Chapter 12 Flashcards
Adversarial Press
The tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them.
Background
A public official’s statement to a reporter that is given on condition that the official not be named.
Blog
Series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the World Wide Web.
Equal Time Rule
An FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates.
Feature Stories
Media stories about events that, though public, are not regularly covered by reporters.
Horse-Race Journalism
News coverage that emphasizes who is ahead rather than on the issues.
Insider Stories
Media stories 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 Stories
Media stories 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 of someone speaking.
Trial Balloon
Information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy.
