THE ILLUSION OF NEWS

BILL MOYERS - CONTENT OVERVIEW

MEDIA TRENDS

THE INCREASING USE OF VISUAL IMAGERY

IN ADVERTISING

IN MUSIC

IN TELEVISED NEWS

IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED?

1. The Gap Between Image And Reality Grows Wider

2. Emotional Management Becomes More Important Than Information      Management

3. Changes How We Define What News Is?

4. Changes The Role Of The Television And Print Journalist

5. Leaves Us With Less Understanding Of The Complex Problems Facing Our     Country

6. The Problems Go Unresolved

"In The Competition Between The Ear And The Eye The Eye Wins Every Time"

Michael Deaver,Reagan Image Maker
Later Investigated For Influence Peddling

THE NONVERBAL TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE VERBAL

What The Newsmaker Is Doing Takes Precedence Over What The Newsmaker Says And Takes Precedence Over What The Journalist Says What A Newsmaker Is Doing Is More Important Than What A Newsmaker Is Thinking, Or Why They Are Thinking The Way They Are Dramatic Action Seems To Speak Louder Than Words

THINK QUESTION

What Happens When We Absorb Images Rather Than Think About Words?

WHAT IS IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT?

The Actions

President Takes Shirt Off On Beach

President Wears Work Shirt And Jeans

President Helps Broadcast Daytona 500

The Impressions Or Identity Which Is Created

The President Is Active

The President Is A Rugged Individualist

The President Is "Just One Of The Guys"

The Substance Of The Message

No Real Substance Where's The Beef? "News With No Beef"

"Spectacle Overwhelms Analysis"

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

What is News?

How Does A Professional Journalist Determine News Value?
 

• Hard News Vs Soft News
• Front Page News Vs Back-Page News
• Substance Vs Flash And Sizzle

THINK QUESTION

Should The Vehicle By Which Most People Get Their Information Be Dominated By The Entertainment Function Of The Media?

As Future Communication Specialists Do You Have A Responsibility To Insure That Our Need To Be Information Not Obscured By Our Need To Be Entertained?

THE BUSH-RATHER INTERVIEW

THE AGENDA SETTING FUNCTION

The Conflict

Who Is Going To Set The Conversational Agenda?

The Politicians Or The Press

In An Media Environment Dominated By Images What Becomes The Story? What Becomes "The News"

THE BUSH-RATHER INTERVIEW

The Conflict Between The George And Dan

It's Dramatic It's Personal It's Entertaining But Is It News?

What Gets Obscured?

• The "Real Story" ?
• The Unanswered Questions About "Irangate"
• The Flash And Sizzle Obscures The Substance
• The Media Presents Reality But Also Simultaneously Distorts Reality

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

What Is The Role Of The Journalist?

What Metaphor Captures Your View Of The Role?

• Journalist As "Jelly Bean Journalist"
• Journalist As Cotton Candy Vendor
• Journalist As Puppet
• Journalist As Entertainer
• Journalist As Snake Oil Salesperson
• Journalist As Stenographer With Amnesia

OR

• Journalist As Watchdog
• Journalist As Interpreter
• Journalist As Analyst
• Journalist As Information Conduit
• Journalist As Attorney

KEY CONCEPTS IN COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION COMPLEXITY ------- IN ANY COMMUNICATION ENCOUNTER THERE ARE SIMULTANEOSULY MULTIPLE COMPETENING AND POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING GOALS

THE NETWORKS GOALS

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• To Report "The Facts"
• Analyze "The Facts"

IDENTITY MANAGEMENT

Not Be Perceived As "Going After" Or Criticizing The President

INSTRUMENTAL GOALS

• Draw An Audience
• Attract Advertisers
• Make Profit

THE VISUAL DOMINATES THE VERBAL

"It was ok if you said critical things or reported factually about the President as long as the audience was looking at the pictures."

Lesley Stahl,White House Correspondent

"The Visual Images Are Like The Juicy Piece Of Meat Carried By The Burglar To Distract The Watchdog Of The Mind"

Marshall McLuhan

KEY CONCEPTS IN COMMUNICATION

ALL COMMUNICATION ENCOUNTERS, SITUATIONS, OR PROBLEMS HAVE

• GOALS
• OBSTACLES
• AND STRATEGIES

THE REPORTERS GOALS

Get Your Story On The Air

THE REPORTERS OBSTACLES

Newsmakers Make Not Grant Interviews To Reporters
Who Ask Hard Questions

Who Try To Get Below The Surface Of The Image

THE REPORTERS STRATEGIES

Ingratiation, Kissing Up, Sucking Up, Osculating Superiors Posteriors

"It has to be a thrill to be you Mr.Vice President...this is happening to you,,,,,,,how does it feel" .....television reporter

"Smooch, Smooch, Smooch"

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW OUR LEADERS FEEL, BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY THINK

MEDIA TRENDS

CONGLOMERATION/MEDIA AS PROFIT CENTERS

Competing And Conflicting Interests And Goals

Secure Ratings And Readership To Increase Profit VS Social Responsibility

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Should broadcast and print journalism be evaluated according the same standards as prime-time entertainment programs?

What "Flash And Sizzle" Strategies Are Used To Capture Audience Attention On Prime Time Entertainment Programs?

THE RULES (THE DO'S AND THE DON'TS)

THE DO'S

• Have Lots Of Action
• Have Lots Of Familiar Figures
• Have Dramatic Conflict
• Have Lots Of Fast Cuts

THE DONT'S

• Don't Induce Anxiety Or Troublesome Issues
• Don't Introduce Complex Issues
• Don't Let Anyone Speak Too Long

MEDIA TRENDS

CONGLOMERATION/MEDIA AS PROFIT CENTERS

"Newspapers March To The Drummer Of Corporate Profits"

COMPETING AND CONFLICTING GOALS

• Give The Audience What They Want To See
• Give The Audience What They Want To Hear

VS

Give The Audience What They Need To Know

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

To What Extent Should Market Factors Influence Editorial Decisions?

To What Extent Should Need To Generate Profit Influence The Substance And Content Of The Message?

The Chicago Tribune

USA Today

The National Enquirer

Do You Want To Work For A NEWSpaper of a McPaper?

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

THE HEDONISTIC IMPERATIVE

The Assumption That Most People Seek Pleasure And Avoid Pain

GIVEN That People Have A Natural Tendency To Seek Out That Which Makes Them Feel Good And Avoid That Which Is Stressful, Troublesome, And Difficult?

SHOULD

The Media Foster And Intensify This Tendency By Heavy Reliance On Visual Imagery

POINT-COUNTERPOINT

"The person's responsible for delivering the news have an obligation to be the dialogue of democracy to furnish a picture of reality which furnishes information which citizens can use to guide their decision-making and participate in democracy".

Bill Moyers

"My editor has told me that I can not write anything that will take longer to read that it takes the average reader to take an average crap."

Scene From The Big Chill

"Fill The Front Page With Stories About Sex, Puberty, And Marriage"

President,Newspaper Chain

"Part Of The Function Of Newspapers Is To Insure They Are Read, And Selling Advertising Allows You To Do What You Want To Do In The Newsroom."

Editor

KEY CONCEPT IN COMMUNICATION

FORM INFLUENCES CONTENT OR SUBSTANCE

The Form Of The Message Can Influence The Content

Elements Of A Message

• 1) The Substance Or Content
• 2) The Form, Structure, Or Organization
• 3) The Flash And Sizzle (Imagery)

The Form Of Newspaper Influence The Content

The Form-4 Major Sections, Multiple Stories Within Each Section Message Must Fit Within These Categories,Message Must Be A Specified Length

How Does The Form Of Your Living Room Influence The Content ?

If Your Living Room Is Organized Around The Television

Does This Influences The Content And Quality Of Your Conversation ?

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Is There Information Which It Is Important For People To Have Which Is Boring Information?

"If News Is Boring, People Will Not Watch Or Listen"

Agree Or Disagree

Is Boredom A Better Criteria To Evaluate News Or Entertainment? Work Or Play? Academic Life Or Social Life?

"There Is No Right or Wrong, Only Fun And Boring"

From Hackers

MEDIA ISSUES

SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATER

Does The Media Alter Their Message In Response To The Fact That Person's Attention Spans Appear To Be Decreasing?

Or

Does The Media Through The Reliance On Visual Imagery Create An Audience With A Short Attention Span And A Hearty Appetite For Visual Images?

CREATING UNREALITY-THE WIZARD OF OZ

IMAGES ARE OFTEN ILLUSORY

IMPRESSIONS ARE NOT NECESSARILY MORAL(RIGHT OR WRONG)

IMAGES ARE NOT NECESSARILY FACTUAL (TRUE OR FALSE)

Dorothy: "Your a bad, bad, bad, person".

Wizard "I'm not a bad person. I 'm just a bad wizard."

I'm am not a bad person. I'm just a bad reporter.

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Competing Interests And Goals-Profits Vs Journalism

What Is The Role Of The Journalist?

• Journalist As Corporate Puppet
• Journalist As Entertainer
• Journalist As Teller Of Tall Tales

"Good Journalism Pays To"

Bill Moyers,The Illusion Of News

"Journalists Can Paint A Picture Of Reality On Which The Citizen Can Act."

Bill Moyers,The Illusion Of News

"How Can We Pump More Reality Into Television News?"

Todd Gitlin,Sociologist

STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

As Message Consumers

• Choose To Not Watch Or Read
• Develop Visual Literacy

As Message Designers

Try To Insure The Visual Images And The Words Of Substance Of The Message Get Equal Attention

"Most Change Results Not From Improving One Thing 1000% But By Improving 1000 Things 1%"

Just Ask Chirs