A E J M C Morality News ( Robert Lewis)

by West Virginia University - Department of Communication Studies on Sep 22, 2011

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Abstract: This discussion centers on sub-cultural and individual differences in morality, and how those differences may help to determine our reactions to controversial stories in the news. What we consider "good news" or "bad news" seems to be determined by the same psychological systems that we use to make moral judgments of fictional characters and in non-mediated experiences.

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A E J M C Morality News ( Robert Lewis) — Presentation Transcript

Robert J. Lewis
Michigan State University
Morality and news MEDIA

Morality and news Media
Why is the same news story enjoyable for some, and abhorrent for others?
Why do some stories create heated controversy? (e.g., gay marriage)
Moral intuitions govern perceptions of news as good or bad.

Moral foundations theory

News reports as narratives
Altheidedescribes news as a morality play
Zillmann describes news as nonfiction theatre

Model of intuitive morality and exemplars (MIME)
A broad model that incorporates MFT with exemplification theory to explain how moral intuition influences reactions to media.

Media producers create news reports to have a narrative structure.
Moral values determine reactions to these stories.
Viewers want to see justice served.
News-media producers base stories on universal and culturally derived notions of justice.

Morality moderates reactions to news
Political affiliation determines whether outcomes befalling political figures are perceived as just (Zillmann & Knobloch, 2001).
Individuals’ justice and care orientations affect responses to controversial news stories (Lind, 1996).

Testing the mime
Two recent studies test the influence of moral intuitions identified in the MIME.
Lewis et al. (2011) showed that fairness and loyaltyintuitions predicted reactions to news of the Lockerbie bomber’s release.
More recently, loyaltyand purityintuitions predicted reactions to news of Osama Bin Laden assassination.

Parting thoughts …
As with other media, news audiences act as tireless moral monitors.
MFT’s moral intuitions are central to this monitoring process.
The moral intuitions help to determine whether news is perceived as “good news” versus “bad news.”
Macro-level implications?
Do the news-media affect moral values, selective exposure, and subsequently media content?

Production of content affirming salient intuitions and exemplars
Automatic/
Controlled
Appraisal
Exposure to media content featuring salient intuitions/exemplars
Intuition/
Exemplar
Salience
Selective Exposure to liked content
a

The end
Thank you!

A E J M C Morality News ( Robert Lewis)

by West Virginia University - Department of Communication Studies on Sep 22, 2011

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A E J M C Morality News ( Robert Lewis) — Presentation Transcript