Vanderbilt Virtual School
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 ~ 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM Central Time Zone ~
$75.00
There is no democracy without elections. And there can be no free elections without the media. Together, the candidates and those who report their actions and words make possible the citizen choice that is the heartbeat of America's freedom. Again this year, candidates and press are joined, sometimes suspiciously, sometimes in hostility, but always from necessity as essential partners in this "dance of democracy" every four years.
In this videoconference, students will explore the complexity of the media’s role in campaigning for the office of President of the United States. For too many citizens, politics has become a spectator sport rather than a participant game. The challenge for both the candidates and the news media is to find ways to stimulate more interest and deeper involvement in more voters. This videoconference will explore the front lines of the ongoing saga of the candidates who would be president and the journalists who cover their campaigns.
Winning the office of President is a two-stage process. The first stage is to win the nomination of one of the two major American political parties. Once nominated, the candidate moves to the second step: winning the election to the office of President. The election must be won through an organized effort to persuade voters to choose one candidate over others competing for the same office.
A Presidential campaign proceeds through three stages: building a base, planning a strategy, and clinching the vote. In building a base, campaign workers must be recruited and sources of funds must be identified. In planning a strategy, a campaign theme must be adopted and can be party-centered, issue-centered, or personality- oriented. In clinching the vote, the candidate must meet the voting groups and counter the opponents’ arguments.
The media helps to shape decisions at EACH of these three stages of the campaign, whether the candidate is campaigning to win the nomination or to win the office itself. The purpose of this videoconference is to give students an experience in exploring the “spin zone” found in media.
Media sources include Internet, newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, billboards, yard signs, buttons, bumper stickers, speeches, public appearances, and campaign literature.
We will discuss the differences and similarities between these sources. Which ones are most likely to have bias?
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/programs/race4presidency/spinzone.htm
Register here.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 ~ 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM Central Time Zone ~
$75.00
There is no democracy without elections. And there can be no free elections without the media. Together, the candidates and those who report their actions and words make possible the citizen choice that is the heartbeat of America's freedom. Again this year, candidates and press are joined, sometimes suspiciously, sometimes in hostility, but always from necessity as essential partners in this "dance of democracy" every four years.
In this videoconference, students will explore the complexity of the media’s role in campaigning for the office of President of the United States. For too many citizens, politics has become a spectator sport rather than a participant game. The challenge for both the candidates and the news media is to find ways to stimulate more interest and deeper involvement in more voters. This videoconference will explore the front lines of the ongoing saga of the candidates who would be president and the journalists who cover their campaigns.
Winning the office of President is a two-stage process. The first stage is to win the nomination of one of the two major American political parties. Once nominated, the candidate moves to the second step: winning the election to the office of President. The election must be won through an organized effort to persuade voters to choose one candidate over others competing for the same office.
A Presidential campaign proceeds through three stages: building a base, planning a strategy, and clinching the vote. In building a base, campaign workers must be recruited and sources of funds must be identified. In planning a strategy, a campaign theme must be adopted and can be party-centered, issue-centered, or personality- oriented. In clinching the vote, the candidate must meet the voting groups and counter the opponents’ arguments.
The media helps to shape decisions at EACH of these three stages of the campaign, whether the candidate is campaigning to win the nomination or to win the office itself. The purpose of this videoconference is to give students an experience in exploring the “spin zone” found in media.
Media sources include Internet, newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, billboards, yard signs, buttons, bumper stickers, speeches, public appearances, and campaign literature.
We will discuss the differences and similarities between these sources. Which ones are most likely to have bias?
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/programs/race4presidency/spinzone.htm
Register here.