Chapter 10: The Media

Question 1

Be able to identify the part of the Constitution (Bill of Rights) that is most associated with the media and its role in politics

Answer 1

o Freedom of the press

 not subject to federal regulation
 the 1st amendment prohibits the government from engaging in prior restraint or censorship

o Prior restraint

o The supreme court has narrowed the libel laws that restrain print media

Question 2

Define Prior Restraint

Answer 2

An effort by the government to block the publication of material it deems libelous or harmful in some other way (e.g., censorship)

Question 3

Be able to identify the role that media plays in informing the public about politics and government

Answer 3

o 4 roles of media:

 watchdogs of government
 conveyors of info to the public
 setting the agenda
 the promoter of free flow and exchange of ideas

Question 4

Provide all the different types of media

Answer 4

 television or radio media

 print media

 social media

 blogs

 Infotainment news

Question 5

Explain how television or radio media affects public opinion

Answer 5

• provide pictures or scripts with a level of immediacy to assist the viewing public

Question 6

Explain how print media affects public opinion

Answer 6

• most common form is newspapers

* the depth and accuracy of sources is given much more attention

Question 7

Explain how social media affects public opinion

Answer 7

• provides social interaction among people in which they can voice their own opinions
• it is considered a coordinating mechanism for political action
• studies show rather than polarizing political views, it moderates them due to diversity of exposure.

Question 8

Explain how blogs affect public opinion

Answer 8

• bring new voices to the political discourse
• have the luxury of being fast and unregulated
• present a wider range of opinions

Question 9

Explain how Infotainment news affect public opinion

Answer 9

• satire that is produced to look like news

* These programs are largely consumed by younger Americans

Question 10

Be able to discuss the business model of the media (“Green”) and how it affects what is consumed by the public

Answer 10

o The business model of media

 businessmen are neither Red nor Blue, they are “green”

o journalists don’t have the option to be biased

o the loss of distinction between entertainment and news
o “Sex sells”

o the public is as responsible for the type of news they get

o long, complex, depressing stories don’t get aired because nobody would watch them.

Question 11

Be able to discuss the different mechanisms and laws that regulate the media

Answer 11

o Regulation of the FCC

Through the FCC, the government issues licenses and regulates the business and content of broadcast media.

1. Equal time rule
2. Right of Rebuttal
3. Fairness Doctrine

Question 12

Be able to compare and contrast the concepts of priming and framing (and give examples of each)

Answer 12

Framing - the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted.

Priming - the process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or political actor.

 Priming is often said to focus on what information is presented and framing on how information is presented, although these elements overlap in actual communication practices.

Question 13

Define Television and Radio Media:

Answer 13

Radio and television (reach more Americans than any other single news source)

Question 14

Define Print Media

Answer 14

Newspapers, magazines, books (oldest method for dissemination of news)

Question 15

Define Social Media

Answer 15

The platform that enables the formation of online communities and networks through which people express thoughts, feelings, personal experiences, share information, content, videos, and messages

Question 16

Define Blogs

Answer 16

Series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the World Wide Web.

Question 17

Define Infotainment

Answer 17

Also called soft news as a way to distinguish it from serious journalism or hard news, is a type of media, usually television or online, that provides a combination of information and entertainment

Question 18

Define Prior Restraint

Answer 18

Any time the government prevents or limits the freedom to publish (licensing, censorship, bans on publication)

Question 19

Define Censorship

Answer 19

The suppression or proscription of speech or writing that is deemed obscene, indecent, or unduly controversial.

Question 20

Define FCC

Answer 20

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government, created by Congressional statute to regulate interstate communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

Question 21

Define Equal Time Rule

Answer 21

If a station sells time to one candidate for office, it must be willing to sell equal time to opposing candidates.

Question 22

Define The Right of Rebuttal

Answer 22

The rule states that a person who is attacked on public television or radio must be given a chance to respond to the attack on the air.

Question 23

Define Fairness Doctrine

Answer 23

A former federal policy requiring television and radio broadcasters that presented one side of a controversy to provide the opportunity for opposing points of view to be expressed at no charge.

Question 24

Define Agenda Setting

Answer 24

A type of communication effect shows a strong link between the importance placed on issues by news media and the importance of issues to the public.

• Example: ‘Whatever Trump does is urgent, breaking news. ‘ ‘The Iran Nuclear Agreement is very problematic because Iran is allowed to keep its Nuclear Power