How Journalists Make the News
Chapter 5
Why the focus on negativity?
Bennett charges that the media is more concerned with soft news versus hard news. In previous chapters he argued that this is because soft news is easier to sell to the audience than hard news. In other words the news is ratings driven, and there’s nothing like a scandal to increase audience share.
1 Clinton/Lewinsky
The Clinton/Lewinsky episode showed very clearly how scandal sells. CNN's Larry King doubled its seasonal average of viewers one night following the revelations of the affair. Fox News quadrupled its average. And the new Geraldo—even without scheduling a live demonstration of sexual techniques as he might have in the old days—averaged 1.1 million homes tuned in, up from his average of about half a million.
Four reasons for the focus on negativity
1. Economics of the news business 2. Dependence of journalists on sources 3. Routine news gathering practices of reporters 4. Professional norms and codes of conduct.
2 Work Routines and professional norms
Organizational routines – basic rules and practices that reporters & editors follow in deciding what to cover, how to cover it, and how to present it. Professional norms – moral standards, codes of ethics, and guidelines about inserting journalist viewpoint into a story.
What work routines do
They feed into the personalization, dramatization, fragmentation and authority-disorder biases. These are the way in which stories are told and why they fit the biases so neatly.
3 How routines work
When covering a story, reporters often look to the same types of sources, that’s why the stories look so similar. they go to the official sources, and attempt to find balance by going to official critics. they also share information with other journalists. This becomes part of the formula for writing a quick story under a every looming deadline.
The News Formula
“…it wasn’t anti- Liberal or pro- Conservative bias that helped do Martin in – it was journalists’ well- established bias toward the easy narrative.”
4 Pack Journalism
“If there’s anything to fault the media for, it’s not liberal or conservative leanings – it’s the pack mentality. If the received wisdom is that a party is running a bad campaign, every minor gaffe will be jumped on as proof. When the pack smells blood it is relentless.”
Kim Campbell
1993 Gaffe Watch Unemployment/Jobs Health Care too complex Lost luggage, parking tickets Attack ads
5 Paul Martin
“What the researchers didn't measure were more subtle factors like photo selection – and if you look at the images of Paul Martin in this campaign, you know just how unattractive hew was often made to look.”
Photo-ops and Staged Events
Planned events Unplanned events All about control PC’s in ’93 couldn’t control the information or the message Protesters got through
6 The Insider Syndrome
Main Entry: sym·bi·o·sis Pronunciation: "sim-bE-'O-s&s, -"bI- Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural sym·bi·o·ses /-"sEz/ Etymology: New Latin, from German Symbiose, from Greek symbiOsis state of living together, from symbioun to live together, from symbios living together, from syn- + bios life -- more at QUICK Date: 1622 1 : the living together in more or less intimate association or close union of two dissimilar organisms 2 : the intimate living together of two dissimilar organisms in a mutually beneficial relationship; especially : MUTUALISM 3 : a cooperative relationship (as between two persons or groups)
Insiders
Journalists need good access to politicians to get the story. Politicians need journalists to cover their policies favourably. To ensure this happens, politicians try to cultivate relationships with journalists and journalists try to build relationships with politicians and other sources. ``The goal is publicity for your minister and there are usually only two routes to the front page -- scandal or scoops. Scoops are obviously the preferred option.''
7 How the government does it.
Rarely is government policy introduced without a fanfare of advance hints or hype about the contents. Private briefings are offered, interviews with ministers quietly arranged. The ultimate promise is an exclusive interview with the prime minister.
Playing the Game
How the politicians and journalists play the insider game can have serious consequences to their careers. Politicians who do not curry favour with journalists can have disastrous terms in office, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson. Politicians must adhere to the rules of the game in order to maintain credibility.
8 The typical day for Government under the Chrétien government
At the start of each day, Don Boudria, the government house leader met with the rest of the Tactics committee to go over morning newspaper clippings, newscast summaries and policy alerts. The only item of business: decipher and deal with the day's “Hot Issue”.
What is a scrum?
In the commons foyer three microphones are shared by the MPs. It allows the journalists to have first crack at the MPs leaving question period.
Among his many errors in judgement, some suggest that the most significant was his changing the rules of how to deal with the media. Rather than play the media scrum game Day decided that upon becoming leader he would have daily press conferences.
The Reaction to Day’s conferences
So he doesn't do scrums ...: Stockwell Day wants to manage the parliamentary media on his own terms. Chris Cobb examines the fallout. Day `reaching out' -- but he'll do it his way” Day at loggerheads with Press Gallery over access Rough first day for Mr. Day” Media complain Day impedes news coverage Day's first day decidedly shaky Don't crowd me' Day tells media: Leader wants out of `jostling' scrums
10 The Fall
Day: ``I've dealt with those (donation) questions. I've been very patient and I have . . .''
Reporter: ``No, you haven't . . .''
Day: ``I have answered your questions.''
Reporter: ``No you haven't, you haven't answered any of the questions.''
Day: ``Any other questions about the economic projection? Any other questions related to the recession?''
Reporter: ``You haven't answered anything.''
Day: ``I have answered that at a major news conference on Saturday. You're not suggesting you here are more important people than those there covering national stories?''
Why couldn’t Day change the system?
The news has rules, but also constraints The formulas help get out the news. The news has to fill a minimum “hole” The beats help fill the hole. Government, crime etc are these beats. The scrum is an efficient way to get the news out. All parties are accessible and it fits the deadline.
11 The price paid
This is the price Day paid for breaking the press gallery's unwritten rules.
1. We ask the questions. You provide the answer. 2. You propose the message. We decide the presentation. 3. Ignore rule 1 or 2 and the consequences can be deadly.
In Defence of Scrums
Craig Oliver, of CTV News argues Cabinet ministers often meet the media head-on in an effort to diffuse potential scandals. Others want to explain some new policy and convince the public of its worth. Opposition politicians use the scrums as an extension to question period, where time constraints allow for only limited attacks on the government.
12 In Defence of Scrums
Julie Van Dusen agrees that scrums have drawbacks for news media too, but at least, she said, they allow reporters to meet deadlines.
“If you're filing stories for 5 p.m. you can't hang around listening to Stockwell Day ramble on about every topic under the sun for half an hour.”
In Defence of Scrums
Former gallery reporter Bill Rodgers, and current communications director for the federal Conservative caucus, says scrums are part of the political process -- and useful for voters. “They help Canadians assess and judge their leaders. They are a great test of how politicians are able to handle difficult off-the- cuff and unpredictable. Scrums are sometimes unwieldy but they are very much part of our political process and have value to both journalists and politicians.''
13 Why Politicians Can’t Change the Rules of the Game
Every national political leader who tried to change politics in Ottawa, left shattered. Kim Campbell, tried to be honest – was portrayed as lacking a vision. Stockwell Day tried to be accessible – was portrayed as vain. Do we really want politics to change?
Summary
Journalists can influence the way politics is reported. Focus has been on the news routines and structure of the news and how it impacts coverage. After the midterm, we’ll tackle the issue of journalist bias on ideological grounds.
14