The Role of media in the Rise of Populism
Biographical Sketch
Rose Dyson's doctorate on violence in the media and cultural policy was followed by her book MIND ABUSE Media Violence in an Information Age (2000). She has co-authored 9 additional peer reviewed books, given numerous papers and speeches, both nationally and internationally , edited The Learning Edge, for the Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education for 17 years, is President of Canadians Concerned About Violence in Entertainment, National Secretary of the Canadian Peace Research Association and a member of the Climate Action Network.
Type of Presentation
Individual presentation
Brief Description of Presentation
This paper will provide a review of media trends in recent decades and illustrate ways in which corporate media interests have been predominant in cultural policy development. Examples will also be given of initiatives to balance these trends with those of the wider public interest. The session will conclude with an opportunity for discussion of potential initiatives going forward.
Abstract of Proposal
TITLE: The Role of Media in the Rise of Populism In the aftermath of the 2016
U.S. presidential campaign, pundits, policy analysts, and scholars recoiled in dismay as it became evident that, despite widespread news coverage exposing differences between the two candidates, the one widely regarded as the most qualified lost to the one regarded as the least qualified. Appeals to ward off attacks on time honoured democratic institutions went unheeded. The mainstream media was impotent in swaying public opinion to reject repeated vows from the Republican Candidate to derail the status quo with egregious abuses of power. Their traditional role to offer “unbiased” coverage of “the truth”, no longer seemed relevant. Coverage of his outrageous tweets actually helped to get him elected. Mean while, international anxiety and uncertainly over the threat of populist, political contagion grows. In this paper, it will be argued that for too long, the power of language has not been sufficiently acknowledged in cultural policy and how it impacts on broader policy making... The vitriol and divisiveness throughout the campaign in which the idiom of threat and vengeance ignited a popular thirst for the Democratic Candidate to be jailed or even killed if necessary has been gathering force on the airwaves for decades. It was normalized with the rise of shock jock radio talk show hosts, transferred to television and reinforced with violence creep in media entertainment. Social media has accelerated the process by ensuring widespread dissemination of every tweet and falsehood on face book. The truth has become irrelevant. The challenge ahead is to beat back this tide and reclaim public discourse on the basis of morals and values consistent with best practices in democratic governance.
Location
Coastal Georgia Center
Start Date
2-25-2017 9:50 AM
End Date
2-25-2017 11:20 AM
Recommended Citation
Dyson, Rose A. Dr., "The Role of media in the Rise of Populism" (2017). International Critical Media Literacy Conference. 27.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/criticalmedialiteracy/2017/2017/27
The Role of media in the Rise of Populism
Coastal Georgia Center
TITLE: The Role of Media in the Rise of Populism In the aftermath of the 2016
U.S. presidential campaign, pundits, policy analysts, and scholars recoiled in dismay as it became evident that, despite widespread news coverage exposing differences between the two candidates, the one widely regarded as the most qualified lost to the one regarded as the least qualified. Appeals to ward off attacks on time honoured democratic institutions went unheeded. The mainstream media was impotent in swaying public opinion to reject repeated vows from the Republican Candidate to derail the status quo with egregious abuses of power. Their traditional role to offer “unbiased” coverage of “the truth”, no longer seemed relevant. Coverage of his outrageous tweets actually helped to get him elected. Mean while, international anxiety and uncertainly over the threat of populist, political contagion grows. In this paper, it will be argued that for too long, the power of language has not been sufficiently acknowledged in cultural policy and how it impacts on broader policy making... The vitriol and divisiveness throughout the campaign in which the idiom of threat and vengeance ignited a popular thirst for the Democratic Candidate to be jailed or even killed if necessary has been gathering force on the airwaves for decades. It was normalized with the rise of shock jock radio talk show hosts, transferred to television and reinforced with violence creep in media entertainment. Social media has accelerated the process by ensuring widespread dissemination of every tweet and falsehood on face book. The truth has become irrelevant. The challenge ahead is to beat back this tide and reclaim public discourse on the basis of morals and values consistent with best practices in democratic governance.
