Chapter 15 The Media Pearson Education, Inc. © 2008 American Government: Continuity and Change 9th Edition to accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, Texas,

Chapter 15

The Media

Pearson Education, Inc. © 2008

American Government: Continuity and Change9th Editionto accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, Texas, and Essentials Editions

O’Connor and Sabato

The Evolution of News Media in the United States

News media: media providing the public with new information about subjects of public interest

Print media Newspapers were the first example of news media

Published in the colonies as early 1690 Federalists v. Antifederalists

Partisan newspapers Partisan press gave way to penny press

Penny press focus on scandal Cleveland v. Blaine scandals in the election 1884

The Evolution of News Media in the United States

Yellow journalism Form of newspaper publishing in vogue in the

late-nineteenth century that featured pictures, comics, color, and sensationalized, oversimplified news coverage

Hearst and Pulitzer

Muckraking Form of journalism, in vogue in the early 20th

century, concerned with reforming government and business conduct

Radio News

Radio: advent in early twentieth century was a media revolution Brought political figures into homes Fell behind television in mid-50s AM talk radio in mid-80s revival

Conservative commentators Liberal talk-radio less success Satellite radio

Television News First demonstrated in 1939 Expanded quickly Network vs. Cable news Comedy news programs

Regular viewers of The Daily Show (Jon Stewart) were found to know more about world events than non-viewers even when education, party identification, watching cable news, etc. are taken into account.

The New Media Media consumers, particularly those under

the age of 35, are abandoning traditional media outlets in favor of other sources. Internet

Today, 24 percent claim to get news from Internet

Major networks and newspapers also offer their news online Revenue from ads

Government news on Internet International news on Internet

Current Media Trends Print Media

The traditional form of mass media, comprising newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and journals

Broadcast Television, radio, cable, and satellite services

New Media Technologies, such as the Internet, that blur the

line between media sources and create new opportunities for the dissemination of news and other information

The Influence of Media Giants Only a handful of media outlets are influential

nationally. New York Times Wall Street Journal USA Today Christian Science Monitor Washington Post Los Angeles Times

They have reach through their own circulation, but also influence what the five major national networks and cable news organizations decide to focus on. Affiliates

Wire services also nationalize the news. News magazines also supplement these other sources.

Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report

Media Consolidation

Role of private ownership Media monopolies or near monopolies

Fear that these groups could limit the flow of information and the free flow of ideas that form the very essence of a free society and that make democracy possible

Market driven media industry

Other Trends Increasing Use of Experts Narrowcasting

Targeting media programming at specific populations within society

Public discontent with the media Technological Innovation

Blog: web-based journal entries that provide an editorial and news outlet for citizens

Rules Governing Media

Journalistic standards Government regulation of the

electronic media Content regulation

Equal time rule Fairness doctrine

Efforts to regulate media practices New York Times Co. v. U.S. (1971)

How the Media Cover Politicians And Government Communication between elected officials and public figures

and media Press release: document offering an official comment or

position Press briefing: relatively restricted session between a press

secretary or aide and the press Press conference: an unrestricted session between an elected

official and the press On background: information provided to a journalist that will

not be attributed to a named source Deep background: information provided to a journalist that will

not be attributed to any source Off the record: information provided to a journalist that will not

be released to the public On the record: information provided to a journalism that can be

released and attributed by name to the source

Covering the Presidency President is the focus of the most media coverage

Can summon the press at will FDR was the first to use the press conference as a

means to shape public opinion and explain his actions.

Press Secretary: existed since Hoover’s administration President’s main disseminator of information to the

press President gets the most coverage, but much of it is

negative G.W. Bush record low number of press conferences

Strategy to control his image

Covering Congress Size of Congress and its decentralized nature make it

difficult for the media to cover it Solve this problem by:

Giving leaders most attention Key committee chairs command center stage. Local newspapers and broadcast stations normally

devote some resources to covering their own representatives.

Coverage tends to be negative Focus on conflict May be part of the reason people view Congress so

negatively Investigative hearings may be televised

Covering the Supreme Court

Supreme Court remains a virtual media vacuum

Broadcast media ban in Court Use of audio recordings No cameras, but print and broadcast

reporters have access to the Court

The Media’s Influence on the Public Media effects

The influence of news sources on public opinion Reporting can sway people who are uncommitted and

have no strong opinions Media have a much greater impact on topics far

removed from the lives and experiences of readers and viewers

News organizations can help tell us what to think about, even if they cannot determine what we think

Agenda setting: the constant process of forming the list of issues to be addressed by government

Framing: the process by which a news organization defines a political issue and consequently affects opinion about the issue

The Public’s Perception of the Media Public opinion of media is relatively critical. Perceive media to be:

Politically biased Roadblocks to solving problems Inaccurate in their reporting Unwilling to admit mistakes

Most still view the national news media as credible.

Terrorist attacks shifted public opinion positively for a period.

Value the watchdog role of the news media

Media Bias 1980s and 1990s argument that media were liberally biased

because of the sheer number of journalists who leaned to the left. Another argument focuses on corporate interests and the influence

on what is covered. Media critics: focus on national news media’s lack of skepticism

regarding the invasion of Iraq Recent media bias is intentional and a response to increasing

fragmentation and competition among media Mainstream media losing market share while online, ethnic, and

alternative media are growing. Market position

CNN: 27 percent of Democrats; 20 percent of Republicans Fox News: 29 percent of Republicans; 14 percent of Democrats

Ideological fragmentation is viewed as a negative trend by those who believe that the mass media are essential to providing the facts to educate the public about policies.