Chapter 12 Key Terms Flashcards
Blog
A series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the Internet
Equal time rule
An FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates
Horse-race journalism
News coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on the issues
Routine stories
Media stories about events regularly covered by reporters
Feature stories
Media stories about events that, though public, aren’t regularly covered by reporters
Insider stories
Media stories about events that aren’t usually made public
Trial balloon
Information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy
Loaded language
Words that imply a value judgment, used to persuade a reader without having made a serious argument
Selective attention
Paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees
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 given on condition that the official not be named
Sound bite
A radio or video clip of someone speaking
