A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF SATIRICAL BLOGGING TOWARDS THE POLITICAL BEHAVIOR OF FILIPINO NETIZENS

Plopinio, Hannah Georgia F. 3POL2 January 7, 2014 2011026955

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Tracing its roots from the Romans and Greeks, satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize peoples stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues (Oxford Dictionary). In an article by Jean Weisgerber, she identified apparent characteristics of satires pattern of communication: (1) satire is characterized by its attempt at exposing the positive p+rospect in a situation that is mainly unsatisfactory; (2) it uses an indirect method of taking on an object of attack; (3) it has the ability to kindle its readers interest and transform it into an effort for seeing the truth through the absurd reality presented by the satirist; (4) the communication between the satirist and the reader is a theatrical one, where the participation and involvement of the reader is always vital; (5) the satirist is free to employ any rhetorical device, including irony, that which plays a vital role in satire (1973).

It was during the Enlightenment that satire flourished, a time when artists thought that art could be used to reflect society in a way that it would prompt the feeling of shame when people saw how ridiculous they behaved, therefore changing their ways. It is a form that uses scathing humor and warlike wit to hold up human vices and follies to ridicule. It is an attack or a critique of stupidity, and a bout to vices and impurities of the society. It derides,

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in the sense that it uses laughter and mockery as a weapon, as opposed to comedy that seeks to evoke laughter (Colletta, 2009). Satire is a powerful tool that could divulge the flaws and paucities of norms, ideals and social issues that cannot be touched by other traditional forms of art. It is the indirect attack through grotesque presentation, parody, and alternate reality. It is a critique aiming to rouse and encourage a degree of social change (LeBouef, 2007). One of satires purpose is to shock its audience, hence it almost always is aggressive, and/or against the status quo. It is downright ridiculous yet it still remains a critique that makes use of comedic devices (Colletta, 2009). As said by (Kernan, 1962):

Altering social institutions and conventional beliefs leads to criticism, and criticism begets satire. That is why the great periods of historical change have always been marked by satire. (p.155)

From Benjamin Franklin creating the first political cartoon to The New York World being the first newspaper to include cartoons in it, the platforms of satire has been continually evolving since then (Crittenden, Hopkins, & Simmons, 2011).

Over the years, satire has manifested into various forms, continuously challenging established norms and ideals. Satirists have found ways in divulging the negative reality through mediums such as poems, plays and cartoons. Satire has continually penetrated the boundaries of technology, and took the forms of printed and digital media. These include regular sitcoms and TV shows, websites and printed materials.

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In the US run several well-known animated series such as The Simpsons and South Park, both of which mock the American culture through the life of a modern family. These shows are presented in such a way that does not opt for serious discussion, and that anyone can participate. Satire has developed into a medium through which critical issues can be conveyed while maintaining a sense of lightheartedness. (Crittenden et al., 2011).

Segments entitled The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, are also regular television programs that showcase fake news and regularly poke fun at political personalities. These shows have skyrocketed with regard to the shows ratings and have become sources of valid information and opinion. In addition, the study revealed that The Daily Show contains just as much substance as the traditional news segments. More importantly, in a study made by Graber (as cited in Stewart), he asserted that these avenues of soft news have the capacity to reach out into a bigger audience, and rouse the apathetic youth. As suggested by (Holbert, John M. Tcherney, Esralew, & Benski, 2013):

Several scholars have noted that audiences for political entertainment are highly engaged aficionados of the material they are consuming (Jones, 2010; van Zoonen, 2005). Political satires modus operandi is the presentation of human folly in order to shape peoples impressions of the objects being satirized (e.g., politicians, governments, political parties). (p. 174)

This would mean that younger individuals recognize political satire more easily, and understand the purpose of the material clearly.

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Despite the emergence of these programs, political apathy within the youth still continued to rise, as evidently seen over the last four decades during elections. However, while it may be true that political participation still continued to regress, it is important to take into account that political behavior does not only constitute voting behavior although it is the most common form of assessing behavior. As said by Conway (as cited in Stewart), political behavior can both be active and passive. Active involvement would mean ones attempts at influencing policy decision-making, voting, and running for office. Meanwhile, staying interested and paying attention to politics is enough for passive involvement (2000). In the Philippines, websites such as So Whats News?, The Professional Heckler, and Spinbusters regularly post satirical articles that poke fun at Filipino celebrities, politicians and political issues. When a post goes viral, it elicits various reactions from Filipinos that are part of the online community. Only recently, an article by So Whats News? that was written to poke fun at a certain political figure has gone viral and has ignited a public uproar of reaction that spread through the entire social media and reached primetime news. While the main reason the article reached the news was that a lot took the piece for the truth, the reaction it elicited from the people is another story.

Whereas the majority of the Philippines has yet to be more exposed to sardonic pieces as opposed to other countries like the US or UK that have popular shows and/or websites that are satirical, a portion of active participants of the Philippine online community have encountered these forms of writing. Even so, some of these individuals take these pieces with value and view them as valid sources of information and highly thought-out political opinions.

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In the attempt to assess the awareness of Filipino netizens regarding satirical pieces online, this study will shed light into satirical blogposts about the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) Scam, that which is an issue tackled most by satirists at this time. The PDAF Scam invoked an overwhelming reaction from Filipinos and ignited a flood of posts on various social media platforms. All the more is the proliferation of satire in various websites. Hence, this study will then take into account the kind of reaction these blogposts elicit from its young readers, further venturing towards the ways through which these satirical blogs or blogposts influence the political beliefs and behavior of said individuals, whether they will remain passive actors in the political sphere that only continue to lurk and observe political affairs, or if they become active members of the political arena that want to directly influence political matters.

Satire can only be effective if its readers realize the deeper meaning and the social significance presented through humor (Colletta, 2009). Hence, it requires intellectual effort in order for one not to miss the irony present at the heart of its humor. In a country where there is only a minority of people that realize a satirical piece when they encounter one, it is important to develop studies that could look into the probable effects of satirical material towards individuals that have the ability to influence other people as well.

B. Research Problem The main goal of this study would be to answer the following focusing question:

How do satirical blogposts lead to the change of political behavior of its readers?

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In order to maintain cohesiveness throughout the course of the study, the researcher shall pay attention on the following subordinate questions: How does satire become effective, and how do the readers see the truth presented through humor, especially about political ideologies and political figures? How have satirical blogposts influenced the perception of young netizens towards the PDAF issue? What are the effects and the implications of the changeor lack thereofof the perception of young netizens regarding the PDAF Scam? Taking the case of The Million People March, how could satirical blogs possibly become agents of political mobilization?

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C. Theoretical Framework

Attention to News Issue Salience Opinion Strength

Student-Parent Discussion

Partisan Identification Political Ideology Information Integration

Student-Peer Discussion

Fig. 2 Path model of agenda-setting influence on political socialization of adolescents (Kiousis, McDevitt & Wu 2005)

It could be said that the influence of the family and other external factors vary, and that adolescents themselves may be motivated to follow news and to join in conversations. However, as stated by Bennett (1997, as cited in Kiousis, McDevitt & Wu 2005), most teenagers pay less and less attention to politics over the years. Basically, agenda-setting theory argues that people who experience the same media exposure put the same weight on specific issues that are most commonly presented to them. As according to McCombs & Shaw (1972), agenda-setting claims that the media may not always be successful in telling people what to think, but the media is to a certain extent successful in shaping what people think about. In addition, in political behavior, there is the notion that
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influencing peoples cognitions has larger implications with regard to attitudes and civic engagement (McCombs & Estrada 1997; Weaver, McCombs & Shaw 2004; as cited in Kiousis, McDevitt & Wu 2005). News attention, parental and peer discussions are three vital components of agenda setting. As shown in Kiousis, McDevitt and Wus model (2005), issue salience as stimulated by media use and discussion, will correlate with opinion strength. There are also findings that suggest that agenda-setting begets attitude strength, especially towards political figures and issues. In relation to political socialization, such as the formation of public opinion, a founding step would be well-informed crystallized attitudes toward the important political objects of the day (Sears & Valentino 1997, as cited in Kiousis, McDevitt & Wu 2005, p.760). Partisan identification and political ideology are indicators of political socialization, and are formed through pertinent discussion and news attention. Kiousis, McDevitt and Wus path model of agenda-setting influence on political socialization (2005) would be useful for the study in the sense that it would provide grounds in establishing the relationship of the media and its effects on people, public opinion and political participation.

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D. Conceptual Framework

Fig. 1 A schematic illustration of the study highlighting the proliferation of satire relating with the PDAF scam through online weblogs towards readers

The Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) Scams controversy and salience in the media elicited an uproar of reaction from the online community. Criticism, disapproval and reproach towards the government and the ones in position of power have spread like wildfire in various platforms. As was said in Kernan, (1962), criticism begets satire, and in the case of the PDAF Scam, one of the ways through which satire proliferated is through satirical blogging. During the said scams course, satirical blogging has provoked varied kinds of reactions from its readers, influencing their day-to-day activities.
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The exposure to satirical blogposts could become a factor in the decrease or the increase of ones level of participation in real-world politics, and could aid in identifying whether an individual is a passive or an active member of the political community. Active political participation entails directly taking part in political parties, aiming to influence government policies, and joining organizations that express concern in public affairs. Meanwhile, passive political participation entails performing political actions such as voting and keeping rightly informed regarding social and political issues. In the hopes of establishing a connection between satirical blogposts and the behavior of its readers, this study will proceed into pursuing a theoretical framework that would guide the study into achieving its main objectives.

E. Significance of the Study

One of the primary goals of this study is to be the leeway towards more opportunities for future discussion of satirical pieces becoming instruments for the shaping of individuals political behavior. Hence, the results of the study may prove to be of value to the following groups of individuals:

First of which are researchers aiming to broaden the extent of their knowledge with regard to the proliferation of satire in various forms as manifested in the social media. To researchers aiming to broaden the extent of their knowledge with regard to alternative instruments that could promote political awareness and political mobilization, and to researchers aiming to find unconventional ways of expressing political opinions and beliefs.

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Filipino netizens who have not yet encountered satirical pieces online, and to those who express interest in such forms of expression may find the study of us. Exposure to material such as satire may be a leeway to realizing the truth about the actual condition of the country, and may open closed minds and conservative ideas.

Finally, students of political science who continue to explore the political implications of phenomena that affect the political realm shall continue find importance in the study, and may they continue to distinguish what is political in everyday phenomena.

F. Scope and Limitation This study shall remain phenomenological, in the sense that it aims to identify a shared experience and to describe the meaning of the experiences of several individuals. The researcher aims to interpret the experiences of the respondents through methods of qualitative research. This study will focus on the active participants of the online community, particularly on individuals that belong to the 18 - 25 age group, and their knowledge on satirical blogposts relating to the Priority Development Assistance Fund Scam. This study will cover satirical blogs and blogposts relating to the PDAF Scam within the year 2013 to the end of 2014.

On a study conducted by Rainie, Smith, Schlozman, Brady and Verba, the younger age group of social media users are more likely to perform political activities online, which include sharing links of political pieces, promoting politically-related material, and writing and posting ones point of view regarding social and political issues. Although there has a been a growing number of online participants that belong to an older age group, this study focuses on the 18 - 25 age group for the reason that they still comprise a bigger portion of Internet users that are most
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likely to use major social networking site of any kind, according to a recent survey done by the Pew Research Center.

The researcher chose this age bracket for the reason that, as said by (Holbert et al., 2013), younger individuals tend to understand the purpose of satire easier than the ones in the older age group.

Due to the fact that satire is not yet a phenomenon that is widely recognized by a huge portion of online participants in the Philippines, this study would provide a criteria to get respondents that could be considered active participants of the online community. Also, while there are other issues that these satirical websites tackle, this study will only focus on the PDAF Scam because of the pandemonium of reaction it provoked within the online community.

The Philippines, unlike other countries where satire developed into other major platforms such as television and animated series, this study will only be limited to assessing blogs and blogposts that have elicited attention from readers that came across it. Moreover, in order to be specific and to avoid delving into a topic too broad, this study will be limited to blogposts that contain satirical content in relation to the PDAF Scam.

G. Definition of Terms Blogs derived from the world weblogs, blogs are online platforms that are considered as democratic tools capable of providing information and raising participation of members of the online community (Farrell & Drezner, 2008)

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Netizens derived from Internet citizen, netizens are active participants of the online community, and are the ones that utilize information resources available on the Internet (Hauben, 1996)

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW I. Political Behavior and Public Opinion

The decline of research in the field of political behavior. In an article by Rosenberg (1985), it is said that the research on individuals thoughts and actions has continued to decline for the past years. The lack of progress is mainly because of the lack of interest and the lack of devotion by researchers who have attempted to study political behavior but have not dedicated enough time and effort to developing theories that may guide their research in the field. According to Bartlett (2001), the attempt towards value-free judgments is related to the decline of the study of political development theory. Political socialization. As defined by Clawson & Oxley (2013), political socialization is the way through which we learn about politics and develop political opinions: Political socialization is the process by which people acquire relatively enduring orientations toward politics in general and toward their own particular political systems is the transmission of key political values and norms from one

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generation to the next. This view of socialization focuses on how societies inculcate appropriate norms and practices in citizens, residents or members. The development of political attitudes starts during childhood, and most of the time starts with an optimistic outlook towards politics. Among the vehicles of political socialization such as schools, peers, news media and family, the family proves to be the most influential. It plays an important role in shaping ones political attitudes especially since childhood. According to Meadowcroft (1986), when I child comes of age when he is able to understand political concepts such as the age of 13, one becomes fully able to realize the concept of participation. In some cases, children become the active agents in the socialization of the family. In line with this is the fact that while the child learns, the parent learns as well. Moreover, McDevitt and Chaffee in 2002 said that the adolescent stage are more probable to contribute to civic development, for the reason that adolescents have the capacity to mold their own political attitude but also transform the means of family communication that would be beneficial for all the members of the family. In relation to this is the fact that political socialization because it is a two-way process, wherein a child would first be fed with the parents ideological interpretations and beliefs, and when he grows and is able to grasp and evaluate these messages, he will be able to consider the pros and cons of his parents and friends outlook on politics, further developing one of his own (Ibid.). Children are more inclined to share similar political attitudes and ideologies with their parents, though they tend to deviate from such alignment when they get older (Austin et al. 2004).

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Following familial influence in political socialization is what Jackson (2002) coined as textbook knowledge, which refers to socialization in school, where an individual learns the basics of government and politics. Hence, the political views of the parents become foundations for the individuals future political attitude. Beyond the scope of socialization in the family are factors such as schools, peers and the media that cater to the needs of an individual in order for him to assess properly his political views (Ibid.). Public opinion. Political socialization aims to impart political beliefs, values or norms (Ibid.), which are the main ingredients of opinions. These mental constructs serve as guides in forming specific political opinions toward a specific issue (Clawson & Oxley, 2013). Clawson & Oxley (2013) stressed that public opinion refers to opinions regarding matters that concern the government and its policies. Simply put, it is defined as the sum of aggregation of private opinions on any particular issue or set of issues. Howev er, Blumer (1984) stated that to simply tally opinions of individuals and value them equally, because not all individuals have the same weight of influence on policy-makers. This is especially true in the sense that not every individual is at a strategic position that could hold influence over policy-makers decisions. Hence, Blumer defined public opinion as a function of a structured society, differentiated into a network of different kinds of groups and individuals having differential weight and influence and occupying different strategic positions. One way through which the media influences public opinion is through presenting a particular attitude repeatedly through various platforms in a way that enables it to affect more
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people in the same way. Potter (2012), stated that people are more likely to adapt to an attitude that is held by everyone else in the society. Also, the media also affects public opinion by imposing standards that the public will then align with their own evaluations, hence the media is able to shape public standards with regard to what is interesting and of-value. Evidently, the media has contributed to the decline of social trust towards the US government and its policies (Cappella 2002). Hardy & Scheufele (2009) said that he medias presentation of political information elicits varied reactions from the public, although the attentionor the lack thereofto social and political issues both trigger discussion and engagement. While some studies argued that the evolution of the media led to people spending more time with the media rather than with the society, there are also studies that insist that people are more connected and interlinked than they ever were before (Potter, 2012). In a study conducted by Pasek et al. (2006), results showed that the heavy use of media harnesses mostly positive effects, such as mediawhether used for information or entertainment purposesbeing a tool towards civic engagement and political awareness. In line with this is the Internet being an avenue for political discussion and civic messaging (Potter 2012). Moreover, a web-based research by Potter, implied that online services and direct democracy features of websites that are accessed by the public are associated with the citizens political behavior and civic engagement in the real world. Indeed, the Internet has increased social engagement in the public sphere.

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II.

Political Satire and the Social Media In Grays Watching with The Simpsons (as cited in Feltmate, 2013), he defined parody as

a tool of resistance, a parasitic entity that clings to an already established convention, and has the capacity to challenge the status quo, and proposing an alternative reality. As said by Halliburton, the public tends to escape reality through framing it within humorous content. Satire then becomes an avenue for escaping reality by humorously knitting fact and fiction (2005). As described by Jones (2010), these aspects of the carnivalesque allow us to recognize the political potential of animated social satire, which formally reconstructs the world, and is organized on the basis of laughter. Kernan (1962) wrote, Two things, then, are essential to satire; one is wit or humor founded on fantasy or a sense of the grotesque or absurd, the other is an object of attack. Hence, it is during the turbulent times of change in the course of mans history that satire flourished. Dismantling established social institutions and recognized conventions brought about criticism, and it is this critical thinking that begot satire (Kernan, 1962). In relation is to this is Bergers (1997) definition of satire as the deliberate use of the comic for the purpose of attack. Taking into account Bergers definition of satire, Feltmate (2013) stated that satirical parodies are representations that reference other cultural phenomena for critical purposes. In Bayms 2005 article he said that: Satire instead represents a searching for truth through the process of dialogical interaction. Unlike traditional news, which claims an epistemological certainty,

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satire is a discourse of inquiry, a rhetoric of challenge that seeks through the asking of unanswered questions to clarify the underlying morality of a situation.

Satire is an instrument directed with moral force towards a target (Feltmate, 2013). Satire is a tool that utilizes humor to formulate underlying constructive criticism, and it was by the end of the 20th century that collective antagonism towards politicians and social issues was publicized (Bremmer et al. 2010). Non-traditional media, soft news. These days, there has been a continuous trend of young people being politically apathetic, however, the access to all kinds of media platforms has continued to increase in the United States. According to some studies, this could become the leeway towards the youth being more involved in issues that have to do with political and social issues (Hariton, 2011). The soft news media is characterized by media outlets that discuss politics in an entertainment-oriented manner, in contrast to the forms of hard news that deliver straightforward news regarding political leaders, issues and events (Clawson & Oxley, 2013). From 1980s to 1999, Patterson (2000) found that soft news increased from 35 to 50 percent of all stories from magazines, television networks and national and local newspapers. However, the attempts of traditional platforms to soften their news coverage in order to reach out to a larger audience have failed still, for two reasons: it was either that citizens who relied on hard news thought that

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it was a setback, while those that favored soft news figured that there are more entertaining platforms that could cater to their preference (Ibid.). The course of the non-traditional media covers late-night comedy as one of its themes, and the research on new media and soft news opened opportunities towards the inclusion of latenight political humor as a subject of importance in the realm of politics. As cited in Compton (2011), late-night comedies affect television viewers evaluations of: political, institutions, campaigns, and policies. In addition, while some studies revealed that people actually learn from soft news, there are also some studies that asserted that learning effects are limited. In a research conducted by Feldman and his colleagues, the relationship between satirical news and the attention given to science and technology increases as the level of education of an individual increases. According to the study, individuals that have less formal education and/or those that have a high school diploma or less, are more likely to pay attention to satirical news, in contrast to those that acquired more formal education such as those with a Bachelors degree or higher. This is due to the fact that those with less education are more likely to depend on sources that spoon-feed information rather than engaging in more challenging and time-consuming ways such as to research on the matter themselves. This proves importance in the sense that satirical news are able to draw the attention of the lower end of the education spectrum towards environmental and political issues, something that is not normally achieved by traditional forms of news. More to the research on the viewers increase of attention towards politics when regularly exposed to political satire is that satirical news have the capacity to bridge the traditional gaps in
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attentiveness between individuals with varying levels of education through reaching out to a broader audience, including the ones that would normally not seek out information in traditional news. In line with this is the fact that there is the possibility of the more factual understanding of issues that have to do with politics. This is to say that citizens whether having lower or higher levels of education would be able to formulate better judgments and critical choices with regard to the ideologies they follow and policies they support (Ibid.). The Daily Show and The Colbert Report There had been an array of research that has been following political comedy, however the topic of discussion has always been regarding whether or not it has contributed to the destruction of political discourse. While political satire does have a knack of bringing out the grotesque and the absurd, satire however has more to offer than just cynicism. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are two products of Comedy Central, television shows that have gained reputation for hard-hitting satire and looking at current events with a dedication to fairness (Amarasingam, 2011). No outlet for political comedy, and no programs have received more attention that The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (Compton, 2011). Colletta (2009) affirmed that: The informed satire of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert can, arguable, be considered some of the most bracing and engaging commentary on the television landscape. (p. 872) The attention these two late-night comedy programs have received, including scholarly attention, has been nothing short of unprecedented.
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According to Jones (2005) and Morris (2009), the difference between The Daily Show and The Colbert Report from other forms of late-night political humor is that Jon Stewart offers a different approach, wherein he is more straightforward and vocal with regard to his political ideology. The Daily Shows humor depends more on irony, parody and satire unlike other latenight talk show hosts such as Jay Leon and David Letterman (Young & Tisinger, 2006). While Leno and Letterman may be predominantly entertainment programs that include political elements, The Daily Show should be consideredin the spirit of Monty Pythonsomething completely different: a program designed to entertain but that functions predominantly as a political program. (Ibid., p. 129) The continuous research on other aspects of political humor shall render more specific scholarly output in the future, opening opportunities towards the understanding of soft news and political satire. The merging of news, politics, and entertainment has been profound, with the line between entertainment and news blurred, if not completely eradicated (Mutz, 2004). The Onion The Onion is a satirical newspaper that recently launched its own website, featuring articles that were first written by students attending the University of Wisconsin. Its reach is a minimum of 690,000 print-issue subscribers weekly, added to the thousands of readers online. Its humor covers a broad range of subjects, and the articles are a collection of parody, satire and ridicule, and it is a consistent parody of a mainstream American newspaper (Lehman, 2009).

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It could be said that The Onion in its form tends to become a criticism of modern journalism: satirizing the sensationalization of the news, biased reporting, and the distortion of facts. This tendency is emphasized with articles that poke direct fun at journalists and the dissemination of modern news the medias obsession with entertainment and popular culture figures. (Ibid., Chapter 4) As asserted by Crittenden, Hopkins, & Simmons, apart from the changed nature of critical inquiry and discourse, the concept of the satirists have been redefined as opinion leaders by the combination of the evolving social media and satire. In relation to this is the fact that over the years, satire continues to flourish within the different platforms of the social media. What was once a field solely of professionals can now be accessed and utilized by a larger group, in fact anyone that possesses an electronic device has the capacity influence public opinion (2011).

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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY In employing a qualitative phenomenological study, the researcher aims to understand the perspective of several individuals towards a shared experience. Hence, it is important that the researcher keeps an open mind in order to welcome themes that emerge from every individuals experience. Data collection may be through in-depth interviews that are be conducted in order to uncover issues that are significant to the respondents. In gathering participants, snowball sampling will be most beneficial in a way that only individuals that are knowledgeable of the issue at hand are picked for interviews (Ballad & Bawalan 2012). Consequently, this chapter shall present the research design, including methods to be used and procedures that are to be undertaken in the course of the study. Research Design Target Participants In this study, netizens that belong to the 18 25 age group that are knowledgeable of satirical blogposts relating to the PDAF Scam are to be identified. Instruments The following are the tools of data collection that are to be employed in order to develop the study:

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Researchers observation the researcher shall review as much satirical blogposts relating to the PDAF scam covering the years 2013 and 2014 in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the present data, and in order to help the researcher in evaluating further steps to be taken to improve the study. This shall also help the researcher widen her knowledge regarding the nature of satire and how it is received by young netizens.

Interview of key participant/s the researcher shall aim to interview the administrators of the satirical blogs* in order to assess their knowledge of the PDAF Scam, the motive behind the blog in general and the manner through which they deliver their posts in ways that might influence their readers. Loi Reyes Landicho, the owner of The Professional Heckler as the owner of one well-known satirical blog, he can provide an insight to the motive behind satirical blogposts and their sentiments towards the PDAF Scam, and an insight to what may be the effects and implications of their articles towards their readers * Unfortunately, blogs such as So Whats News? and Spinbusters do not indicate their moderators or writers, however the researcher shall seek to find a way to contact them through other social media formats such as Twitter and Wordpress

In-depth interview of selected members of the sample the researcher shall conduct indepth interviews with ten of the sample, in order to assess the opinions and insights of these netizens towards the PDAF Scam, and to satirical blogposts relating to it. This part

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of the study is most vital for the reason that it will provide a source of information that may or may not support the researchs main problem. Assessment of experts the researcher shall seek the guidance of her future advisor and other experts in the field in order to evaluate the change or the lack thereof in the netizens behaviors after being exposed to satirical blogposts. Secondary data collection the researcher shall gather supplementary data from international academic journals and books that can be found online and offline.

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Bibliography (Related Literature) Amarasingam, A. (Ed.). (2011). The Stewart/Colbert effect: essays on the real impacts of fake news. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. Baym, G. (2005). The Daliy Show: Discursive Integration and the Reinvention of Political Journalism. Political Communication, 22(3), 259-276. doi:10.1080 Becker, A. B. (2011). Political Humor as Democratic Relief? The Effects of Exposure to Comedy and Straight News on Trust and Efficacy. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 235-250. Blumer, H. (1984). Public Opinion and Public Opinion Polling. American Sociological Review. Clawson, R. A., & Oxley, Z. M. (2013). Public Opinion: Democratic Ideals, Democratic Practice. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc. Colletta, L. (2009). Political Satire and Postmodern Irony in the Age of Stephen Colbert and John Stewart. The Journal of Popular Culture, 42(5), 856-876. Compton, J. (2011). Surveying Scholarship on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. In A. Amarasingam, The Stewart Colbert (pp. 9-23). Jefferson: McFarland & Company. Crittenden, V. L., Hopkins, L. M., & Simmons, J. (2011, June). Satirists as opinion leaders: is social media redefining roles? Journal of Public Affairs, 11(3), 174-180. Enrile, J. (2013, January). The Critical and Satirical. The Journal, 140(27). Retrieved from http://queensjournal.ca/story/2013-01-22/postscript/critical-and-satirical/ Epstein, E. S. (2007, May). The Political Socialization Effects Of The Daily Show And The Colbert Report In High School Aged Adolescents. Washington State University. Feldman, L., Leiserwitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2011). The Science of Satire: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report as Sources of Public Attention to Science and the Environment. In A. Amarasingam, The Stewart Colbert Effect (pp. 25-46). Jefferson: McFarland & Company. Feltmate, D. (2013, January). It's Funny Because It's True? The Simpsons, Satire, and the Significance of Religious Humor in Popular Culture. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 81(1), 222-248. doi:10.1093 Gray, J. (2006). Watching with The Simpsons: Television, Parody, and Intertextuality. New York, NY: Routledge. Holbert, R. L., Tchernev, J. M., Walther, W. O., Esralew, S. E., & Benski, K. (2013). Young Voter Perceptions of Political Satire as Persuasion: A Focus on Perceived Influence, Persuasive Intent, and Message Strength. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 57(2), 170-186. Jones, S. (2010). Implied... or implode? The Simpsons' Carnivalesque Treehosue of Horror. Animation Journal, 18, 56-79. Kernan, A. B. (1962). Modern Satire. (D. Levin, Ed.) New York: Hardcourt, Brace & World Inc.
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Lehman, M. (2009). Is Nothing Sacred? A Study of Recent American Satirical Forms. Wooster, Ohio: Department of English, The College of Wooster. Mutz, D. (2004). Leading Horses to Water: Confessions of a Daily Show Junkie. Journalism and Mass Communication Education, 59(1), 31-35. Patterson, T. E. (2000). Doing Well and Doing Good: How Soft News and Critical Journalism are Shrinking the News Audience and Weakening Democracy--And What News Outlets Can Do About It. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University, Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government. Pfau, M., & Jr, W. P. (1996). Influence of traditional and non-traditional news media in the 1992 election campaign. Western Journal of Communication, 4, 88-105. Pfau, M., Cho, J., & Chong, K. (2001). Impact of Communication Forms in Presidential Campagins: Influences on Candidate Perceptions and Democratic Process. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 6(4), 88-105. Pfau, M., Houston, J. B., & Semmler, S. M. (2005). Presidential Election Campaigns and American Democracy: The Relationship Between Communication Use and Normative Outcomes. American Behavioral Scientist, 49(1), 48-62. Potter, W. J. (2012). Media Effects. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc. Rosenberg, S. W. (1985, June). Sociology, Psychology, and the Study of Political Behavior: The Case of the Research on Political Socialization. The Journal of Politics, 47(2), 715-731. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2130905 Xenos, M. A., Moy, P., & Becker, A. B. (2011). Making Sense of The Daily Show. In A. Amarasingam, The Stewart Colbert Effect (pp. 47-62). Jefferson: McFarland & Company. Young, D. G., & Tisinger, R. M. (2006). Dispelling Late-night Myths: News Consumption Among Late-night Comedy Viewers and the Predictors of Exposure to Various Latenight Shows. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 11(3), 113-134.

Bibliography (Related Studies) Epstein, E. S. (2007, May). The Political Socialization Effects Of The Daily Show And The Colbert Report In High School Aged Adolescents. Washington State University. LeBoeuf, M. (2007). The Power of Ridicule: An Analysis of Satire. Senior Honors Projects, Paper 63. Lee, H. (2012). The Affective Effect of Late-NIght Humor: The Indirect Influence of Late-NIght Comedy Consumption on Poilitical Engagement Through Emotions. The University of Michigan: Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Hariton, A. (2011). Satirical Political Media and Youth Political Participation: A Look at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Indiana University Bloomington: Unpublished Masteral Dissertation.
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