and is bad for democracy.

Things that we see regularly in our living rooms on television become familiar and acceptable to us. From the introduction to television in the commentary, list two examples.

One example of something we see on television that becomes familiar and acceptable to us was the show I Love Lucy. Arnaz's character spoke with a heavy Cuban accent, and the show featured the occasional joke about his accent. This had an impact on the viewers' willingness to accept immigrants. In addition, Ellen DeGeneres used her sitcom Ellen to come out of the closet. Since that time, gay characters have become more and more widely accepted.

There are several possible explanations presented in this lesson for the question of why political talk radio is dominated by conservative talk. What are those explanations?

One possibility, which doesn't seem likely as an explanation, is that there are simply more conservatives than liberals. Another explanation is that conservatives see a greater need for an alternate media, an alternate to the liberal mainstream media. A third explanation is that liberals' listening needs are served by NPR and ethnic radio for Latinos and African Americans.

What do the studies of Owen and Berry & Sobieraj conclude about the impact of political talk radio shows on their listeners? Be sure to explain your answer.

Owen and Berry & Sobieraj concluded that it is hard to say for certain what impact talk radio has on listeners because listeners are likely to seek out shows that espouse views with which they already agree.

What is the difference between parody and satire?

Parody is the imitation of something, perhaps by exaggerating a point or someone's characteristics, for comedic effect. Satire is comedy which holds an idea, a person, etc. up for ridicule, in order to make a political point through humor.

In their landmark study, Patterson and McClure came to different conclusions about the impact of television news media's coverage of political campaigns and the impact of campaign advertisements. What were the findings with regard to each of these?

Patterson and McClure concluded the impact of television news media coverage of political campaigns had an increased tendency among voters to view politics in the same terms that newscasts depict it. However, they found television ads were an effective tool for educating and concluding voters.

Patterson argues that campaign coverage falls into a few familiar storylines. List and briefly explain three of these.

Patterson describes campaign coverage as story lines. First, there is the losing ground storyline in which the news media give reasons why support is eroding. This is negative coverage. In addition, there is the likely loser storyline such as Bush in 1992. It is very negative. Finally, there is the front-runner storyline in which there is a candidate with a presumably safe lead, and it contains some positive elements.

Define "public opinion" and list its three component parts.

Public opinion is a collection of individual opinions, which are composed of attitudes (our likes and dislikes), beliefs (our ideas about how the world really is), and values (our feelings about how things ought to be).

Define "public opinion" and two of its three component parts.

Public opinion is a collection of individual opinions, which are composed of attitudes, beliefs, and values. Our attitudes are our likes and dislikes while our beliefs are our ideas about how the world really is.

What are question order effects? Give an example.

Question order is when the placement of a question can have a greater impact on the result than the particular choice of words used in the question. For instance, people were more likely to favor allowing gays marriage rights when this question was asked after one about whether they favored or opposed allowing gays to marry. Responses to the question about gay marriage, meanwhile, were not significantly affected by its placement before or after the legal agreements questions.

What are question-wording effects? Give an example of this effect

Question wording are the choice of words and phrases in a question that expresses the intent of the question so all the respondents interpret the question the same way. For example, in a January 2003 Pew Research survey, people were asked whether they would favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Hussein's rule. 68% favored military action while 25% opposed. However, when asked whether they would " favor or oppose taking military action in Iraq to end Hussein's rule even if it meant U.S. forces would suffer thousands of casualties," only 43% favored military action.

What are respondent problems? Give an example.

Respondent problems is the question of personal differences in construing the meaning of language. For example, the phrase "in the past few days" may mean three or four days to you, but it may mean a week to me.

What term did Saurette and Gunster coin for political talk radio?

Saurette and Gunster coined the term "argutainment" for political talk radio.

Why do televised debates not serve voters very well?

Televised debates do not serve voters very well because the news media tends to focus on the distracting, unimportant elements of politics that entertain rather than inform. Many of the things for which candidates are remembered rarely concerns matters of substance, and yet they have an influence on voters' choice.

What is one of the major causes of the dramatic increase in campaign spending in recent elections, besides increased spending by the candidates themselves?

Television has made it extremely expensive to run for nearly any political office due to media-related expenditures.

What is the Bradley effect? Using the research presented in the commentary, do you think the Bradley effect is a real phenomenon? Be sure to support your answer with the research presented in the commentary. There is not a right or wrong answer, but you must support your answer. Answers should be no longer than three to four sentences.

The Bradley effect is the theory that people give answers to surveys that make them seem more tolerant than they really are. I feel like the Bradley Effect is a real phenomenon. Some groups may want to promote a certain position or candidate, therefore they will tend to be misleading in order to influence public opinion in their favor.

What made The Great Dictator, an anti-Hitler movie, so controversial in the United States?

The Great Dictator was so controversial in the U.S. because what Chaplin viewed as actions in defense of democracy, others saw as a part of a media conspiracy led by Jews to force the U.S. into war.

When did the Hollywood movie industry begin censoring itself and why did it do so?

The Hollywood movie industry began censoring itself around 1915. It was a response to concerns about immorality on the screen.

In general, there are several political functions of the Internet for politicians and citizens. Briefly explain two of these.

The Internet can serve as campaign information as well as help with campaign fund-raising. People can go online for news, use the Internet to communicate with others about politics and the campaign, and get and send political information. The Internet can also be useful to gain Internet donations for campaigns.

What is the Republican Party planning for 2016 in order to make debates a more positive experience for candidates and voters?

The Republican Party has discussed the notion of keeping the number of debates much smaller in 2016 to avoid damaging the party.

What made the campaign of 1840 different from previous campaigns? What long-lasting traditions did it establish?

The campaign of 1840 was the first in which an effort was made to advertise a candidate nationally. The election established an array of campaign techniques such as buttons, banners, and slogans that dominated electoral politics for more than a hundred years.

What is the "daisy ad"? When did it run? Why is it so famous?

The ad is from President Johnson's 1964 campaign and played on perceptions of his opponent, Barry Goldwater, as a dangerous extremist. In the ad, a girl plucks the petals off a daisy as an announcer counts down to the final image, which is of a nuclear explosion. The ad is famous for being the first truly negative campaign television ad and because it made an effective attack on Goldwater without ever actually mentioning his name.

What dilemmas an important dilemma about the appropriate role of public opinion in a representative democracy?

The first is the question of leadership versus representation. Elected officials can see themselves as trustees or delegates. Trustees are officials who see it as their duty to do things they think are right, as opposed to things they think the voters want. They believe they were elected because people had faith in their judgment, and they behave accordingly. Delegates are officials who seek constant guidance from their constituents, relying heavily on public opinion.

According to Darrell M. West, there are four principles on which ads in political campaigns rely. Briefly list and explain these four principles

The four principles advertisers rely on to influence voters are stereotyping, association, demonization, and code words. Stereotyping is playing on commonly held ideas of what the Democratic and Republican Party stands for. Demonization is associating an opponent with something or someone negative. Association is almost the opposite, as it means trying to associate with someone or something in a positive way. Code words are easily remembered phrases that carry a larger message about the candidate or opponent.

What innovation made political talk radio a popular medium? What effect does talk radio have on listeners?

The innovation was the ability to let listeners call in. This makes listeners more interested because they feel like they are actively participating, even if they haven't actually called in themselves. Listening to talk radio makes people feel higher political efficacy and makes them more likely to participate in the political process.

What makes the media "ill-equipped to mediate elections?"

The media overestimate their ability to guide voters to assimilate new information, meaning that journalists think they are more capable of explaining what is going on than they really are.

Explain why the movie Birth of a Nation was so controversial. How did Woodrow Wilson get drawn into the controversy?

The movie Birth of a Nation, was so controversial because this was part of a trilogy which was intended to show the alleged injustices of the Reconstruction for the White South. The stink of racism clung to the movie as it gave a heroic role to the Ku Klux Klan. Wilson got drawn into the controversy because Wilson screened it at the White House for his family. Apparently he endorsed this movie as truth.

What effect did the movie, The China Syndrome, in combination with the accident at Three Mile Island, have on the nuclear power industry?

The movie The China Syndrome had a political and public policy impact. The movie coincided with America's single largest nuclear energy accident at Three Mile Island. The coincidence of a movie and a real world event brought the discussion of nuclear energy as a viable option to a close for decades in the U.S.

Based on the discussion of his films in the commentary, what effect did the roles played by Sidney Poitier have on the civil rights movement?

The movies Sidney Poitier were in all featured, in one way or another, a black character or the development of positive relations between black characters and white characters.

Why, according to Patterson, are journalists the problem when it comes to campaign promises by candidates?

The news media have a negative impact on the kind of candidates we get to choose from. The candidates who do run don't lie about promises; rather, they make promises they shouldn't and then must try to keep them. A campaign should unify people behind the candidate, but the media are ill suited to do this.

The lesson discusses an intangible, or unmeasurable, problem that makes it very difficult to have faith in the representativeness of samples, even if the sample is drawn very carefully. Explain this problem.

The sampling error within subsets may be substantially higher, especially for the smaller groups within the sample. Each of these demographic subgroups is smaller than the sample as a whole, and we know that the smaller the group, the higher the sampling error. When we break down the polling data about how certain people feel about certain candidates, the results are less accurate than they are for the whole sample.

What are two of the three goals of a nominating process which, Patterson argues, the press are not fulfilling?

The three goals of a nominating process is producing good candidates, legitimacy in a fair process, and the process should strengthen the political party as an instrument of governance.

There are two key Supreme Court decisions which deal with the idea of censoring movies. Name the two cases and briefly explain the decisions in each of them.

The two key Supreme Court decisions which deal with the idea of censoring movies are the Mutual Film Corporation v. Ohio (1915) and Burstyn v. Wilson. In the first case, the court found that the movie industry was a business, like any other for-profit business, and therefore was not entitled to the special protections of the First Amendment. In the second case, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a NY state law allowing for the banning of movies which were deemed to be sacrilegious.

What are the two standard ways to think of politics in Hollywood?

The two standard ways to think of politics in Hollywood are people in the industry have political points of view they want to promote and the movie industry, as an industry, is interested in the policies passed by state and federal governments in terms of how those policies affect the movie industry.

What are nonattitudes and what is problematic about the way survey takers attempt to alleviate them?

The way survey takers attempt to alleviate nonattitudes is problematic because they can produce a misleading portrait of public opinion if treated as real opinions.

Why is it possible that the days of accurate phone polling are coming to an end?

There are a few reasons, most of which relate to the fact that fewer people have landlines. Law prevents the use of random digit dialing for cell phones, which makes it more time consuming and expensive to get an accurate sample. Caller id and number portability make this problem even bigger.

In addition to celebrities who get involved in politics by helping politicians run for office, the commentary discusses two other types of politically active celebrities. Briefly describe these two types and give an example of each.

There are celebrities who act as spokespersons for political causes and celebrities who decide to run for office and become celebrity officeholders. Celebrities who act as spokespersons, for example, is Martin Sheen who regularly appears on the media talking about the environment and foreign policy. An example of a celebrity officeholder would be Arnold Schwarzenegger who served as governor of California from 2003 through the beginning of 2011.

What does it mean to say that the communications marketplace is fragmented?

There are many more choices available to media consumers now than there used to be: besides the print media, there are network television, cable television, satellite television, radio, and the Internet. This complicates the task of campaigners as they design their strategies to reach out to as many voters as possible.

What are some potential problems with surveys?

There are problems of intent (what was the purpose for taking the survey in the first place?); problems with questions (the wording and order of questions can affect responses); sampling problems (did the survey researcher properly sample the population he or she was hoping to measure? Is the sample representative of the population?); interviewer problems (the way an interviewer asks questions can affect results, as can the ethnicity and gender of the interviewer); and respondent problems (people can base their answers on nonattitudes, lie to avoid looking bad, and interpret the questions differently than others).

What variables determine the effectiveness of a campaign commercial?

There are three categories of variables that determine ads' effectiveness. (a) The conditions of the race: Are the candidates both unknown? Is one a well-known incumbent? Ads are usually more effective for lesser-known candidates because they help to form people's impressions (good or bad) of the candidate. (b) The candidates' advertising strategies: Candidates have many strategic decisions to make about their ad campaigns. They need to decide how many ads to run, what type of ads to run, when to run them, and how often to run them. The goal is to get specific messages to specific constituencies in today's fragmented communications marketplace. This means that the candidate has to pick the right media outlet and the right times of day to reach the desired constituents. (c) The third category is the content and tone of the ad. The research is a bit confusing on this. Research by Iyengar and others indicates that negative ads turn people off and cause them not to vote. However, more recent research, such as the journal article by Goldstein and Freedman, indicates that negative ads have a stimulating effect on turnout.

How did the films of Sidney Poitier contribute to the achievements of the civil rights movement?

These movies all featured, in one way or another, acceptance of a black character, or the development of positive relations between black characters and white characters. In the movie In the Heat of the Night, the chief of police and Poitier's character didn't become friends, but at the end, the chief has respect for Poitier's ability as a professional.

West suggests there are four principles advertisers rely upon to influence voters. Briefly explain each of the four.

They are: principles of stereotyping, association, demonization, and code words. Stereotyping refers to playing on commonly held ideas of what Democrats and Republicans stand for. Demonization refers to trying to associate an opponent with something (or someone) negative. Association means trying to associate, in a positive way, with something or someone. Code words refers to short, easily remembered phrases that carry larger messages about the candidate or her opponent.

How do Delli Carpini and Williams justify paying more attention to entertainment media as sources of political information?

They argue that too much attention is paid to traditional news. Traditional news has been, in part, discredited. In addition, they argue that politically relevant communication is any information which makes a difference to people, which informs people, which has an influence on people.

Why do the movie and television industries self-censor?

They do this in order to prevent the government from getting in the business of censoring. This has happened time after time in the history of movies and television, starting with the efforts of the movie producers to put an end to censorship by local and state censorship boards in the 1920s.

What is the consequence of negative press coverage for politicians?

They seek to avoid the news media, making it difficult for the media to cover. This leads to resentment and more negative coverage. It is a vicious cycle.

Candidates have become increasingly reliant on the Internet in their campaigns. What are two main uses of the Internet by candidates?

They use the Internet for the distribution of campaign information. They also use the Internet for fund-raising.

There are three themes Patterson uses to analyze the media. Briefly, what are these three themes?

Three important themes Patterson uses to analyze the media are that journalistic values and political values are at odds with one another, which results in a news agenda that misrepresents what is at stake in the choice among the candidates. In addition, journalistic values introduce an element of random partisanship into the campaign, which coincidentally works to the advantage of one side or another. Finally, election news, rather than serving to bring candidates and voters together, drives a wedge between them.

Do you think that negative ads are good or bad for voters? There is no right or wrong answer here, you just need to make your answer based on what you have learned about negative ads. Keep your answer to three or four sentences, maximum.

To me, I feel like negative ads are good for voters. This generation tends to focus more on the entertainment culture of the world, and I feel like these ads can be used as a channel to get people more interested in the political world. For example, take the 2016 presidential campaign. More and more people who have never even voted or paid attention to politics before are now due to the unbelievable moves Trump has made. While this is not necessarily the most ideal way to bring more attention to U.S. politics, it does get people more involved and raise their voices.

Why are party conventions and candidates' debates not very useful for citizens who want to make an informed choice on Election Day?

Truth tests are the news media's analyses of the accuracy of campaign commercials. They provide a positive service when they correct inaccuracies. But they can also have negative effects. On the one hand, they give free airplay to the ads they are examining, thus reinforcing negative or inaccurate messages. On the other hand, they may analyze ads out of context or in too narrow a context, thus providing an unfair critique. They may also focus only on what is said, paying little attention to the visuals, which can be the most important part of the ad.

What are truth tests and what are Patterson's critiques of them?

Truth tests are when the news media subject ads to analysis of whether or not what is said is true or not. Patterson suggests the problem with truth tests are that they that labels such as Fact or Fiction falsely imply that the press has a firm handle on the truth and this form of reporting compels reporters to search continually for suitable material, resorting to minor problems.

Who was the first major Hollywood player to get deeply involved in political advocacy?

Upton Sinclair was one of the first major examples of heavy Hollywood involvement. Sinclair was an author who exposed corruption in various aspects of American life. He was most known for his book, The Jungle, which purported Congress to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.

What does it mean to say that some polls try to measure opinion while others try to collect opinion? What is a push poll? Is it used to measure or collect opinion?

While some polls try to objectively measure opinion to genuinely see what the people are thinking, other polls collect opinions so they can use their poll results as a larger public relations campaign. Push polls are designed to "push" people to think or answer in a certain way. This is used to collect opinion because push polls are not objective, as they indirectly influence the way a person answers.

Based on the studies discussed in the commentary, does negative advertising seem most likely to stimulate or decrease voter participation in elections?

While there are some studies, such as Iyengar and Ansolabehere, suggest that negative ads depress voter turnout, most of the recent studies show that negative advertising has a positive impact on voter turnout.

Candidates face four key choices when designing ads and buying television time. In one sentence each, what are these four key choices?

the four key choices candidates face when designing ads and buying television time are deciding how many issues to emphasize, deciding whether to go on the attack, deciding how often to broadcast certain messages, and choosing a proper mix of national and local ad buys.