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Feeding Frenzy: Attack Journalism & American
Politics-Larry J. Sabato
Becky Canovan
Ryan Hoover
Lindsey Boyett
Lyndsay Leggott
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Overview
History of JournalismLapdog, Watchdog, Junkyard Dog
Factors causing attacksWatergateMob Psychology
ConsequencesPress, Candidate, Voters, Political System
Remedies Discussion and Conclusions
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“Feeding Frenzy”
“…a feeding frenzy is defined as the press coverage attending any political event or circumstance where a critical mass of journalists leap to cover the same embarrassing or scandalous subject and pursue it intensely, often excessively, and sometimes uncontrollably.” ~Sabato, p. 6
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History of Journalism
Began around 1690
Party papers
Penny press
Yellow journalism and muckraking
World War I
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Lapdog Journalism
Rooseveltian rule of thumb
Supported and protected politicians
JFK and Camelot
THE END OF IT ALL
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Watchdog Journalism
Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick
Private life influencing politics
Everything is fair game
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Junkyard Dog Journalism
Women in journalism
Television overtaking newspapers
Extensive research discarded
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Factors in Attack Prominence
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
Slow news periods“If you are going to fuck up, don’t fuck
up in the middle of August when there is nothing else to write about.” ~Steve Roberts, 1989, U.S. News & World Report
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More Factors
Women & feminism in the media
Search to validate the subtext
Watergate
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Watergate
Most profound impact of any modern event on how the journalism world changed
Guilt about underplaying political disasters
Character issues
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Mob Psychology
“I’ve been in that group psychology; I know what it’s like. You think you’re on to something, you’ve got somebody on the run. How dare they not come clean? How dare they not tell the full story? What are they trying to hide? Why are they hiding it? And you become a crusader for the truth. Goddammit, you’re going to get the truth!”
~CNN’s Frank Sesno
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Consequences of Attack Journalism
Press Consequences
Candidate Consequences
Voter Consequences
Consequences for the Political System
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Press Consequences
Declining standards LCD journalism Increase in competition Invasion of privacy areas Strengthening of pack journalism Reduce access to elected officials Growing hostility toward the press
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Candidate Consequences
Damaged by controversies Can end political careers “People were always waiting for the other
shoe to drop with Barry, and it always did; then people would say, ‘now the mayor’s finished’—but they ignored the fact that he was a centipede who had more shoes left to drop than Imelda Marcos.”
~Tom Sherwood, journalist, speaking of Mayor Marion Barry
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Voter Consequences
Less news watching
Encouragement of cynicism
Candidates eliminated before the electorate speaks
“Sentence first—verdict afterwards.”~Queen of Hearts – Alice in Wonderland
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Consequences for the Political System
Increased openness and accountability
Candidates not focusing on issues
Many viable candidates steer clear of the system
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Remedies
Independently verify news stories by network
Do not raise dead-and-buried tales from the crypt
Go after the evildoers when false rumors come to the surface
Internal checks and balances Changing attitudes of journalists “The most rational, logical solution for
candidates is to avoid the sins and circumstances that spawn frenzies.” p. 167
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Voter Contribution
If public chooses not to listen
Choice of outlet for information
Decreasing voter cynicism
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Quotes
On Clinton saying he’s capable of commanding the U.S. military because he’s headed the Arkansas National Guard: “Isn’t that like saying you can fly the space shuttle because you’ve seen every episode of Star Trek?”
~Jay Leno, August 31, 1992
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Quotes
Top Ten Reasons Clinton Is Losing His Lead: No. 2 – “More and more people like the idea of a tiny, insane millionaire running things.”
~ David Letterman, October 29, 1992 Said Letterman: “In, out, in, out – isn’t
that what got him in trouble in the first place?” - said in reference to Gary Hart
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Omissions
Internet
Updated examples
Discussion
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Take Home Lesson
“If we tell people there’s absolutely nothing private left to them, then we will tend to attract to public office only those most brazen, least sensitive personalities. Is that what we want to do?” ~New York Times columnist
Anthony Lewis