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10 Jun 2019, 19:53
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The media‘s particular understanding of the ways of influence and
decision-making in government colours the way they describe political
reality. It also defines their responsibility in reporting that reality;
contemporary reporters are in many ways the grandchildren of the
Progressive muckrakers.
Few aspects of American politics reinforce this Progressive world-view
as effectively as the American way of campaign finance. In assuming that
public officials defer to contributors more easily than they do to their
party, their own values, or their voting constituency, one has the perfect
dramatic scenario for the triumph of wealthy special interests over the
will of majorities and the public interest.
Much has been made recently about campaign finance reform. Various
politicians and voters' rights groups have petitioned for a reworking of
the campaign finance laws that govern how political candidates can solicit
and spent money on their races for office.
―Bias‖ is a word with many meanings. It suggests a single
explanation—one of conscious, even wilful preference—for a range of
instances in which the message misinterprets or misconveys the reality.
The media have been attacked as biased in a partisan direction by both
Democrats and Republicans, and from both the left and the right. To be
sure, media partisanship was apparent in earlier times, when the partisan
press was little more than a propagandist for the party it favoured.
But that overtly biased style seems to have given way in the 20
th
century to a media more concerned with gaining audience than political
proselytes, and an electronic media fearful of government regulation if it
strays into political controversy. Few objective observers of, for instance,
the reporting of campaign finance would argue that conventional biases
are operating here. Rather one has to look to more intrinsic and ingrained
forms, to the structural biases of American newspapers and the political
assumptions of their reporters, editors, and headline-writers. Structural
biases are rooted in the very nature of journalism—in its professional
norms, in marketplace imperatives, in the demands of communicating
information to an unsophisticated audience.
Stories need identifiable actors, understandable activity, and elements of
conflict, threat or menace. They cannot be long, and must avoid
complexity—must focus on the horserace rather than on the substance of
a campaign; on controversy, personalities and negative statistics rather
than on concepts. These define the ―good‖ story.
Systematic bias and political assumption, finally, meet in an analytical
conundrum. A systematic bias dictates that newspapers print stories that
will be read. But does the press publish the story because readers have
been conditioned by newspapers to accept and believe such accounts, or
does it publish the story because of its conviction that it represents
political truth? Is there really any difference? Ultimately, the Progressive
view of reality becomes a part of the imperatives of publishing a
newspaper.
1. In the course of presenting his arguments, the author suggests that
structural biases in American journalism result primarily—but not
necessarily exclusively—from:
A. problems intrinsic to the publishing and marketing of newspapers.
B. suppositions of journalists about the integrity of public officials.
C. reporters‘ cynicism about the public‘s level of intelligence.
D. growing competition among newspapers for a shrinking audience.
E. increasing influence of foreign nations
2. According to the passage, which of the following would indicate structural
biases inherent in journalists‘ work?
A. An article that adheres loyally to Progressivist dictates
B. An article that successfully masks its biased opinions
C. An article that is informed by political sophistication
D. An article that is entertaining and easy to comprehend
E. An article that criticises the current government
3. Which of the following best describes the ―analytical conundrum‖ referred
to in the sentence, ―Systematic bias and political assumption, finally,
meet in an analytical conundrum,‖ in the last paragraph?
A. Newspapers promote Progressive ideas in which they do not believe.
B. Since systematic biases and political assumptions have similar
effects, it is difficult to differentiate their roles in journalistic
publishing decisions.
C. Systematic biases and political assumptions exert contradictory and
conflicting pressures on newspaper publishers.
D. Readers‘ preferences for dramatic news accounts reflecting
Progressive ideas, rather than journalists‘ objective understanding
of the political system, determine what is published.
E. the confusion over what types of articles to publish in newspapers
decision-making in government colours the way they describe political
reality. It also defines their responsibility in reporting that reality;
contemporary reporters are in many ways the grandchildren of the
Progressive muckrakers.
Few aspects of American politics reinforce this Progressive world-view
as effectively as the American way of campaign finance. In assuming that
public officials defer to contributors more easily than they do to their
party, their own values, or their voting constituency, one has the perfect
dramatic scenario for the triumph of wealthy special interests over the
will of majorities and the public interest.
Much has been made recently about campaign finance reform. Various
politicians and voters' rights groups have petitioned for a reworking of
the campaign finance laws that govern how political candidates can solicit
and spent money on their races for office.
―Bias‖ is a word with many meanings. It suggests a single
explanation—one of conscious, even wilful preference—for a range of
instances in which the message misinterprets or misconveys the reality.
The media have been attacked as biased in a partisan direction by both
Democrats and Republicans, and from both the left and the right. To be
sure, media partisanship was apparent in earlier times, when the partisan
press was little more than a propagandist for the party it favoured.
But that overtly biased style seems to have given way in the 20
th
century to a media more concerned with gaining audience than political
proselytes, and an electronic media fearful of government regulation if it
strays into political controversy. Few objective observers of, for instance,
the reporting of campaign finance would argue that conventional biases
are operating here. Rather one has to look to more intrinsic and ingrained
forms, to the structural biases of American newspapers and the political
assumptions of their reporters, editors, and headline-writers. Structural
biases are rooted in the very nature of journalism—in its professional
norms, in marketplace imperatives, in the demands of communicating
information to an unsophisticated audience.
Stories need identifiable actors, understandable activity, and elements of
conflict, threat or menace. They cannot be long, and must avoid
complexity—must focus on the horserace rather than on the substance of
a campaign; on controversy, personalities and negative statistics rather
than on concepts. These define the ―good‖ story.
Systematic bias and political assumption, finally, meet in an analytical
conundrum. A systematic bias dictates that newspapers print stories that
will be read. But does the press publish the story because readers have
been conditioned by newspapers to accept and believe such accounts, or
does it publish the story because of its conviction that it represents
political truth? Is there really any difference? Ultimately, the Progressive
view of reality becomes a part of the imperatives of publishing a
newspaper.
1. In the course of presenting his arguments, the author suggests that
structural biases in American journalism result primarily—but not
necessarily exclusively—from:
A. problems intrinsic to the publishing and marketing of newspapers.
B. suppositions of journalists about the integrity of public officials.
C. reporters‘ cynicism about the public‘s level of intelligence.
D. growing competition among newspapers for a shrinking audience.
E. increasing influence of foreign nations
2. According to the passage, which of the following would indicate structural
biases inherent in journalists‘ work?
A. An article that adheres loyally to Progressivist dictates
B. An article that successfully masks its biased opinions
C. An article that is informed by political sophistication
D. An article that is entertaining and easy to comprehend
E. An article that criticises the current government
3. Which of the following best describes the ―analytical conundrum‖ referred
to in the sentence, ―Systematic bias and political assumption, finally,
meet in an analytical conundrum,‖ in the last paragraph?
A. Newspapers promote Progressive ideas in which they do not believe.
B. Since systematic biases and political assumptions have similar
effects, it is difficult to differentiate their roles in journalistic
publishing decisions.
C. Systematic biases and political assumptions exert contradictory and
conflicting pressures on newspaper publishers.
D. Readers‘ preferences for dramatic news accounts reflecting
Progressive ideas, rather than journalists‘ objective understanding
of the political system, determine what is published.
E. the confusion over what types of articles to publish in newspapers
Archived Topic
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10 Jun 2019, 22:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
baru
Discussed here: the-media-s-particular-understanding-of-the-ways-of-influence-and-276805.html?fl=similar
Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Reading Comprehension (RC) Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
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