Lesson Report:
**Title**: Understanding Political Beliefs, Public Opinion, and Media Bias
**Synopsis**:
Today’s class revolved around discussing political beliefs, where they originate, and how public opinion forms in contrast to political culture. The lesson delved deep into the role of media and the influence of bias on public reactions. Students explored practical examples of how media shapes opinion through intentional and unintentional bias, and how different models, like the pluralist and market models, explain media objectives. The class concluded with a partner activity analyzing political events and media framing.
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**Attendance**:
– No explicit mentions of absentees in the transcript.
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**Topics Covered**:
1. **Introduction to Political Beliefs**:
– The class started with a brief on how political beliefs and values are formed, questioning where they come from.
– A contrast between **Political Culture** (long-term, inherited, community-based) and **Public Opinion** (short-term, reactive) was discussed, highlighting how they impact political behavior.
– Examples of American political culture vs. public opinion, such as reactions to 9/11, were used to emphasize the difference.
2. **Student Activity on Political Events**:
– Students were asked to reflect on a recent political event they had a strong reaction to and identify why it was political.
– Students shared examples including Tajikistan’s NGO closures, Kyrgyzstan’s national anthem change, and Turkish political events.
– Emphasis on sources of information, predominantly **social media**, **television**, and **community discussion**, with platforms such as Instagram (Azzatik, NewsKG) and websites (AkiPress) being frequently mentioned.
3. **Discussion of Political Beliefs and Their Origins**:
– The class explored examples of individual political beliefs (e.g., support for a free-market economy or skepticism towards socialism) and unpacked how statistics, community teachings, family traditions, and media shape those beliefs.
– This segued into where such values stem from—community, family, media—and how tradition and media help transmit political beliefs across generations.
4. **Introduction to Media Influence and Bias**:
– The **Importance of Media** in shaping public knowledge and reaction to political events was introduced.
– Key points on how media acts as a link between the government and the public were addressed, but also how media shapes opinions through **bias**:
– **Intentional Bias**: Deliberate shaping of opinion.
– **Unintentional Bias**: Inclusion/omission of information that indirectly influences the audience’s perspective.
– Examples of **American news media** were displayed (e.g., Fox News), showing how intentional bias frames opinions.
– A case of unintentional bias, through media’s selective reporting, was also explained (e.g., omitting context in news about crime leading to unfair perceptions).
5. **Four Models of Media Bias**:
– **Pluralist Model**: Media presents diverse perspectives, fostering broad debate.
– **Dominant Ideology Model**: Media maintains the status quo and reinforces current power structures.
– **Elite Values Model**: Media reflects the values and beliefs of its creators—editors, journalists, and owners.
– **Market Model**: Media is driven by profit motives, often publishing sensational content to maximize clicks and reactions, sometimes through provocation (e.g., promoting anger in readers for engagement).
6. **Practical Media Bias Exploration**:
– Activity: Students, paired in groups, analyzed a recent political article/video to identify its main argument, and whether it imposed a specific feeling or reaction in the readers.
– Example articles, one related to North Korea and Russia, examined the emotional angle intended by media: making readers react with anger or concern.
7. **Homework Assignment**:
– Students were assigned to assess a media article using one of the four models of media influence (based on their assigned numbers).
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**Actionable Items**:
– **Urgent Homework Submission**:
– Students must submit their analysis of a political article using one of the designated media models (Pluralist, Dominant Ideology, Elite Values, Market Model) by the next class.
– **Hiking Club Reminder**:
– Sign-up for the Hiking Club trip on Saturday for those interested.
– **Technical Issue with Homeworks**:
– Several students (including Islambek) reported issues with homework submissions not appearing. E-course submissions should be double-checked to ensure that all students’ work is recorded correctly.
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Media Analysis Using Political Models
This assignment requires you to apply the media analysis models discussed in class to a recent political event related to media bias and influence.
Instructions:
1. Based on the number you were assigned in class (1 – 4), identify the type of political model you will use for this assignment.
– If you were assigned number 1, you will use the Pluralist model.
– If you were assigned number 2, you will use the Dominant Ideology model.
– If you were assigned number 3, you will use the Elite Values model.
– If you were assigned number 4, you will use the Market model.
2. Select a news article or video reporting on a political event that occurred within the last six months. This can be from any credible browsing website or social media platform, as discussed in class (Instagram, Akipress, News KG, etc.).
3. Identify the key argument or summary of the political event presented in the article or video in one sentence.
4. Answer the following questions based on the model you were assigned:
– What viewpoint or bias (either intentional or unintentional) is evident in the article?
– How does the chosen political model (Pluralist, Dominant Ideology, Elite Values, or Market) help explain this bias?
– What is the potential influence of this bias on readers or viewers?
5. Write a 300-400 word analysis in which you connect the political event to your assigned model. Support your arguments with specific examples from the article or video.
6. Submit your analysis to the designated space before the deadline (next Tuesday).