Introduction To My Blog

Welcome to my blog about the intersection of mass media and politics! Mass media play an extremely crucial role in politics and the public's understanding of politics, and likewise mass media are impacted by the happenings of politics. Here, we will analyze instances of this connection as they play out in the real world, and relate these instances to broader concepts of mass media and its role in politics. Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to writing here weekly!

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The Dangerous Job of Protest Reporting

Protests are among the most powerful ways that citizens express their discontent with those in power. It follows that stories and coverage of protests are an essential and powerful form of reporting that can help people understand the events on the ground where protests unfold. But reporting from protests is also one of the more hazardous places for a journalist to be. Throughout last summer, we saw attacks and arrests increase starkly against journalists doing the important work of covering protests on the ground. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker reported a significant uptick in these incidents, and we even saw the dramatic scenarios play out on TV. CNN's Omar Jimenez was arrested on live television in Minneapolis last summer. This highly publicized event brought to the spotlight the real risks that protest reporters undertake when bringing these important stories. This of course plays out internationally as well. Over the last two months, violent clashes between protestors and the...

Fox News' Fauci Problem

Fascinating research has emerged that has hinted that widespread misinformation about the coronavirus, especially from conservative leaning outlets, led to a weakened response to the pandemic and potentially more spread than would have occurred without. Since the start of the pandemic, Fox News has certainly had much to say in that regard. Whether it was downplaying the pandemic's severity, opposing mask usage and social distancing protocols, or generally advising that Americans need not worry about COVID-19, the studies that will emerge on the effects of these messages will certainly be interesting. Special attention should be paid to the channel's coverage of Anthony Fauci. Ever since Fauci emerged as a sometimes oppositional voice to that of former President Donald Trump's, he became the target of ferocious conservative criticism. Even today, long after Fauci has been a visible enemy to Donald Trump, Fox News runs negative stories about him regularly. A quick search of ...

Reporting on the Police

Almost a year after George Floyd's death sparked worldwide protests, the man who kneeled on his neck was ultimately convicted of murder and is facing decades in prison. This traumatic cultural moment has raised an important question for young journalists - how do you report on police activity? The question has been raised in light of the initial press release from Minneapolis Police shortly after George Floyd's death. In a statement, the police said Floyd "appeared to be suffering medical distress" and was subsequently transported via ambulance to a hospital where he died "a short time later". At no point in the release was it made clear that Derek Chauvin had placed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes while he gasped for air and told the officers that he could not breathe. This vague, misleading and wholly incorrect initial statement questions the whole premise of reporting solely on what police "said". If not for the video, that ...

Mass Media and Politics

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