...notion that a free media, and thus the flow of free information are necessary prerequisites to a functioning democracy. However, over time changes in the nature of mass media in the United States have lead to issues in the system that have raised questions as to the relationship between media and democracy. The concentration of media outlets in several seemingly omni-powerful conglomerates has made the media market less competitive than ever before, which has, in turn, had negative effects on the media in its capacity educator and informer. News outlets have moved farther and farther from political centricity, all while programming has been adjusted in an effort to maximize profit. The sum of these changes has been an increasingly skeptical public and an increasingly inhibitory media. Still, media output only matters because it bears significant influence on its audience. In the United States today the media plays a larger role than perhaps ever before. American households spend such a significant amount of time in the exposure of media that it is inevitable that they will be influenced by the media in some capacity. Furthermore, as the media has traditionally been relied upon as a sort of educator for the American public, the information delivered by the media carries significant powers of persuasion. For these reasons, it is necessary to consider and information that is transmitted from traditional mass media sources. Nevertheless, the role of the media is certainly not...
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...AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Citizen Participation: Chapters 7 – 12 “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” 32nd four-term (1933-1945) U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt In this great democracy, the United States of America, there are twin pillars of our free society: individual freedoms and citizen participation. Chapters seven through twelve addresses citizen participation. Democracy is a political (governmental) system that began in ancient Greece. The early Greeks believed that all eligible voters not should, but must participate in government for there to truly be a system reflecting the will of its people. Although today few if any democracies have full participation, citizen involvement in politics is paramount. It is essential. Chapters seven through twelve examines the history, reasons and ways that citizens participate in American Democracy. Citizen participation is “front and center” in any democracy. Voting is among the many ways citizens can participate in their democracy. Voting is essential because it determines who will govern and control a society. Today across America we witness the rewrite of voting laws. Many state general assemblies/legislatures are passing laws that are viewed as restricting the “right to vote.” Such laws may require proof of personal identification when voting or prohibiting voting on Sundays. However...
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...Chapter 6 The media, government accountability, and citizen engagement Katrin Voltmer The past two decades or so have seen an unprecedented spread of democracy around the globe. With the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the end of the Cold War, the ‘third wave’ of democratization, which started in the early seventies, now encompasses countries in Asia and Africa.1 And even in states whose governments continue to resist a more open and participatory form of governance, such as North Korea, Burma or Zimbabwe, the idea of democracy is a powerful force that inspires people to take on a more active role in public life. However, many of the newly emerging democracies seem to fall short of some, often many, of the basic standards that define democratic rule, with irregular voting procedures, corruption, inefficiency and autocratic styles of government being but a few of the maladies. In addition, as many of the newly emerging democracies belong to the developing world, inequality and poverty remain severe obstacles to full self‐determination of the people. The experiences of the past decades have shown that democracy is not a one‐way road and that a viable democracy requires more than the implementation of the key institutions of government. Rather, an accountable and efficient government is embedded in a complex web of interdependent conditions that ...
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...Political Knowledge: Voter Information and the Democratic Citizen Many Americans proudly assert that the “American Experiment” has been a success. The optimistic and patriotic American will point to the “stability” and strength of the country's democratic institutions upheld by the United States Constitution as proof that the democratic notions and principles that were envisioned by the Founding Fathers continue to flourish to this day. A pessimistic individual on the other hand may easily point out that the current political climate exemplifies the decline of civic responsibility, and ultimately, the decline of democratic rule. In Washington, politicians are split along partisan lines, battling one another on decisive and controversial issues such as raising the debt limit, balancing the budget, and health care reform. While politicians carefully calculate the potential consequences of their decisions, the same battles are being waged ferociously on other fronts by the media and other self-interested groups. Ultimately, the results of these policy decisions depend on which party could convince the American public of what is in their best collective interest. This is precisely the nature of politics and democracy, and neither one is always fair. In a world where interest groups and lobbies have tremendous sway and influence over those in power, and when media reporting of the issues lacks fairness and accuracy, it should be the citizen's duty and responsibility to ensure that...
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...means that social organizations such as family or community are not people, they are organizations, or patterns, of views and actions by people, which are approved by people. (Long 2007) There are three classical sociological perspectives, one very different from the other in order to understand society: Conflict perspective: Analyses the differences between the oligarchy and the working class, stating that society’s changes and interactions are related to numerous conflicts. (Stephen 2007) Functionalist perspective: Looks at behaviours and find their reasons on exterior factors and not on the individual itself, and argues that several features of social conduct add to the living and expanding of society and its organizations. Symbolic Interaction perspective: Positions that to understand society its necessary to understand the connotation of people’s actions and beliefs. At the moment of discussing society and its organizations, despite the sociological perspective used there are interconnected factors to be considered: Technology, politics, economy, values and beliefs. (Ray 2007) In the critical essay The Crisis of Public Values in the Age of the New Media, Henry A. Giroux’s discourse on the control of large corporations over the economy and how this affects the values of democracy, having as a result an individualistic attitude of the American people towards important factors that affect them as a society. Giroux explores the different uses of new media and its relation...
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...Media hold a privileged place in American society. They are central to the operation of our democracy and have great influence over the way we live our lives. The news that is chosen and the way it is depicted control how we perceive and learn about each other, both within our country and among the rest of the world. Unfortunately, it is impossible to deny that bias exists in the media and drastically alters public perception of current events. However, the presence of bias both in media and among the public is often unintentional. While bias may always exist to some extent, these biases are not detrimental to the well-being of our society if a free “Marketplace of Ideas” is supported and encouraged. Though my roommate is correct in saying that journalists may exhibit bias in their writing, bias often exists unintentionally, even when means are taken to prevent it. Media scholars have deemed this the “Theory of Unintended News Distortion”. As Herbert Gans describes in Deciding What’s News, “As long as their intent is to exclude conscious personal values, then opinions become ‘subjective reactions’ which follow from objectively...
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...without even glancing at the substance of the article. Articles carry various clues throughout their passages that can easily help distinguish whether they are credible or not. As social media has grown, it has become less and less automatic for a person to take the time to read through substantial information. If I were to help a person spot fake news, I would help them question and go through the process of examining the article’s substance. Just reading through an...
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...Lippman – Public Opinion (excerpt from Media Control – Noam Chomsky) • Concept of Manufacturing Consent – Noam Chomsky o Excerpts form the book - Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky • Case studies o WMD i.e. Weapons of Mass Destruction being used repeatedly by media • Situation in India o Media focusing on Scams repeatedly and not giving due importance to the other relevant news. • Conclusion Introduction The power of the news media to set a nation’s agenda, to focus public attention on a few key public issues, is an immense and well-documented influence. Not only do people acquire factual information about public affairs from the news media, readers and viewers also learn how much importance to attach to a topic on the basis of the emphasis placed on it in the news. Newspapers provide a host of cues about the salience of the topics in the daily news – lead story on page one, other front page display, large headlines, etc. Television news also offers numerous cues about salience – the opening story on the newscast, length of time devoted to the story, etc. These cues repeated day after day effectively communicate the importance of each topic. In other words, the news media can set the agenda for the public’s attention to that small group of issues around which public opinion forms. Origin and History Agenda setting describes a very powerful influence of the media – the ability to tell us what issues...
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...Elitism in American Politics Elitism is the belief or philosophy that a particular group of persons with exceptional abilities, specialized training or experience, wealth, or other unique characteristics, are the people whose interpretations on different matters are to be taken most seriously. More simply, some believe these people are best fit to administer or whose understandings or actions are mostly likely to be beneficial and profitable. Otherwise, the term elitism could be used to pronounce a condition in which power is in fact focused in the hands of an elite, whether rightly or wrong. Pluralism, in a rather general sense, is the acceptance and approval of diversity. The concept is used in a wide variety of issues and sometimes in many different ways. In politics, the support of diversity in the benefits and beliefs of the community is one of the most imperative aspects of today’s democracy. In science, this idea defines many different philosophies, approaches and points of view that can be deemed legitimate and/or credible. This outlook may perhaps be the central element to major scientific advancements. It is believed that elitism best describes modern American politics. American politics can best be agreed that a large amount of political power is held by a relatively small, yet wealthy group of people that share similar interests and views, and more than likely coming from fairly comparable fortunate families and upbringings. Most of this country’s top leaders in...
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...PO 201 – American Constitution Oct 15, 2012 1. The most general definition of politics would be the process by which values are authoritatively allocated for a particular society. More specifically that allocation speaks to the process where it is decided when, what, who, and how resources are distributed. Many would say that politics is no more than the art of governing humanity through deception, and some would even go as far as to say it is nothing more than conducting public affairs for private gain. Government has numerous roles but four of the major areas are paramount. Manage the national economy. It is the responsibility of the government to place checks and balances within the system to make sure the economy remains viable. The government also has the responsibility to enforce laws and contracts. This could be as simple as managing disputes between private citizens (civil or criminal) or as major as the Supreme Court hearing arguments between the states. Another major area where government is involved are issues of public safety and infrastructure. The upkeep of roads and bridges, regulation of utilities and public services, and public health standard guidelines are roles of the government. One of the most obvious and expensive roles of the government is national defense. The Constitution speaks to the issue of raising an army and navy (doesn’t say exactly how) and it is the expectation of the people that the government will provide for them an...
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...Social Media vs. Freedom of Speech Since the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, freedom of speech has been a hallmark of American democracy and freedom. Obviously the U.S. in 2014 is a radically different place from the nation the Founders knew. Yet, the U.S. is governed essentially by the same Constitution adopted in 1787. There have been times when our freedom of speech was tested. The Alien and Sedition Act of 1790 prevented writing against the government and newspapers were censored during the Civil War, but these were later struck down in favor of freedom of speech. The lines seemed fairly well drawn until 10 years ago when people could express themselves freely, publicly, and privately if it was not slander. The growth and scope of social media has challenged this. To remain true to our democratic fathers, there must be a stand against denials of free speech and the ability to express opinions on all manner of subjects. In the early 2000’s employers began to look at employees posts online and to fire or not hire because of what was said in a private chat. There has always been bullying especially in the teen years. Young people who were harassed could go home and escape the taunts. They were safe until school the next day. Since the advent of social media, there is not even a safe haven at home or on holiday or at night. Text messaging, tweets, and facebook are invasive every minute of the day. There is no escape for the bullied child. Some teens have been unable...
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...| Course Syllabus College of Humanities HUM/186 Version 3 Media Influences on American Culture WCFYS0712 | Copyright © 2012, 2011, 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Start Date: Tuesday, 8/28/2012 Week 2: Tuesday, 9/4/2012 Week 3: Tuesday, 9/11/2012 Week 4: Tuesday, 9/18/2012 Week 5: Tuesday, 9/25/2012 Course End Date: Tuesday, 9/25/2012 Facilitator Information Ststeve Headley sheadley@email.phoenix.edu (University of Phoenix faculty) Steve.Headley@phoenix.edu (work) 727-642-4993 (cell) 513-551-5144 (Work) Course Description The course provides an introduction to the most prominent forms of media that influence and impact social, business, political, and popular culture in contemporary America. It explores the unique aspects of each medium as well as interactions across various media that combine to create rich environments for information sharing, entertainment, business, and social interaction in the United States and around the world. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are...
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...Effects of Mass Media on American Culture Have you ever imagined your life before you discovered things like Facebook and your cellular device? Many of us couldn’t fathom such a thing as much as most of us would hate to admit it we have created a dependency on the different forms of social media today. The past century gave birth to what is known as the electronic phase which then led to the informational phase and of course it began with the television. After the creation of the television a way was paved which led to computers, smart devices, and satellites and then there was the digital era or what we call the internet today. The internet has given a form of unforeseen power to an everyday person without the need to of a huge company to portray their views and opinions. Blogging has become more common and television stations or professional publishers no longer have complete control of the information that is given to the general society. Social networking makes keeping in touch with friends and family more convenient by allowing one to communicate with a few clicks and at the touch of a keyboard. These particular developments have influenced American culture tremendously. People became more independent after the print era was introduced and the dependency of teachers and old storytellers lessened allowing one to research and form an opinion based on the outpour of available information. Then there was the telegraph, which made communicating instant. Instead of writing...
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...Media in the 20th Century John D. Allmon COM/156 March 3, 2013 Carey Rodriquez ------------------------------------------------- Media in the 20th Century I. To fully understand mass media, we need to come to grips with the enormous role that mass media has played in shaping that culture over the past one hundred years. With the development and evolution of mass media, there have been tremendous advantages and disadvantages that have contributed to major changes in society throughout the 20th century. However, these changes not only affect society but it has also affected the way business is done today. With the dawn of media convergence, globalization of media, audience dependency, concentration of ownership, and issue of media literacy; all the parties in the mass communication process are forced to think dramatically about their positions in it. Mass media can affect knowledge, attitudes, opinions and behavior of individuals. These effects can be immediate or delayed, for a short duration or long-lasting. II. With the development and evolution of media, we find that media convergence and media dependency have become a major factor in how society is affected and the way we respond throughout our everyday life. Encyclopedia Britannica (2013) states that, “Media convergence, a phenomenon involving the interlocking of computing, and technology information companies, telecommunications networks, and content providers from the publishing worlds of newspapers...
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...Alexander Hamilton: The Founding Father of Elite Democracy In America today, there is a constant battle going on that is unbeknownst to the general public. It has been going on in America since the foundations of this country. However, the weapons in this war are not guns; it is the political influence that won this kind of war. The war is between the two types of democracy, elite and popular. Popular democracy is defined as, “a political system in which the people are involved as much as possible in making the decisions that affect their lives” (Miroff). On the other hand, elite democracy is defined as, “a political system in which elites acquire the power to decide by a free and fair competition for the people’s votes (Miroff).” The two types of democracy contradict each other, and since the founding of the country has been struggling to gain an edge over the other. However, in the United States, this started with the Federalists, who supported elite democracy, and the Anti-Federalists, who supported popular democracy. The Federalist Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison were put against the Anti-Federalist Samuel Adams, James Monroe, and Thomas Jefferson. Alexander Hamilton was a...
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