Transcript Chapter 1
Chapter 15
The Media
American Government: Continuity and Change
9th Edition
to accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, Texas, and Essentials Editions
O’Connor and Sabato
Pearson Education, Inc. © 2008
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
Affiliates
Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report
They have reach through their own circulation, but
also influence what the five major national networks
and cable news organizations decide to focus on.
Wire services also nationalize the news.
News magazines also supplement these other
sources.
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.