Research indicates that people discount their own opinions and experiences in favor of those of "experts" as espoused in the media. The framing of news coverage thus has a profound impact on public opinion, and political decision making as a response to public outcry. However, the choice of how to frame the news is typically made to solicit viewership and high ratings rather than to convey accurate and meaningful information. The Psychology of Media and Politics discusses why people discount their own opinions, how the media shapes the news, when this drives political decision making, and what the effect is on the future of society. Issues addressed include: How powerful are the media in shaping political beliefs/judgment? How has this power changed in recent years? How does media influence voting behavior? To what extent do media opinions affect political decision making?
With "spin" often playing an exaggerated role in politics, it is sometimes difficult to understand legal and judicial issues apart from their presentations by the media. This collection of articles combines discussions of ethical issues within and about the news and entertainment industries with descriptions of similar issues in politics. In general, the volume explores the theme of freedom versus responsibility. It can therefore serve as a resource for the person interested in theories of justice and discrimination as well as the depiction of minorities in the media. It's that ability to separate one from the other, and then to think analytically about the specific question at issue, that lies at the heart of Ethics.The book includes 30 articles previously published in the Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics and three new articles, commissioned especially for this volume. Over half of the previously published articles include updated facts and bibliographic citations. New articles include "Media Ethics, Overview", "War Reporting," and "Privacy vs. Public Right to Know."
