7 - Mass Media Flashcards
high-tech politics
A politics in which the behavior of citizens and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology.
mass media
Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication.
media events
Events that are purposely staged for the media and that are significant just because the media are there.
press conferences
Meetings of public officials with reporters.
investigative journalism
The use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders.
print media
Newspapers and magazines, as compared with electronic media.
electronic media
Television, radio, and the Internet, as compared with print media.
narrowcasting
Media programming on cable TV (e.g., on MTV, ESPN, or C-SPAN) or the Internet that is focused on a particular interest and aimed at a particular audience, in contrast to broadcasting.
selective exposure
The process through which people consciously choose to get the news from information sources that have viewpoints compatible with their own.
chains
Groups of newspapers published by media conglomerates and today accounting for over four-fifths of the nation’s daily newspaper circulation.
beats
Specific locations from which news frequently emanates, such as Congress or the White House. Most top reporters work a particular beat, thereby becoming specialists in what goes on at that location.
trial balloons
Intentional news leaks for the purpose of assessing the political reaction.
sound bites
Short video clips of approximately 10 seconds. Typically, they are all that is shown from a politician’s speech on the nightly television news.
talking head
A shot of a person’s face talking directly to the camera. Because such shots are visually unstimulating, the major networks rarely show politicians talking for very long.
policy agenda
The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time.
The emergence of media events has contributed to each of the following trends EXCEPT
increasing negativity in American political campaigns.
In recent years, most presidential election campaign television advertisements have been negative.
True/False?
True
How important are the news media today for presidents who hope to govern successfully? In answering this question, discuss efforts by recent presidents to choreograph their messages through media.
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The trend toward more negative and cynical news coverage began during
the Vietnam War
Those who watch the news on television tend to be
more engaged in politics than those who read the news.
True/False?
False
The Internet appears to be increasing public interest in political news.
True/False?
False
Evaluate the shift from broadcasting toward narrowcasting. What impact has this shift had on the quality of political journalism? What impact do you think the trend toward narrowcasting will have on political participation and awareness?
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Compare and contrast private and public media. How might the business model of privately owned media both contribute to and detract from the free flow of information to American citizens? In your opinion, does public ownership of the media provide a better model? Why or why not?
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Which of the following factors best account(s) for what is considered newsworthy?
a story’s high entertainment value
News coverage of political campaigns pays relatively
little attention to policy issues.
True/False?
True
Evaluate the symbiotic relationship between
the press and government. How might this relationship promote positive coverage of the government? How might it encourage critical news coverage instead? Provide specific examples in your answer.
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It is commonly thought that media favor one political point of view in their coverage of politics. Does social science research support this belief? Why or why not? If bias does exist in news coverage, how does it influence news coverage?
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Each of the following characterizes how media affect public opinion EXCEPT
All of the following effect public opinion
media affect public opinion to a significant extent.
media affect which issues the public finds to be
important.
media affect the public’s evaluation of elected officials.
media affect knowledgeable citizens’ policy agendas.
How do the media affect public evaluation of different political events? Provide specific examples to support your answer.
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The nation’s policy agenda is best defined as the problems that
government officials are paying some serious attention to
Who are policy entrepreneurs and how do they seek to affect the policy agenda through the media? Give some examples. What appears to most contribute to their success?
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Television’s emphasis on the individual has the effect of encouraging greater news coverage of
the presidency
How does the media’s role as watchdog affect the scope of government? Why do you think the public supports this role of the news media?
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Explain the phrase “information is the fuel of democracy” and evaluate its accuracy in the context of today’s high-tech media society. If the media fall short in “fueling” democracy, is this a problem and what do you think can be done? Are the media justified in giving people what they want? Defend your answer.
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