History of HollywoodStarted largely by Jewish ImmigrantsWorked in L.A. to avoid EdisonThey all hated Thomas Edison, because he tried stopping anyone else who tried to make a movie in New York.Started Warner Brothers, Paramount, started groups to start making moviesClicker question: What was the “Studio system” – A factory-like system where all the parts of film production, including talent, worked for a studio. Too much media ownership concentrationBig issues in Studio System:1. The actors had to do whatever2. The studio told them to do,3. They didn’t get credit in a lot of the movies, didn’t get paid very well.4. Became a monopoly1948: U.S. supreme ruled – Gateway for industry to become independent, independent producersRise of feature length filmsThe Birth of A Nation: First feature length film, highly racistActors started to be treated like starts, given creditsRise of expensive movies, Griffith needed outside funding for next movieBack to the Cold War Era…US and capitalism vs. USSR – Fear of CommunismClicker question: Who were the Hollywood Ten? – Ten writers and directors who refused to testify to congressHUAC – Blacklists and the Hollywood 10The Production Code1927 – “don’ts and be careful”No drugs could be shown, no white slavery, no interracial sex, no sex hygiene, no profanity, etc.Media affects theory you should show bad deeds being punished – social learning theory/cognitive theoryLasted for 41 years – controlled content until rating systems came out in 1968Clicker question: Who decides what rating to give a movie? – A panel of 10 to 13 parents in the Los Angeles Area.What determines how a movie is rated? Language, nudity, violence, drug use.You can say the F word once in a movie and it can still be PG-13The Blockbuster EraSummer of 1975 – JawsStudios only put out big movies during Christmas (families had time off work, home)Clicker question: What technique do studios use to ensure success for blockbusters? Ad campaigns with cross-promotional marketing tie ins, big stars, large target audiences, word of mouth campaignHollywood today: The FormulaBig BlockbustersOr low-budget, niche moviesTie-ins and after markets very importantBollywoodClicker question: What is a masala film? Movie with many storylines, musical interludes, strong hero, heroine, and villainTypes of political communicationTraditional news coverageCandidate communications:News releasesMailing, phone call, textsSocial mediaAdvertisementsCampaign eventsPolitical “blogosphere”Drudge Report, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, RedState, Wonkette* Huge growing gross of these online blogs to give us political information, blogs have power to shape political agendaInterpersonal Communication – best predictor of who we will vote forMedia and Politics TodayPolitical CommunicationThree Main Players1. Political ElitesWant publicityWant favorable public opinion2. The PressWant to provide information to publicWant to get the inside scoop, before others3. The PublicWant accurate information for making voting decisionsWant their favored candidates to look goodPolitical AdsIconic AdsLBJ vs. Goldwater 1964, Daisy adG.H.W. Bush vs. Dukakis 1988, Willie Horton adDo negative ads work?2007 study in the journal of politics:Negative ads tend to be more memorable than positive onesBut, they did not affect voter choice.But, campaign consultants think they workPolitical communication challengesChallenges for candidatesGOTV – Get out the voteGetting people to go vote: biggest challengeTrack online behavior and target advertisementsClicker Q: Which is not one of the three categories campaigns put voters into? Registered voters(Three categories: likely supporters, those who can be persuaded, those supporting another candidate)Candidate profilingVoting records + credit/commercial dataImplicationsNo good without voter modelsClicker Q: which is not one of the three reasons Kreiss argues that campaign data aggregation is a dangerous practice for democracy? Data aren’t accurateInformation asymmetries:Clicker Q: One benefit of data aggregation for political candidates is: Voters targeted by campaigns using data are more likely to voteChallenges for political reportersCandidates are political operatives repeat the same talking points, over and over againFear of appearing biased: He said v. she said journalismClicker Q: he said/she said journalism is similar to: Journalism of Assertion (sources have most power)Challenges for VotersWho to believe?Where to get info?Is it the whole story?Lack of issue-based coverageHorse race coverage – who’s leading where, in what states, how can they boost votesApathy: Not caring one way or another, opposite of passionateClicker Q: according to todays reasons, disengaged citizens are ___ likely to see political advertising in the era of big data? LessSocial media and GOTVSeeing a Facebook message showing friends who had voted increased the likelihood people would actually vote in the 2010 mid-terms.What are Ethics?Not the same as MoralityNot the same as laws (What you have to do, or what you cant do)Ethics = what you should or should not to“What you do when no answer seems right, when all answers are problematic.” (Page 343) What is the best option?Why examine media ethics?Media productionExample: Do you identify a rape victim in a story?Media consumptionEthical Principles allow us to think through a dilemmaClicker Q: Aristotle’s Golden Mean states that: Virtue lies between the extreme behaviors, the midpointThe Golden MeanAristotleVirtue resides between extremesRush and roll fast, not evaluation situationEvaluation = in the middle not rushing in and not sitting backVirtue lies in the ACTOR – what is virtuous for you?Being courageousClicker Q: The Categorical imperative: Formulated by Immanuel Kant, Concerns the ethics of the act itself, Says that you should do only what you would want everyone else to doClicker Q: Utilitarianism: One should act to ensure the greatest good for the greatest numberUtilitarianismJohn Stewart MillGreatest good for the greatest number – what are the consequences of lying?“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”Clicker Q: Which of the following is NOT a step in Bok’s Model? Determine the most important values for the situationBOK’s Model:1. Consult your conscience – gut check2. Seek alternatives – other possible actions3. Hold a dialogue with everyone involvedMight be an imaginary dialogueClicker Q: