Page 231 - Media Effects Advances in Theory and Research

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such as Jesse Ventura, winning them). Social movements, protesters, and
interest groups have been gaining visibility and impact. Accompanying
these trends is a loss of confidence in institutions and leaders, including
government, business, and journalism.
One of the most visible factors is the growth of special-interest groups.
Adept at raising funds and at using public relations strategies, often in
consort with other like-minded groups, interest groups have become
increasingly powerful in their efforts to lobby politicians and shape polit-
ical discourse. As part of their strategies, they attempt to influence policy
making indirectly by targeting public opinion through the media. Orga-
nized interest groups permeate social discourse by getting their “experts”
on news and talk shows, providing “background” information to
reporters, and inducing the news media to adopt their “frames” on con-
troversial issues (Gandy, 1982; Pertschuk & Schaetzel, 1989). Playing
directly to these organized interest groups are candidates who raise special-
interest money and build their own organizations largely independent of
party influences. Once elected, these individuals are relatively free of
party discipline and seem mainly concerned with preserving their own
power bases. This new freedom can be translated into national political
power on selected issues for those able to use their posts to become recur-
rent news sources.
Although the impact of organized interest groups with considerable
resources has clearly continued to expand, so too has the presence of
grassroots groups. There has been a growing activism from citizen groups
extending beyond the local level, using the Internet to coordinate activi-
ties. Perhaps the most visible example has been the diverse coalition of
“antiglobalism” protest activity, which has snowballed through a series of
mass demonstrations in Seattle; Quebec; Washington, D.C.; Genoa; and
elsewhere. These protests provide an example of how the Internet has
helped groups organize to foster participation from geographically dis-
persed individuals, amplifying marginalized voices.
Some groups have organized to provide a watchdog on the media
specifically. Such groups come from various locales on the political spec-
trum such as Accuracy in Media (AIM) and Fairness and Accuracy in
Reporting (FAIR). These are but two examples of the many groups that
organize to influence political processes. Often the media are at the center
of their attempts to influence policy and public opinion. Such organiza-
tions (interest groups, protest groups, watchdog groups, etc.) are increas-
ing in influence and diversity, and thus must be considered as players in
the political environment.
The center of the new political system appears to be the media. Presi-
dential candidates, for example, travel incessantly to generate opportuni-
ties to appear on the news and to raise campaign funds for advertising.