3.2b Flashcards
YouTube
An important source of communication for politicians
Many believe this activity may increase the governments transparency, it is unclear as to whether or not the new form will provide an opportunity for citizen input into the policymaking process
“Fourth branch”
Mass media has become such an integral part of the political system that it is sometimes called this
It both reflects and influences public opinion
Prior restraint
No government can place this on the press before stories are published
Confidentiality of sources
The right to keep the sources for their information private (journalists)
Federal Communications Commission
No one may operate a video or television station without a license from this
Telecommunications act (1996)
Allowed one radio company to own as many as eight stations in large markets and as many as it wished nationally
Equal time rule
Requires a station selling time to one candidate for office to make the same amount of time available to another
Right of reply rule
Allows a person who is attacked on a broadcast the right to reply over that same station
Fairness doctrine
Required broadcasters to give time to opposing views if they broadcast a program giving one side of a controversial issue
–doctrine was abolished by FCC in 1987 arguing that it inhibited the free discussion of issues
Sound bites
Comments compressed into several-second segments
–electronic media has been criticized for forcing political figures and events to conform to these
Spin doctor
One who tries to influence journalists with interpretations of events that are favorable to a particular candidate
White House press corps
Assigned full-time to cover the activities of the president
Press Secretary
Responsible for handling the press corps
and once or twice a day briefs them
Agenda setting
The ability of the media to draw public attention to particular issues. Equally important are the issues that the media does not focus on
Blogs
devote much time to political topics, and provide an interactive forum for people to express and react to political opinions
Adversarial press
The tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them
Background
A public officials statement to a reporter that is given on condition that the official not be named
Blog
Series, or log, a discussion items on a page of the World Wide Web
Feature story
Media story about events that, though public, are not regularly covered by reporters
Horse-race journalism
News coverage that emphasizes who is ahead rather than the issues
Insider story
Media story about events that are not usually made public
Loaded language
Words that imply a value judgment; used to persuade a reader without having made a serious argument
Routine story
media story about events that are regularly covered by reporters
Selective attention
Paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees
Sound bite
A radio or video clip, usually brief, of someone speaking
Trial balloon
Information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy