Chapter 10 - Role of Public Opinion and Media

Question 1

FPA v IR on Public Opinion / Media

Answer 1

FPA better understands state-level variables, whereas IR just kind of acknowledges.
IR are bad at accounting for this because they focus on structure and unitary states.

Question 2

New Liberalism and Domestic Factors

Answer 2

FP is determined domestically first (understanding domestic through a liberal lens)

Question 3

Two Models of Media

Answer 3

Pluralist Model
Elite Model
(Both are true at varying degrees)

Question 4

Pluralist Model of Media

Answer 4

Media acts as a restraint and check on the government
They are independent from political influence
No one group determines interests of states

Question 5

Elite Model

Answer 5

Power is so concentrated within elite groups and dominate politics
The media is subservient to elites
Media a mouthpiece for state

Question 6

BBC v CBC Model

Answer 6

Quasi-autonomous funding model (funded by, but not dependent on, government)
CBC is totally dependent.

Question 7

Four Types of Publics within a State

Answer 7

Attentive
Mass
Isolationist
Internationalist

Question 8

A small attentive public leads to…

Answer 8

More room for elites to make decisions

Question 9

Casualty v Defeat Phobic

Answer 9

The tension in the public for not wanting defeat but not wanting mass casualties.

Question 10

Interests Motivate, Principles Legitimate

Answer 10

State goes to war based on interests, but they persuade the public on moral grounds

Question 11

Media are central to the _____/_____ nexus.

Answer 11

Public Opinion/FP nexus.

If so, how much of an effect does the media have on policy outcomes / agenda setting?

Question 12

Public Sphere

Answer 12

The role of the media within democratic states to facilitate full and open debate on important issues (obviously doesn’t totally happen - won’t touch certain things)

Question 13

Two Types of Media Roles and Two Media Tools

Answer 13

Watchdog - scrutinizes and holds to account the government and also represents the opinions of the public
Agenda-setter - the media causes people and DMs to pay attention to issues that they have raised (Within boundaries)
Priming and framing

Question 14

Media Empowerment Thesis

Answer 14

Developments in communication tech have allowed journalists to be freer to criticize FP

Question 15

Priming

Answer 15

The ability of the media to prepare and direct publics to the issues by which they should their leaders.

Question 16

Framing

Answer 16

The way in which the actual presentation of news information influences how people perceive issues.

Question 17

Three Parts of Sphere of Consensus

Answer 17

Sphere of Consensus - when elites all agree, the media won’t dissent - they are mouthpiece
Sphere of Legitimate Controversy - when elites don’t agree, the media is more comfortable to push them
Sphere of Deviance - completely separate from elites (Info-Wars, Chapo)

Question 18

Procedural v Substantive Criticism and Influence

Answer 18

Procedural - describes media criticism and influence that relates to debates over implementation of policy decision
Substantive - describes criticisms and influences that relate to the underlying justifications and rationale for FP

Question 19

Realism and Media/Public Opinion

Answer 19

FP should be immune from media influence
Moral communities/activists influence stays within the state, can’t be applied outside. They don’t consider interests.
Both media and public opinion should reflect this (super elitist)

Question 20

Liberalism and Media/Public Opinion

Answer 20

They are constraints on elected leaders and therefore on the external behaviour of states
Emphasis on individual and their relationship to the government

Question 21

Critical Approaches and Media/Public Opinion

Answer 21

All rooted in discussions of power.
Political/economic structures dominated by socioeconomic elites
Media maintains, propagates ideas of, inequality

Question 22

Organized Persuasive Communication (OPC)

Answer 22

Propaganda
Uses: strategic communication, public diplomacy, perception management, PR, psychological operations, political marketing, political communications
Frequently includes distortion, deception, and coercion

Question 23

OPC and the War on Terror

Answer 23

Framed in such a way that it’s a blank cheque.

Anyone can be a terrorist - it allows people to construct their own boogey-man, and therefore would be more supportive.

Question 24

Liberals and the War on Terror

Answer 24

Hard for them to back their claim that their exists a more independent and critical post-Cold War media.
Some worry it’s an attack on the interests of individuals.

Question 25

Realists, Critical Theorists on the War on Terror

Answer 25

The war's impact on media autonomy and public perception of global affairs confirms subservience to broader political and economic forces