CHAPTER ELEVEN
Media, Politics, and Government

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Nobody would deny that the news media plays a crucial role in politics. However, the importance of news media becomes even more apparent when we consider that our political reality is crafted by the flow of information. Thus, understanding how the media selects, sorts, and presents information is critical for understanding politics and government. Further, it is crucial to realize that not everyone interprets information in the same way; we all have several unique sets of mental filters that we use to make sense of the world. These filters can distort our understanding of the world, and politicians attempt to manipulate these predispositions to make us interpret the news in a manner that works to their benefit. The majority of the news media is commercial, and the need to attract an audience affects which stories the media selects to present and how it portrays political information. The journalistic ethic of objectivity even further warps the media’s presentation of political information. All of these factors work to create a mutually beneficial relationship between elites and the media. Elites benefit from the exposure they receive, while the media gets marketable stories. However, this relationship is unstable. The media will quickly turn on elites if the story is good enough. Students should learn two important lessons from this chapter. First, to be critical consumers of information, we must appreciate how the media presents the news. Further, we must also be cognizant of our predispositions and how we use them to make sense of the world. We must also be on guard for those who would manipulate our predilections for their own benefit. Second, if dingoes keep stealing your babies, it is probably time to invest in a quality fence.

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