What role do the media play in American politics and culture ?

Communication
Média

Publié le 05 février 2016

Days before the first wave of election primaries in the U.S. ahead of the 2016 presidential race that will reveal the name of Barack Obama's successor, former CNN White House correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno has been invited by Sciences Po Executive Education on 8 January 2016 to discuss the crucial role of the media in American politics and culture.

How would you describe the role of the media and social media in the current presidential campaign ?

Frank Sesno

The roles of traditional and social media in the current campaign have diverged more sharply than we have ever seen before. This is because traditional "journalism" media are confounded by populist/outsiders who have been so influential in setting the agenda for this campaign on the one hand, and social media, on the other hand, where they have a ready audience who support and encourage them. Traditional media are trying to hold candidates accountable for their overstatements and inaccuracies, for their outrage and finger pointing. Social media are accommodating and amplifying their anger. In the former, there is an expectation that the candidates will be held to account, even penalized for what they have said once the media are consumed by the public; in the latter there is the reality that the candidates gain traction and attention and have a ready (and instant) vehicle for their anger. Donald Trump's unbridled use of social media to insult his critics and parrot his unsubstantiated claims is a good example of how social media have, in many cases, provided this free pass. His tweets are free media and he has enjoyed (to date) an enormous and welcoming audience. On the other side of the political divide, Bernie Sanders has mobilized his followers far more effectively via social media than through traditional media, where coverage is generally skeptical. So this campaign graphically illustrates how traditional media and social media diverge to play distinct and often conflicting roles in American politics.

You spent many years as a White House correspondent, how do see the role of the Presidential Press Corps today as opposed to presidential campaigns say in the 1990’s ?

Frank Sesno

It is a vastly diminished role. Because of social media, the Internet, the explosion of cable channels and the disaggregation of the audience (with a lot less 'brand' loyalty), the once-dominant role of the White House press corps is a shadow of its former self. Presidents routinely go on cable shows, comedy shows, late night shows, podcasts. Obama famously sat for an interview with Zach Galafianakis for his "Between Two Ferns" interview internet program, which is said to have had more than thirty million views. Obama did a garage interview with comedian Marc Maron for his irreverent "WTF" podcast. He has also appeared in Google town hall meetings and in interviews on Comedy Central. This is very deliberate niche targeting by the White House. Where once these interviews would have mostly gone to White House reporters, they are now dispersed and the White House press corps covers them like they once covered major speeches at universities or national parliaments.

What role do the media play in American politics and culture ?