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Week 6: Insider Baseball: How Politicians and Journalists Relate

• Bennett, Ch. 4, "How Politicians Make the News," pp. 109-149.

• Bennett, Ch. 5, "How Journalists Report the News," pp. 153-182.

According to Bennett, what is the significance of the story of the Yalta summit at the close of World War II? What are the sources for most news? How do "officials" influence the content and framing of news stories? What, according to Bennett, are the impacts of "officialized news" on politics? How do news images serve as "strategic political communication?" How does newsworthiness become a substitute for validity? How does the "media logic" unite politicians with journalists? What are the goals of strategic political communication? How do political actors try to shape messages? make messages salient? make messages credible? frame messages? What is "symbolic politics"? What is the difference between referential and condensational symbols? What can be learned from the evolution of the meaning of "MIA" during the Vietnam war and after? What is the "news management game?" What are prepackaged news stories? video news releases? strategic polls? What are pseudo-events? What does Bennett mean by "partially controlled news situations?" How do "leaks" work? What is the role of timing? What is damage control? What have been the news management styles of Ronald Reagan? G.H.W. Bush? Bill Clinton? George W. Bush? Why do politicians speak of "care and feeding" of journalists? What is the evidence that intimidation sometimes works as a means of press management?

What is "gotcha" journalism? What is the difference between personal and substantive adversarialism? What are organizational routines, and how do they work for journalists? What are the roles of professional norms, cooperation, and formulas in shaping how journalists make decisions? What does Bennett mean by the "insider syndrome?" Does Bennett think there is an "unelected media elite?" What is the "news hole?" What are news beats? What are special assignments, and what are some examples of how they can become "scripted?" What is "pack journalism?" a "feeding frenzy?" Why do reporters experience pressures to agree with other reporters? What does Bennett mean by the "paradox of organizational routines?" What are some things journalists are doing to make the news more responsible?