This document discusses how political cynicism is related to mass media coverage. It argues that the mainstream media's focus on drama and negativity contributes to a "spiral of cynicism" where politicians feel they must provide cynical stories to get coverage and the public becomes more cynical about the political system as a result of constant negative news. Additionally, the use of "news frames" and sensationalism by media can influence perceptions of politics. Sources of political humor are also examined in terms of their potential effects on cynicism levels. Statistics on current public opinions about politicians are provided.

2. Political Cynicism & Mass Media
Culture
Brian McCarthy
November 27, 2015

3. • “… we depend on the media for almost
everything we learn about politics, and it is
therefore almost impossible to think positively
about either our leaders or about the political
process” (Wolfsfeld 82).

4. Overview
People are always complaining that, ‘we don’t have
great leaders like we used to’ (Wolfsfeld 76). Our
ideas and notions with regards to our leaders are
directly related to the news media. In fact, our ideas
with regards to the world (politics, culture, media),
in general, are directly related to the news media.
“Following politics in the United States sometimes becomes the
equivalent of watching endless episodes of America’s Funniest
Home Videos” (Wolfsfled 75).

5. Overview
continued
Political cynicism results (at least in
part) from an over-saturation of
media exposure. This is because the
mainstream media is often more
concerned with ratings than
substance. And what constitutes good
ratings? It’s drama- good stories. But
is this type of cynicism an unfortunate
byproduct of unnecessary negativity
or, is it a healthy aspect of a
democratic society?

6. Topics
• political cynicism defined
• Spiral of cynicism
• politics-media-politics cycle
• news frames & ideology
• sensationalism, infotainment & tabloid journalism
• political humor
• 2016 presidential race
• statistics

7. Political Cynicism
The widespread belief
that elected officials
are working towards
their own self
interests and are
actively engaged in
dishonest behavior
most of the time
(Dancey 412).

8. Spiral of Cynicism
Authors Joseph N. Cappella and Kathleen Hall
Johnson argue that voter cynicism is caused by
the mainstream media’s “framing” of political
events. However, they also suggest that political
leaders may be motivated by less-than-altruistic
influences- meaning that news coverage isn’t
really cynical at all.

9. Spiral of Cynicism
continued
“It is a spiral because the fact that journalists are looking for
cynical stories means that politicians believe they need to
provide these types of stories, especially about their rivals, in
order to get into the news. The public then receives a
constant flow of negative news about their leaders and this
increases their own cynicism about the political system.
Finally, journalists become even more convinced that this is
what the audience wants and put an even greater emphasis
on cynical coverage. The greatest danger from all this is that
people lose faith in the political system” (Wolfsfeld 74).

10. Politics-Media-Politics
A cause and effect type relationship that
begins with an event that alters the political
landscape which the media is forced to
respond to. Politics are then further impacted
by the media’s coverage of the initial event.

11. Politics-Media-Politics
continued
“… the emphasis on drama in the news can have an important
impact on the political process” (Wolfsfeld 86).
Example: Donald Trump (front-
runner for the 2016 GOP
nomination) says something
controversial.
The media responds by
repeating his statement on
multiple platforms.
Trump’s reputation is altered in
some way which fuels more
conversation.

12. News Frames & Ideology
News Frame: The way something is presented to
the audience and how it influences the choices
people make about how to process that
information (Davie, Framing Theory).
Ideology: A set of ideas that structure’s a group’s
reality (Littlejohn & Foss 318).
“… the way journalists cover election campaigns is telling”
(Wolfsfeld 76).

13. News Frames & Ideology
continued
Examples of News
Frames: Economic
Inequality, Climate
Change and The War
on Terror.
The news media almost always use a ‘strategic frame’ to cover
politics (Wolfsfeld 74).

14. News Frames & Ideology
continued
News frames are particular ways of looking at
events, and they’re impossible to avoid. And
although all news stories need to be “crafted”,
framing can result in biased, one-sided and
limited viewpoints. News frames not only reflect
the values of the news media but society as a
whole. It’s important to ask whether the media
shapes public opinions or whether collective
cultural values shape the media.

15. Sensationalism, Infotainment & Tabloid
Journalism
Sensationalism: the use of shocking details to
cause a lot of excitement or
interest(“Sensationalism”).
Infotainment: television programs that present
information (such as news) in a way that is
meant to be entertaining (“Infotainment”).
Tabloid Journalism: type of popular, largely
sensationalistic journalism (Gossel).

16. Sensationalism, Infotainment &
Tabloid Journalism
continued
“Gotcha” journalism: “…
journalism designed to elicit
damaging answers or
information from people -
leading questions that get them
to admit guilt, or to say things
that could be construed as guilty
(Mayer).
“simple, straight-forward
questions that cannot be
answered by inept politicians”
(Bun).

17. Sensationalism, Infotainment & Tabloid
Journalism
continued
This type of content embellishes and exaggerates
topical public issues while capitalizing and exploiting
popular figures- usually via humor or fear. This content
contributes to “media malaise”- the idea that continual
exposure to the negativity in the media leads to cynical
citizens (Wolfsfeld 81).
“Exposure to infotainment rather than hard news leads citizens
to view politics via the lens of entertainment”. (Airely 438).

18. Political Humor
It’s arguable that political
humor does more to
contribute to the health of a
society than it does to
detract from it. Shows like
The Daily Show, Real Time
with Bill Maher and Saturday
Night Live (SNL) offer a
subversive and alternative
viewpoint.
“Late night talk show hosts frequently
begin their show by mocking
politicians” (Wolfsfeld 80).

19. Political Humor
continued
“Thinking about political humor is important
because an increasingly high number of young
people apparently depend on comedy shows for
their political information. A 2004 Pew Research
Center report found that 21 percent of young people
(ages 18-29) claimed that they regularly get
political information from comedy TV shows”
(Wolfsfeld 79-8).
Humor contains the acids to cut through the effluence
and show us the light at the end of the sewer (Lamb).

20. Political Humor
continued
Although the majority of
young people may get their
news from “fake” news
programs, that shouldn’t
indicate that these shows
don’t have value. Besides,
the so-called “real” news
often capitalizes on stories
with entertainment value-
thereby perpetuating the
cycle of cynicism.

21. 2016 Presidential Race
We’ve seen the rise and continued success of
some unlikely contenders: e.g., Trump, Carson.
Americans have become disillusioned with
traditional politicians. These candidates also
provide a certain amount of entertainment value
which contributes to their appeal.
“Public opinion polls consistently show Americans are cynical
about the ethical standards of elected officials” (Dancey).

22. 2016 Presidential Race
continued
Horse race journalism is a
controversial style of
political coverage
(Brettschneider).
This type of reporting can
contribute to cynical
attitudes by minimalizing
the candidates positions on
important topics.
from March 2012

23. Statistics
“The public continues to express
considerable cynicism about
politics and elected officials.
More than three-quarters (76%)
agree that “elected officials in
Washington lose touch with the
people pretty quickly.” More
than half (51%) agree that
“people like me don’t have any
say about what the government
does” (Pew Research Center).

24. Statistics
continued
However, the news isn’t entirely negative.
Young people are more positive
about elected officials. Currently,
43% of people under 30 say that
officials care about what people
like them think (Pew Research
Center).
“Conclusions regarding the effects of a commercialized media environment or
infotainment news are mixed …” (Airely 438).

25. Wrap-up
• Political and voter cynicism is a general lack of
faith in politicians and institutions. It’s a belief
that our leaders act only in their own self-
interests, and this viewpoint is at partially
fueled by the media’s near-constant display of
negative coverage.

26. Wrap-up
continued
Media outlets need to “frame”
certain events in order to
establish a context for
understanding, and it’s true that
as Americans, we receive the
majority of our information
through traditional and digital
media platforms- some
reputable, others … not so
much.

27. Wrap-up
continued
Many late-night talk shows portray
our leaders humorously- allowing us
to look at our officials in a new
light. Such alternative viewpoints
may contribute to levels of political
cynicism, but may also be indicative
of a healthy balance of ideas.

28. Wrap-up
continued
Recent studies tend to show that many
American’s believe politicians to be insincere,
and entertainment-based news programs imbue
our leaders with a certain amount of celebrity
status which can minimalize a leader’s stance
on important topics.

29. SOURCES
• Wolfsfeld, G. Making Sense of Media & Politics: Five Principles in Political
Communication. New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Print.
• Dancey, Logan. “The Consequences of Political Cynicism: How Cynicism
Shapes Citizens’ Reactions to Political Scandals.” Political Behavior 34
(2012): 411-414. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.
• Ariely, Gay. “Does Commercialized Political Coverage Undermine Political
Trust?: Evidence Across European Countries.” Journal of Broadcasting and
Electronic Media. 59.3 (2015): 438-449. Academic Search Complete. Web.
1 Nov. 2015.
• Brettschneider, Frank. “Horse Race Coverage”. The International
Encyclopedia of Communication. Wolfgang Donsbach, 2008. Web. 14 Nov.
2015.
• “What is gotcha journalism and gotcha questions? What are some
examples?” Quora. 30 May. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
• Bun. “Gotcha Journalism”. Urban Dictionary. 30 Sept. 2008. Web. 14 Nov.
2015.
• Davie, G., “Framing Theory.” Mass Communication Theory. The Twenty Ten
Theme, Web. 20 Nov. 2015.

30. SOURCES
continued
• Littlejohn, Stephen W., Karen A. Foss. Theories of Human Communication. Belmont: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2005. Print.
• “Sensationalism” Merriam-Webster. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015
• “Infotainment” Merriam-Webster. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015
• Gossel, D. “Tabloid Journalism” . Encyclopedia Britannica: School and Library Subscribers.
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 7 Nov. 2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
• Lamb, Christopher. “Humor Brings Light Instead of Darkness to Political Ads.” The Huffington
Post. 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
• “Independents Take Center Stage in Obama Era- Section 8: Politics and Political Participation.”
Pew Research Center: U.S. Politics & Policy. Pew Research Center, 21 May. 2009. Web. 24 Nov.
2015.

31. SOURCES (Images)
• Klosowski, Thorin. “How to Stop Being a Cynical Asshole.” Lifehacker, 6
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20 Nov. 2015. JPEG file.
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• Dreamstime. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. PNG file.
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PNG file.
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Nov. 2015. PNG file.

32. SOURCES (Images)
continued
• Tani, Maxwell. “NBC fires Donald Trump after he calls Mexicans
rapists and drug runners.” Business Insider. 29 June 2015. Web. 20
Nov. 2015. PNG file.
• Popsugar. Insanely Addictive, Web. 20 Nov. 2015. PNG file.
• Oremus, Will. “The Iowa Horse Race.” Slate. The Slate Group, 2 Jan.
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