Lecture 3

The means by which political information is produced and disseminated and the effects that it has on the political process

channels of communication that reach a large number of people

The choice of media sources made by an individual. For example, people who are already conservative will most likely choose conservative sources of news.

the consolidation of the ownership of media in the hands of a shrinking number of large corporations

the idea that internet service providers should treat all internet communications equally and not discriminate on the basis of access, content, users or sources

the phenomena by which ideas circulate inside a close system, and users seek out only those sources of information that confirm or amplify their values

The idea that appeals to emotions and personal beliefs have become more influential than objective facts and evidence in shaping public opinion and policy

The use of information technology by authoritarian leaders to increase social and political control

connect with and mobilize voters, promote themselves and communicate interactively with the electorate without interference of journalists.

has been subject to a growing amount of scholarly inquiry. Two characteristics Interactivity Two-way communication: one communicator can communicate directly to another and vice versa Political representation

has a mobilizing effect on citizens’ political engagement as it is flexible and the cost of participation is low. This encourages citizens to learn more about politics. Having a website results in more votes Websites tend to focus on getting supporters involved who are already engagedWeb campaigning exerts a positive impact on the level of support Web campaigning does not influence voting Positive influence on vote choice

The degree to which two or more communication parties can act on each other, on the communication medium, and on the messages and the degree to which such influences are synchronized. 3 dimensions: - Active control: controlling the content - Two-way communication: reciprocal communication between users - Synchronicity: immediate response to communication, which relates to technological features

extent to which an individual feels that another communicator (candidate) is present and there is an opportunity to engage in actual conversation.

positive effects, gives parties a face and voice (more effective communication), a person is more appealing than a political document, increased feelings of closeness.

a set of ideas concerning the antagonistic relationship between two homogenous constructs: the (Good) people and the (Evil) elite’ Attached to another ideology People-centrism Anti-elitism Centralized party organization

Objective reality: events as they actually occurred Subjective reality: events as perceived by governments and citizens Constructed reality: events as they are covered and presented by the media

• selective exposure: they consumed information that supported their interests and outlook through • selective interpretation: interpreted information in a way that would make it consistent with their opinions through • selective recall: forgot information that ran counter to their beliefs through

less editorial independence, threat to media pluralism and diversity, ties the editorial policies of media outlets to the interests of the corporations that own them, undermines the capacity of media to serve the public interest and threatens net neutrality.

• With so many sources of political information (social media, internet, news) users can become overwhelmed. People are more prone to effects of the echo chamber • Users of social media can have their beliefs manipulated by computational propaganda (bots) which share negative or fake information • Disinformation

• Arbitrary tax investigations • Financially draining lawsuits against critics • Selective enforcement of laws and practices • Verbal harassment • Generous access to leaders and information