Selection and presentation of the media:

Question 1

How is the news selectively chosen?

Answer 1

not everything that happens become news - gatekeepers like editors and journalists, gatekeepers decide what is newsworthy, has enough to attract an audience

Question 2

how do media owners influence output?

Answer 2

concerned about profit, iraq war, spread dominant ideology, profits = run by large businesses to make money - bagdikian, concerns shareholders

Question 3

how does citizen journalism affect selection and presentation/

Answer 3

NM avaliable 24 hours a day, media companies have to be up to date to compete, Constraints of the organisation = cannot keep up with price, change how they select news, able to show breaking news, facts may not be checked properly

Agenda Setting = provide info and can only release what they know about, greater power, open for public decision. Gatekeeping = refuse to let others it, dont report what would damage dominant ideology i.e. tax evasion,

Question 4

What is norm setting?

Answer 4

mass media reinforces conformity to social norms and social alienates those that don’t conform.

Question 5

How is the media presented?

Answer 5

inaccurate and false reporting- exaggerate etc, IPSO prevents this, can lead to moral panics = mods and rockers, riots - recent event.

Question 6

give examples of how newsworthiness affects selection and presentation of the news?

Answer 6

negativity - bad news is always reported, death violence etc, encourages journalists to report the event ,,, proximity - events in britian seen as more meaningful e,g. burton news, ,,, personalisation - linked to individuals given a human interest angle, can relate it to their life,,,, threshold - considered large and significant have an impact, sing rape/serial rapist. unexpectedness - out of ordinary i..e snow, meaningfullness - interest of to the audience, elite nations = US, immediacy - present at the events, prove live coverage i.e. reporting live.

Question 7

What is churnalism?

Answer 7

process where journalists produce news based on pre-packaged press-releases from government spin doctors, public relations consultants or news agencies without doing independent research or even checking their facts., comes from second hand stories, dont investigate, wrong and biased.

Question 8

is news propoganda? Herman and Chomsky

Answer 8

news is shaped by the powerful which is news propoganda, structural factors have power to define and explain news for profit. Marxists: social construct - deflects interest away from RC.
ideologically conditions, tax evasion and benefit fraud. Pluralists: it is not always in the hands of the powerful - journalists expose injustice - partygate.

Question 9

How is the news socially constructed?

Answer 9

agenda setting - tell us what to believe
need to attract readers for a profit
citizen journalism = social construct = interpret second hand data wrong
dont want to offend anyone - gate keeping