Chapter 10 Vocab: The News Media and the Internet Communicating Politics

Question 1

News

Answer 1

The news media’s version of reality, usually with an emphasis on timely, dramatic, and compelling events and developments.

Question 2

Partisan press

Answer 2

Newspapers and other communication media that openly support a political party and whose news tends to follow the party line. (See also “objective journalism.”)

Question 3

Objective journalism

Answer 3

A model of news reporting that is based on the communication of “facts” rather than opinions and that is “fair” in that it presents all sides of partisan debate. (See also “partisan press.”)

Question 4

Signaling (signaler) function

Answer 4

The responsibility of the media to alert the public to important developments as soon as possible after they happen or are discovered. (See also “common-carrier function;” “partisan function;” “watchdog function.”)

Question 5

Agenda setting

Answer 5

The power of the media through news coverage to focus the public’s attention and concern on particular events, problems, issues, personalities, and so on.

Question 6

Common-carrier function

Answer 6

The media’s function as an open channel through which political leaders can communicate with the public. (See also “partisan function;” “signaling [signaler] function;” “watchdog function.”)

Question 7

Framing

Answer 7

The process by which the media play up certain aspects of a situation while downplaying other aspects, thereby providing a particular interpretation of the situation.

Question 8

Priming

Answer 8

The process in which the media highlight certain aspects of an issue or event and not other aspects, thereby affecting how people respond to the issue or event.

Question 9

Watchdog function

Answer 9

The accepted responsibility of the media to protect the public from incompetent or corrupt officials by standing ready to expose any official who violates accepted legal, ethical, or performance standards. (See also “common-carrier function;” “partisan function;” “signaling [signaler] function.”)

Question 10

Partisan function

Answer 10

Efforts by media actors to influence public response to a particular party, leader, issue, or viewpoint.

Question 11

Low-choice media system

Answer 11

A media system in which people have a small number of news outlets available to them, which limits their choices.

Question 12

High-choice media system

Answer 12

A media system in which audiences have such a wide range of choices that they can largely control the type of information to which they are exposed.

Question 13

News media (press)

Answer 13

Print, broadcast, cable, and Internet organizations that are in the news reporting business.