Week 1

Question 1

front door

Answer 1

Powerful political actors are always relevant, easily get media coverage and they get positive media coverage

Question 2

back door

Answer 2

Less powerful actors need to make themselves interesting somehow
(e.g., violence, nakedness, (internal) conflict)

Question 3

what is power? ability of a person to…

Answer 3

…Force a certain outcome (Dahl, 1957)
…Set the agenda (Bachratz/Baratz, 1962)
…Set the frame / influence preferences (Luke, 1974)

Question 4

what is politics?

Answer 4

…About the allocation of scarce resources
…And setting generally binding norms (laws)
…That can be enforced with organized violence

Question 5

why do journalists need politicians?

Answer 5

Information – politicians often only source of information
Legitimacy – politician is accepted/authoritative source
Impact – plans of politician can impact daily life

Question 6

Competitive symbiosis between journalist and politician

Answer 6

each side of the relationship attempts to exploit the other while expanding a minimum amount of cost. Each side has assets needed by the other to succeed in its respective role” (= journalists and politicians depend on each other, but have diverging interests)

Question 7

indexing theory - W. Lance Bennett

Answer 7

Sources and views in media are indexed:

Journalists mostly cite dominant actors and use dominant views/frames

Question 8

spheres of consensus - Daniel C. Hallin

Answer 8

Three concentric ‘spheres’ of discourse
1. Consensus - broad (assumed) agreement (own growth, achievements)
Journalist as cheerleader
2. Legitimate Controversy - (political) debate possible (windmills, tax decrease)
Journalist as neutral/objective
3. Deviance - outside debate / taboo (aims of terrorists, own war crimes)
Ignored by journalist

Question 9

what does losing control over the political environment mean?

Answer 9

1. Losing control over the flow of events
2. Losing control over the flow of information
3. Losing control over the (elite/mass) consensus

Question 10

PMP cycle

Answer 10

P: changes in politics/elite consensus
M: lead to changes in media coverage
P: which magnifies/accelerates the change

Question 11

Mediatization

Answer 11

a long-term process of increase in the importance of the media and its spill-over effects on political processes, institutions, and actors

Question 12

3 constituents of media logic

Answer 12

1. professionalism
2. commercialism
3. media technology

Question 13

3 constituents of political logic

Answer 13

1. polity
2. policy
3. politics

Question 14

self-mediatization

Answer 14

politicians adapt to media logic by making their actions or views more newsworthy
“A process whereby politicians tailor their message offerings to perceived news values, newsroom routines, and journalism cultures prevalent in their societies”

Question 15

civil obedience

Answer 15

A strategy weaker groups can that contain drama but doesn’t take away all legitimacy - turning yourself into the victim

Question 16

four goals political movements try to achieve where new media could be useful

Answer 16

1. Help mobilize their cause
2. Help messages appear in traditional media and spread message
3. Have an influence on the audience
4. Have an impact on politics

Question 17

Slacktivism

Answer 17

slacker + activism = people carry out digital activities that make them feel good about themselves, but they have no real impact

Question 18

Narrowcasting (derived from broadcasting)

Answer 18

you can only read about issues that are published

Question 19

Three things that indicate the success of a leader’s political control

Answer 19

(1) the extent to which they are able to control important events, (2) the ability of authorities to take control over the flow of information, and (3) how much leaders are able to mobilize a broad consensus in support of their policies, especially among the elite