Media and
Politics
California State University,
Northridge
Political Science 496G
Spring 1994
Professor:
Matthew Cahn
Office:
Halsted 1175
Phone:
(818) 885-4797
Office Hours:
M/W 12:00-2:00
Course Description
Mass media have always played a central
role in American
politics. From the Federalist Papers to the television campaign
spot, political advertising has affected
the way Americans think
about politics and the policy choices we
make. This course
introduces students to the study of mass
media and its impact in
defining and limiting policy choices.
Reading List
Doris Graber, Media Power in
Politics, 2nd Edition
(Washington DC: Congressional
Quarterly Press, 1990).
Diamond and Bates, The Spot: The
Rise of Political Advertising
on
Television, 3rd Edition (Cambridge:
The MIT Press, 1992).
Alexander and Hanson, Taking Sides: Clashing Views on
Controversial
Issues in Mass Media and Society, 2nd Edition
(Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing, 1993).
Walter Lippmann, Public Opinion (NY: The Free Press, 1922).
Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent:
The
Political Economy of the Mass Media (NY: Pantheon Books, 1988)
Todd Gitlin, The Whole World is Watching
Course
Requirements
Students are expected to attend class
sessions regularly and
to keep up with assigned readings. Further, students are expected
to participate actively in class
discussions and projects.
Participation: 20%
Midterm: 25%
Paper: 25%
Final Exam: 30%
Papers
A paper analyzing the implications of the
mass
media on some aspect of public policy is
also required. The
paper should be written in scholarly
format, with full citations
and bibliography. Recent scholarly literature must be included.
Topics should be discussed with the
instructor.
SEMESTER OUTLINE
Week 1 2/16:
Media and the Policy Process
Week 2 2/23:
Mass Media in American Politics
- Alexander: Part 1 (pp.
1-66);
- Diamond & Bates, ch.
1;
Week 3 3/2:
Media Effects
- Graber, chs. 1.1 - 1.6 (pp.
1-70);
- Diamond & Bates, ch.
15;
Week 4 3/9:
Theories of Attitude Acquisition
- Presentation from Processing
the News,
(schema
theory);
- Graber, chs. 2.1 - 2.6
(pp. 71-144);
Week 5 3/16:
Media Ownership
- Presentation from
Lippmann (Part 7);
- Alexander, Part 5 (pp.
215-298);
Week 6 3/23:
Regulation of the Media/ Media Ethics
- Alexander, Part 3 (pp.
119-158);
- Graber ch. 6.1 (p. 357);
- Alexander, Part 2 (pp.
67-118);
Week 7-8 3/30 - 4/6: The Media as the 4th Branch of Government
- Graber, Part 4 (pp.
205-286);
Part 5 (pp. 287-354);
and chs. 6.2 - 6.3;
- Presentation from Orren
& Polsby, Media and Momentum;
Week 9 4/13:
Midterm
Week 10 4/20:
Elections and Mass Media
- Graber, Part 3 (pp.
145-204);
- Diamond & Bates,
chs. 1, 4, 6, 8;
Week 11 4/27:
Political Advertising
- Diamond & Bates,
chs. 14, 15, 16;
-
Alexander Part 4
Week 12 5/4:
News Coverage
- Presentation from
Epstein,
selections from News
From Nowhere;
Week 13 5/11:
Mass Media and Public Opinion
- Presentations from
Lippmann, part 4, 5,
Chomsky,
"The Bounds of Thinkable Thought,"
Gitlin,
selections from The Whole World is
Watching;
Week 14 5/18:
Controlling Information
- Alexander, Part 6 (pp.
299-341)
*** PAPERS DUE ***
Week 15 5/25: Final Session: Bringing it all together
Final Exam
as Scheduled
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Matthew Cahn
Department of Political Science
California State University Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8254
(818) 677-3488
matthew.cahn@csun.edu