Contents Foreword 15 Introduction 18 Chapter 1: How Does Media Bias Influence Politics? Chapter Preface 24 A Liberal Media Bias Demonizes 27 Conservative Values William F. Jasper The mainstream media is full of stories portraying conservatives as right-wing extremists and highlighting episodes of violence connected to conservative causes, but there is seldom mention of left-wing violence. Conservatives are often smeared as anti-government, racist, and hateful, and the latest example of this is the treatment given to the Tea Party movement, which many journalists portray as extremist and racist. A Conservative Media Bias Tilts 38 Government Policies to the Right E.J. Dionne Jr. Right-wing commentators, such as Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich, are much more successful at getting their complaints against President Barack Obama onto cable and traditional news programs than are progressive commentators in getting their views disseminated by the media. This conservative media bias is reflected in the media s discussion of policy options and often cuts off debate about progressive policies and ideas. There Are Many Types of Media Bias 41 Dbug It is impossible for news media to be totally unbiased, but there are many different types of media bias besides political bias including advertising bias, corporate bias, label bias, herd mentality bias, Internet bias, and unbiased bias. And perception of bias often depends on the point of view of the consumer, with left-wingers seeing a conservative media bias and right-wingers seeing a liberal media bias.
A Highly Polarized Media Contributes to Government Dysfunction Ethan Zuckerman Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated with dysfunctional government that does not seem able to address the nation s problems. The reason for this dysfunction is a highly polarized media environment in which civil political discourse is nearly impossible. The solution, however, is not more facts but framing solutions in a set of values that most people can embrace. The Media Bias During the 2008 Presidential Election Favored Winners Tony Rogers A Pew Research Center study on news coverage of the 2008 presidential election revealed that the press tended to cover more positively whomever was leading in the polls. Barack Obama got the most positive stories, while the coverage of John McCain was heavily unfavorable. Instead of the much-touted liberal press bias, the media bias was toward the winning candidate. Chapter 2: Is the Internet Good for Democracy? Chapter Preface 60 Yes: The Internet Is Good for Democracy The Internet Helps Build Democracies 63 Barrett Sheridan Skeptics argue that dictators will use the Internet to their advantage, and although this is true, the Internet is inherently biased toward openness and democracy and has clearly been a powerful organizing tool in various revolutions in recent years. In addition, the Internet will be useful in the future during the long process of democratic consolidation in many countries. 48 57
The Internet Is Making Big Money TV Ads Obsolete Mary Kate Cary Many people are worried that a recent Supreme Court decision concerning corporate fundraising will result in even more big money television advertising, but the new Internet and social media tools provide far better ways for corporations and candidates to reach voters. This is creating a new paradigm in political communications, and it will be used by both political parties to connect directly to voters, solicit their views, distribute information, and ask for donations. Internet Activist Alliances Could Challenge Both Right and Left Corporate Insiders Jane Hamsher Corporate America has very close ties to politicians who run the country and this relationship threatens our economy, environment, and democracy. People who challenge this status quo on the Internet have often been marginalized as extremists by mainstream politicians and political commentators, but by forming post-partisan alliances Internet activists may be able to achieve populist goals. Wikileaks Increases Transparency and Accountability in Democracies William Quigley Some politicians are outraged at the Wikileaks publishing of classified government information and claim it puts innocent people s lives at risk. However, the US government classifies too many documents as secret, and releasing these documents will increase government transparency and accountability all of which can only be good for democracy. 67 71 79
No: The Internet Is Not Always Good for Democracy Political Campaigns Can Manipulate Social Media Jared Keller Social media is seen by many people as the key to a new, better type of politics in which elected officials will be able to more directly engage voters, but social media can also be used by political campaigns to unfairly attack opponents and spread misinformation. This has already occurred and will likely become more commonplace in the future. Many Web Users Say the Internet Increases the Influence of Extremists Katie Kindelan A recent study found that 54 percent of voters turned to social media for information about the 2010 midterm elections, confirming that people have a tendency to get their information from people they trust, such as friends, family, and colleagues. Yet a majority of Internet users also think that the Internet promotes extreme views, posing the question of whether social websites help or hurt democracy. Wikileaks Uses the Internet to Illegally Inflict Harm Philip J. Crowley America is the most transparent society in the world, and Wikileaks illegally disclosed a mountain of classified information without authorization an action that placed hundreds of people in danger and that will damage relationships between the United States and other countries in the future. Government transparency is important but governments must also maintain some secrets to protect national interests and national security. 82 88 91
Chapter 3: Have Social Media Been Instrumental in Promoting Recent Revolutions? Chapter Overview 99 Sean Aday, Henry Farrell, Marc Lynch, John Sides, John Kelly, and Ethan Zuckerman US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others have argued that the new social media promote greater participation in politics and will help spread democracy and free markets, but critics point out that these technologies could have the opposite effect of encouraging polarization of politics and helping dictators to monitor and repress their citizens. Anecdotal evidence supports both views, but no one really knows which of these positions is correct because there has been little rigorous research of the issue. Yes: Social Media Have Been Instrumental in Promoting Recent Revolutions Social Media Gave Iranian 103 Protestors a Voice Mark Pfeifle During the Green Movement s 2009 protests in Iran, traditional journalists left the country but Twitter became the means by which the world could watch and understand the issues and the demonstrators hopes for greater political freedom. Without Twitter, the Iranian people would not have felt has empowered to confront the government, because Twitter provided them with the means to connect with each other and share their story with the worldbeyondiran.
Social Media Have Been Powerful Tools in Organizing Egypt s Revolution S. Craig Watkins Problems such as government corruption and economic inequality were the root of the Egyptian revolution, but social media was used as a tool for mobilizing protests. Facebook was the initial organizing method, then Twitter was used by protestors to communicate with each other and share information with the world in real time. Social media thus was used to encourage people to actively participate in revolution. Social Media Have Played a Significant Role in Various Middle East Protests Erik Sass Commentator Malcolm Gladwell argues that social media has not and will not change social activism but he is wrong. Just because revolutions occurred in the past without the Internet technologies of today does not mean that social media did not play a significant role in recent revolutions. Rather, every successful revolution has used the most advanced communications available at the time, including the 2011 Egyptian revolution. No: Social Media Have Not Been Instrumental in Promoting Recent Revolutions Social Media Promote Weak Ties, Not High-Risk Activism Malcolm Gladwell Many commentators are saying that the new social media have reinvented activism, empowering protestors to stand up to their governments. This grandiose claim is unfounded because social media are based on very weak ties rather than the strong commitments and hierarchical organizations that have historically been required for successful activism in the past. It takes strong social networks to produce effective activism, and thus to challenge powerful establishments. 106 112 116
Revolutions Can Still Be Repressed by Brutal Military Force Even in the Digital Age Peter Osnos Digital technology has played a significant role in rallying protestors in places like Egypt and Tunisia, but technology can still be swept aside by military force. In Libya, for example, no one talks about social media following Muammar Gaddafi s brutal response to anti-government demonstrations. Similarly, the forces of nature disabled all forms of communication in Japan, including the Internet. Authoritarian Regimes Can Use the Internet to Their Advantage The Economist Many people see the Internet as inherently prodemocratic, but authoritarian regimes can also use the Internet to repress democratic movements. Social media networks, for example, provide an easier alternative to traditional surveillance for identifying anti-government dissidents, and the Internet can also be used to spread government propaganda. 130 134 Chapter 4: How Will the Media s Role in Politics Evolve in Coming Years? Chapter Overview 139 Tom Rosenstiel and Amy Mitchell In some ways, the US news media industry improved in 2010, with only newspapers continuing to show decline in revenues. However, news consumers continue to migrate from traditional news sources to the Internet, and traditional newsrooms continue to shrink, increasing demands on remaining journalists. Although traditional journalists are becoming more adept with technology, many experts fear that we are witnessing the decline of the journalism profession.
Traditional Media Are Losing Out to Social Media as a Source for Political Information Katie Kindelan A poll by Pew Research Center found that a majority of voters use social networking sites to follow politics because they believe social media information is more reliable than that found in traditional media. Young people are more likely to turn to social media for political information but older people are increasingly using it as well both Republicans and Democrats. Politicians Will Increase Their Usage of Social Media in the Future Jesse Stanchak Social media increasingly is playing a more influential role in politics, and this role is likely to expand in the future as more young people who grew up with social media technology reach voting age. The goals and focus of online politics will also shift in the coming years, as more politicians understand social media and use the tools to connect with their supporters, win over undecided voters, and stay connected in the aftermath of elections. Social Media Allow Political Candidates to Bypass Traditional Media Glen Johnson Potential candidates for the 2012 presidential election are using digital media Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to connect directly with supporters and potential voters. These new media are attractive, not only because they are affordable, but also because they allow candidates to bypass traditional media, knowing that the traditional media will later amplify their digital message. 144 147 150
Traditional Media Must Adapt to 154 the Digital World or Die Brandon Paton Traditional media newspapers, magazines, and cable TV are already struggling in the digital age, and soon most will be gone, except for those that adapt. The only way for traditional media to survive is by adapting to the new marketplace by shifting their offline presence more and more online, because their online publication will be the main source of income in the future. The Traditional Media Will Continue 157 to Provide Original News Content Tom Price Although new media are becoming more popular, major print and TV news organizations are the source of most of the news on the Internet. These traditional news organizations, which still do old-school reporting, operate the most popular online news sites. Many of the new media sites, on the other hand, do little original reporting, instead linking to and commenting on traditional media reports. Traditional Media s Demise Could 162 Be the End of Real News Gary Kamiya Journalism is changing as new media is challenging newspapers, magazines, and TV news. Although many newspapers are dying, the real threat is the loss of reporting by trained journalists who know the subject and strive for objectivity. If newspapers disappear, so will reporting because there is currently no business model that makes online reporting a profitable venture. If this happens, the truth will be much harder to find. Organizations to Contact 172 Bibliography 177 Index 182