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BILL MOYERS THE ILLUSION OF NEWS
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
SIMULTANEOUSLY MULTIPLE COMPETING AND 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 But, 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"
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 CONCEPTS IN COMMUNICATION (FORM, SUBSTANCE, AND STYLE)
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
The Form Of Your Living Room Influence The Content
If Your Living Room Is Organized Around The Television
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?
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%"