Gov Mass Media

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News Media

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Key Defnitions

1. A medium is a means o communication.

2. Media is the plural o medium.

3. The mass media are means ocommunication, such as newspapers, radio,television, and the nternet, that can reach

lar!e, widely dispersed audiences.

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Key "unctions o Mass Media

1. #ntertainment

$the mass media emphasi%eentertainment.

$&opular pro!rams are continued, whilepro!rams that receive low ratin!s are

cancelled.

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Key "unctions o Mass Media

'. News reports

$American newspapers have reportedpolitical news since the late 1(th 

century. "or e)ample, newspapers

printed the "ederalist &apers as part otheir covera!e o the de*ate over the

ratifcation o the +onstitution.

$adio and television stations provide

their audiences with varyin! de!rees onews pro!rammin!.

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Key "unctions o Mass Media

3. +reation o political orums

$&oliticians use the mass media topromote their careers and draw pu*lic

attention to their issues.

$The president has direct access to themedia and is thus a*le to use it to help

set the policy a!enda.

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 The Mass Media +onnectin! to the&u*lic

1. The mass media connect people totheir !ovt o-cials *y interviewin!

citi%ens, presentin!, poll results, and

coverin! protests.'. The mass media connect !ovto-cials to the pu*lic *y interviewin!

political leaders and reportin! on

!overnment committees andpro!rams.

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 Types o Mass Media$&rint Media1. Newspapers

$The New or/ Times, 0ashin!ton &ost,and 0all treet 2ournal are Americas

most in4uential newspapers.

$Most newspapers rely on theAssociated &ress news a!ency ornational and international stories.

$Newspaper circulation rates have

steadily declined as a result ocompetition rom television and the

nternet. n 1567$879 o adultsre!ularly purchased a newspaper.

 Today its '79.

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 Types o Mass Media$&rint Media

'. Ma!a%ines$Time and Newswee/ are Americas

most widely read and in4uential newsma!a%ines.

$Ma!a%ine circulation rates have allensharply as a result o competition rom

the nternet.

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 Types o Mass Media$:roadcast Media

1. adio

$"D was the 1st president to ta/eadvanta!e o radio. Durin! the ;reat

Depression, "D used what he called<freside chats= to reassure the

American people and discuss his NewDeal pro!rams.

$Most radio stations now devote littletime to reportin! political news.

$0ithin recent years, nationallysyndicated tal/ show hosts have *e!unto play a prominent and controversial

role in discussin! political issues.

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 Types o Mass Media$:roadcast Media

'. Television

$The 1567 presidential de*ates *etweenenator 2"K and >ice &res ichard Ni)on

mar/ed a watershed event whentelevision replaced newspapers and

radio as Americas principal source opolitical news.

$?ver 5(9 o American households ownat least 1 television.

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 Types o Mass Media$:roadcast Media

'. Television

$The 3 ma@or networ/s$N:+, +:, andA:+$have historically dominated

political covera!e with their ni!htlynews pro!rams and news specials.

owever, the networ/s are e)periencin!a steady decline o viewership as people

turn to ca*le stations and the radio.

$+a*le networ/s such as +NN, "?BNews, and MN:+ now provide

continuous covera!e o national andinternational news.

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 Types o Mass Media$:roadcast Media

3. The nternet

$Althou!h television continues to *e themost widely used source or political

news, the nternet is rapidly *ecomin! a/ey source o inormation or the

American people.

$Many we*sites such a &olitico.com and

the u-n!ton &ost provide e)tensivecovera!e o political issues andpolicyma/ers.

$0e* *lo! now acilitate rapidcommunication *etween the pu*lic and

!overnment policyma/ers.

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 The Media and &olitics

1. A!enda ettin!

$The policy a!enda consists o issuesthat attract the serious attention o

pu*lic o-cials.

$The mass media play an important rolein drawin! pu*lic attention to particular

issues.

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 The Media and &olitics

'. +andidate$+entered &olitical +ampai!ns

$&olitical campai!ns have *ecome more centeredon candidates and less ocused on the issues.

$The mass media contri*ute to the candidate$centered campai!ns in the ollowin! waysC

1.:y replacin! speeches and dialo!ues with sound*ites that avera!e @ust .( seconds in len!th.

'.:y ocusin! on day$to$day campai!n activitiessuch as rallies, !aEes, scandals, and ne!ative

commercials.

3.:y en!a!in! in <horse$race @ournalism=, which

emphasi%es how candidates stand in the polls