all notes up to midterm Flashcards
What are the three jobs of media in democratic societies according to Shanto Lyengar?
- Create informed citizenship by presenting a variety of perspectives on important issues
- Provide a forum for elites/parties to debate qualifications for office
- Act as watchdogs scrutinizing elite behavior
What are the two categories of media mentioned?
- Old Media
- New Media
What characterizes Old Media?
Top down approach including newspapers, magazines, radio, and television
What is Monoculture in media consumption?
A situation where many people watch the same things and consume the same media
What marked the Partisan Media Era?
- Strong factions in early American politics
- Rise of large newspapers with clear/different perspectives
- Major cities had 6-8 papers with direct advocacy
What defined the Commercial Media Era?
- Significant increase in circulation from 1840-1900
- Driven by technology, independence, and major mid-century stories
- Rise of sensationalism and yellow journalism
What is Yellow Journalism?
Characterized by scare headlines, lavish pictures, fake interviews, and sympathy with the underdog
What were the goals of the Objective Media Era?
- Separate news from editorial/business divisions
- Seek truth, move beyond partisan motivations
- Objective reporting and accountability
What characterizes the Interpretive Media Era?
- Rise of analysis and interpretation
- Decline in credibility of journalists
- Punditry and soft news become common
What are the 3 C’s of Modern Media?
- Corporate
- Consolidated
- Conglomerated
What are the modern types of media ownership?
- Independents
- Multiple owners
- Cross-media
- Conglomerate
What is Information Democratization?
Increasing involvement of private citizens in creating, distributing, and curating civically relevant information
What are the five criteria of the 2024 World Press Freedom Index?
- Political context
- Legal framework
- Economic context
- Sociocultural context
- Safety
What limits exist on information gathering by the press?
- Access hurdles to government documents
- FOIA requests required
- Historical and national security documents have higher hurdles
What is the difference between ‘broad scope of disclosure’ and ‘limited scope of disclosure’?
- Broad scope applies to public figures
- Limited scope applies to courtrooms
What case established the ‘clear and present danger’ test?
The Schenk case
What was significant about the Pentagon Papers case?
Supreme Court ruled in favor of newspapers against prior restraint despite government claims of potential harm
What are Doris Graber’s five elements of newsworthiness?
- Strong impact
- Excitement (e.g., violence/conflict)
- Familiarity
- Proximity
- Timeliness and novelty
What are the three stages of crisis coverage?
- Stage 1: Media coverage begins, difficulties with accuracy
- Stage 2: Media corrects inaccuracies, provides broader perspective
- Stage 3: Media offers interpretation and help
What are the benefits of event coverage?
- Eliminates uncertainty
- Helps cope with crises
- Keeps government and society functioning
What problems can arise from pseudo-crises in media coverage?
They can make less significant events seem more important and lead to misinformation
True or False: The tone of media coverage has become more negative over time.
True
Fill in the blank: The _______ phenomenon refers to the simultaneous use of the internet and TV.
Second screen
