Politics of Journalism

General

This course studies the linkages between the media and political figures.  It asks:

• Who runs the media?

• How is new technology reshaping American journalism?

• How do political figures try to spin the news?

• How do press coverage and advertising affect political behavior and public policy?

• Do the mass media have a political or social bias?

• What ethical standards should journalists observe?

Classes  

Class sessions will include lecture and discussion.  Finish each week's readings before the class because our discussions will involve those readings.  Do not assume that your instructor agrees with everything in the assigned readings, or that you must do so.  Feel free to agree or disagree with any of the material, provided that you can back up what you say.

We shall discuss breaking stories, so you should read newspapers or on-line news sources every day.   

Remember that the blog is on the open Internet. Post nothing that would look bad to a potential employer.

Grades  

• The papers will develop your research and writing skills.  In grading your papers, I will take account of the quality of your writing, applying the principles of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. If you object to this approach, do not take this course, or anything else that I teach.

• The exam will test your comprehension of course information and concepts.

• Class participation will hone your ability to think on your feet, as I shall call on students at random.  If you often miss class or fail to prepare, your grade will suffer.  Because we have a take-home exam instead of a sit-down, I shall use the cold calls to judge how well you are keeping up with the material.  If you object to this approach, do not take this course.  I also expect you to post relevant material to the blog.

• As a courtesy to your fellow students, please arrive on time, and refrain from eating in class.  I reserve the right to withhold class handouts from latecomers.  Check due dates for coursework and the exam. Arrange your schedule accordingly.  Do not plan on extensions.     Plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty will result in referral to the Academic Standards Committee.  See: http://writing.claremontmckenna.edu/plagiarism.asp

Required Books 

• W. Joseph Campbell, Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported Stories in American Journalism (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010).

• Tim Groseclose, Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind (New York: St. Martin's, 2011).   

• Shanto Iyengar, Media Politics: A Citizen's Guide, 2d ed. (New York: Norton, 2011).

• Gary Lee Malecha and Daniel J. Reagan, The Public Congress: Congressional Deliberation in a New Media Age (New York: Routledge, 2012).

• Jay Root, Oops: A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail (Byliner, 2012) -- ebook, available online, not at Huntley.

Schedule (subject to change, with advance notice). 

Jan 23: Introduction   

“But, that's all right, it's okay. You can look the other way. We can try to understand The New York Times’ effect on man.”  -- The Bee Gees      

Jan 28, 30: Media History I

Charles Foster Kane: Read the cable. 
Bernstein: "Girls delightful in Cuba. Stop. Could send you prose poems about scenery, but don't feel right spending your money. Stop. There is no war in Cuba, signed Wheeler." Any answer? 
Charles Foster Kane: Yes. "Dear Wheeler: you provide the prose poems. I'll provide the war."

• Campbell, ch. 1-5.

Feb 4, 6: Media History II

“Don't look at the camera! Just go by -- like you're fighting!” -- Francis Ford Coppola in Apocalypse Now  

“The troops landing in Somalia yesterday jumped from their rubber boats and headed into the dunes -- and into the glare of television lights.   More than 75 reporters and camera crews were waiting on the beach with microphones on and videotape rolling.” New York Times, 12/9/92.  

• Campbell, ch. 6-10.

FIRST ESSAY ASSIGNED FEBRUARY 6, DUE FEBRUARY 20

Feb 11, 13:  Ownership and Regulation of the Media  

"Imagine a world without free knowledge." -- Wikipedia, January 18, 2012

• Iyengar, ch. 1-2

• Frederick Schauer, "The Exceptional First Amendment," Kennedy School of Government Working Paper No. RWP05-02, February 2005, at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=668543

Feb 18, 20: Organization, and Operating Procedure     

It's simple television economics, Kyle. All it takes to kill a show forever is get one episode pulled. If we convince the network to pull this episode for the sake of Muslims, then the Catholics can demand a show they don't like get pulled. And then people with disabilities can demand another show get pulled. And so on and so on, until Family Guy is no more! It's exactly what happened to Laverne & Shirley." -- Eric Cartman

• Iyengar, ch. 3, 5

• Jodi Enda, "Politico, Act II," American Journalism Review, December 2011/January 2012, at http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=5192

• Jodi Enda, "Retreating from the World," American Journalism Review, December/January 2011, at http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4985 -- also see "Related Reading"

Feb 25, 27:  Reporting

-- CNN, June 28, 2012

• Iyengar, ch. 4.

• "Truth in the Age of Social Media," Nieman Reports, Summer 2012, at http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/issue/100072/Summer-2012.aspx

• Play the "Be a Reporter" game at http://www.newsu.org/courses/be-reporter-game. Registration is free but necessary.  Email your course report to me when you have finished.

SECOND ESSAY ASSIGNED FEBRUARY 27, DUE MARCH 13

Mar 4, 6: Public Opinion and Advocacy

"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." -- Saul Alinsky

• Iyengar, ch. 8

• Anthony Downs, "Up and Down with Ecology: The Issue-Attention Cycle," The Public Interest 28 (Summer 1972): 38-50, at  http://www.nationalaffairs.com/doclib/20080527_197202804upanddownwithecologytheissueattentioncycleanthonydowns.pdf

• Occupy Chicago Press Committee, "Occupy the Media! Press Relations 101," https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bxk-IFKPn2ujRExnQmJzY2hTd3l2Y0Q1S05HR0NQUQ/edit?pli=1

Mar 11, 13:  News and Governing I

"In this town, you're either a source or a target." -- Robert D. Novak  

• Iyengar, ch. 7, 10

• Robert D. Novak, The Prince of Darkness (New York: Crown Forum, 2007), 359-390.

Mar 18, 20: Spring Break

Mar 25, 27:  News and Governing II

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around    -- Don Henley, “Dirty Laundry” 

• Malecha, ch. 1-4

SIX-PAGE ESSAY ASSIGNED MARCH 25, DUE APRIL 10

Apr 1, 3:  News and Governing III

"When I turned on my computer this morning, I had over two million unique visitors all looking for the truth." -- Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) in Contagion

• Malecha, ch. 5-8.

• Helena Bottemiller, "Safe at the Plate?" Columbia Journalism Review, January 2, 2013, at http://www.cjr.org/cover_story/safe_at_the_plate.php

• Mark Lisheron, "Reloading at the Statehouse," American Journalism Review, September 2010, at http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=4908

Apr 8, 10: Campaigns I

"I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman."  -- Mitt Romney on a 2008 debate with a YouTube question about global warming from a snowman.

• Iyengar, ch. 6, 9.

• Project for Excellence in Journalism, "Winning the Media Campaign 2012," November 2, 2012, http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/winning_media_campaign_2012

Apr 15, 17: Campaigns II

"Best-case case scenario: That dude's hammered. Worse-case scenario: That is Perry sober and every time we've seen him previously, he's been hammered. Or there is one other explanation: Rick Perry just got back from the dentist." - Jon Stewart, commenting on a YouTube video of the Texas governor.

• Root, all.

Apr 22, 24:  Bias I

"The press is the enemy." -- Richard M. Nixon

• Groseclose, ch. 1-8

• "Review Symposium: Does the US Media Have a Liberal Bias?" Perspectives on Politics 10 (September 2012): 767-785.

TAKE-HOME FINAL ASSIGNED APRIL 22, DUE MAY 8.

Apr 29, May 1:  Bias II

 “I’m not going to sit here and complain about coverage of the campaign because, as a candidate, if you do that, you’re losing.” -- Chris Christie

• Groseclose, ch. 9-17.

May 6, 8;  Bias III, Summing Up

• Groseclose, ch. 18-22

• Iyengar, ch. 11.