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Journalism and Politics Prof Charlie Beckett GV311 Feb 2016
Journalism and Politics
Prof Charlie Beckett
GV311 Feb 2016
Media for democracy
• “…the information revolution makes possible for the first time in history something we have only dreamt about: A global society where people anywhere and everywhere can discover their shared values, communicate with each other and do not need to meet or live next door to each other to join together with people in other countries in a single moral universe to bring about change….”
• Gordon Brown 2008
Media against democracy
“It used to be thought – and I include myself in this – that help was on the horizon. New forms of communication would provide new outlets to by-pass the increasingly shrill tenor of traditional media. In fact, the new forms can be even more pernicious, less balanced, more intent on the latest conspiracy theory multiplied by five”
Tony Blair Reuters ‘feral beasts’ speech 2007
What does journalism do for politics?
• Information [facts, records, statistics, events,
policies]• Deliberation [debate, analysis, comment, opinion]• Accountability [investigation, audit, voice for
citizen, campaigns]
Different models of media and democracy
• Western liberal mixed market (eg UK, USA, Japan)
• State controlled (Saudi Arabia)• ‘Liberation’ media (Cuba)• Clientalism (Egypt, Tunisia)• Party aligned (Italy, Taiwan)• Oligarchical (Russia)
Mixed Media Market
• Newspapers (hard copy & online)• Broadcasters (and online)• Digital Natives (Buzzfeed, Vice etc)• International (New York Times, RT, CNN, First
Look)• ‘Non-journalist sources (PR, lobbyists,
Universities, corporations etc)• Social networks & aggregators
History of political news: a battle between journalists & power
• Inns of court• Holborn printers• Covent Garden coffee houses• Fleet Street national newsrooms• Broadcasting – public and commercial• Old Street – Tech City
The (politician’s) problem with political journalism is..?
• Unaccountable power• Bias• Obsession with process• Cynicism• Lack of information• Lack of expertise• Loss of local press
The (journalist’s) problem with political journalism is..?
• Lack of resources for (political) journalism• Government secrecy• Government and party spin and manipulation• Disintermediation: increased role of social
networks & public relations
The (public’s) problem with political journalism is..?
• Too complicated• Too cynical• Too belligerent, biased• Too much process• Boring• Irrelevant – ‘Westminster
bubble’
• Too simplistic• Not critical enough• Too complicit – not radical
or committed enough• Sensationalist• Not informed enough about
realities of policy-making
Press power?
PR power?
LoL
Leveson’s verdict
• Politicians “developed too close a relationship with the Press in a way which has not been in the public interest’
• Regular political journalism was "in robust good health and performing the vital public interest functions in a vigorous democracy,"
Real problem is engagement, attention & authenticity
Politicians
News Media
Public
Political reporting is now networked
Media
Politicians
What digital can do for democracy
• More information• Citizen voice and
participation• Media held to account• Access to politicians• Direct communication
(disintermediation)
• Information overload• Faster• More personal (filter
bubbles)• More emotional
(personalities, anger)• Manipulation,
misinformation
Filter bubbles now
Filter bubbles then?
More democratic?
“Journalism will continue to become more plural in its forms, its functions, and its practitioners. It will become more difficult to distinguish it from advocacy political communications, public relations alternative and participatory civic information, personal commentary, poplar culture and so on”
Dahlgren 2009
How did this….
…lead to this?
It was mainly this
Plus a lot of this
Unique or a precedent?
• Rochester by-election – damage limitation• Over-reaction by over-sensitive leader• Toxic combination of anti-Labour blogger (who
works for) and anti-Labour newspaper BUT• Genuine problem with core vote perception• Inevitable consequence of febrile networked
political media
Two current live experiments in media power
• Corbyn’s Labour
• EU Referendum
A new kind of (anti-media) politics?
