Constructing the Political Spectacle--

Lecture Notes for April 22-May 1st:

The conventional (positivist/scientific)view of the impact of the media on 
American politics:

1.  Political news is an account of events to which people react.  There is one 
objective reality.

2.  Understanding political communication involves assessing what facts are 
transmitted by the media and how citizens react to them.  There is a notion 
that, "Citizens who are informed about political developments can more 
effectively protect and promote their own interests and the public interest." 
(1)

Therefore, we will examine the "facts" of media and how media has an impact on 
the American people and American politics.

**********************************************************************

Edelman's post-structuralist (relativistic/post-modern) view of the impact of 
the media on American politics:

1.  Political news is a subjective creation of "events" which is influenced by 
the perspectives of those producing the news and responded to by a public 
differently depending upon the subjective conditions of their lives.  There are 
multiple realities.  "The realities people experience, then, are not the same 
for every person or for all time, but rather are relative to social situations 
and to the signifiers to which observers pay some attention." (4)

2.  Understanding political communication involves assessments of the ways in 
which political symbolism is invoked by the media and political "leaders" and 
how these symbols elicit various responses from various publics.  "Accounts of 
political issues, problems, crises, threats, and leaders now become devices for 
creating disparate assumptions and beliefs about the social and political world 
rather than factual statements." (10)

Therefore, we will examine how the political spectacle is constructed.  "The 
very concept of `fact' becomes irrelevant because every meaningful political 
object and person is an interpretation that reflects and perpetuates an 
ideology." (10)

Chapter 2--The Construction and Uses of Social Problems

Definition of social problems:

The traditional, rational, positivist perspective:
Social problems appear, they exist in a single reality, and attempts are made to 
solve the problems.

The post-modern perspective:
Social problems are constructions, they involve multiple realities which can be 
understood only by understanding who is framing the issues and what their stake 
is in the definition.

"A problem to some is a benefit to others." (14)

Discussion question:  How is the problem of unemployment defined?
The post-modern perspective: Is unemployment of less than 4% a "problem" in a 
capitalistic society?  Not for business or the employed but for the unemployed. 
 
*******************************************************************************

Explanations for social problems-
The traditional, rational, positivist perspective:
Using the scientific method a hypothesis can be developed regarding the 
proximate cause of a particular social problem.  Then, the scientific method 
provides tests of significance for evaluating the falsifiability of 
the hypothesis you develop.  If you falsify your hypothesis then you haven't 
found the cause of the social problem.  But if you fail to falsify your 
hypothesis you can state, within a certain boundary of confidence, 
that you have identified the proximate cause of a particular social problem.

The post-modern perspective:
"Because a social problem is not a verifiable entity, but a construction that 
furthers ideological interests, its explanation is bound to be part of the 
process of construction rather than a set of falsifiable propositions." 
(18)


Definition of public opinion:

The traditional, rational, positivist perspective:
Political opinions grow in each individual's mind in reaction to knowledge of 
the issue or problem and then is secreted into the public domain.

Post-modern perspective:
Political opinions and options are shaped by ideology and then presented to the 
public.  Some public opinion will not  coalesce because it is in contradiction 
to the dominant culture or ideology.

Edelman contends that, "A crisis, like all news developments, is a creation of 
the language used to depict it; the appearance of a crisis is a political act, 
not a recognition of a fact or of a rare situation." (31)

****************************
Political Communication, according to the post-modern perspective:
Political communication, "directly or implicitly constructs particular problems 
as crucial while denigrating others." (20)

**********************************

The problem solving sequence:

The traditional, rational, positivist perspective:
Problems "appear" and a solution is sought or crafted to ameliorate or solve the 
problem.

Post-modern perspective:
A solution is defined by ideology and problems are constructed in such a way as 
to fit the pre-existing solution.

***********************************
What does news do?

The traditional, rational, positivist perspective:
News provides the public with the information necessary to allow them to 
formulate opinions on the issues and problems of the day in accordance with 
their own stakes and interests.

The post-modern perspective:
News constructs the political and social reality that is presented to the 
public.  In the process, "they [the media and political communication 
professionals] reinforce established power structures and value 
hierarchies." (34)