Chapter 20: The Media Flashcards
Media as a Linkage Institution
they have the power to influence society and politics almost as effectively as the government itself.
Free Press
an uninhibited institution that places an additional check on government to maintain honesty, ethics, and transparency.
The Traditional Press
Fostered a spirit of unity, but only large cities could maintain a regular newspaper.
The Associated Press (AP)
A formal news organization where, by pooling resources, the editors could gather, share, and sells the news beyond their respective cities.
News bureaus
offices beyond a newspaper’s headquarters
Investigative reporting
reporters dig deeper into stories to expose corruption in government and other institutions.
National Political News
The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today are influential and set the tone.
Leading Ideological Political Magazines
Liberal- The Nation, The New Republic, The Progressive, and Mother Jones
Conservative- National Review, Human Events, The Washington Times, and American Spectator
New communication technologies
Radio and television competed with each other and surpassed print media for news.
Radio
First appeared after WWI and transitioned to more fact-based reporting, Edward Murrow was a pioneer and had the most familiar. voice in radio by the end of WWII.
Broadcast network
broadcasting from one central location to several smaller stations.
Affiliates
They are local and free networks, smaller new stations that receive the broadcast. (WLWT is a NBC affiliate)
Television
Became popular after WWII and networks worked to develop news departments that covered the 1948 Democratic and Republican conventions. How a politician looked on TV mattered for the first time.
Big Three Networks
Radio- NBC Blue, NBC Red, CBS in 1930, NBC Blue became ABC, ESPN (1979), CNN (1988), MTV (1981), FOX (mid/late 80s)
“Broadcast to air” channels- you have access to the stations without paying for them.
CNN
The Cable News Network, AMericans have access to national news 24 hours a day.
The Internet
The Internet became available to the public in the early 1990’s. This has caused sped-up publishing, shortened stories, enabled sloppy reporting. This has encouraged sensationalism and increased the number of errors and after-story corrections.
Social media advances
400 million users daily. News outlets engage readers online, allowing direct conversations between journalists and consumers. Consumers use it to organize newsworthy events.
Horse-Race journalism
reporters update readers and viewers nonstop on the ups and downs of competing candidates.
Scorekeeper
remind viewers on the “score” (who is down in the polls) part of horserace journalism.
Gatekeeper
control the flow of information. What DIDN’T they tell you? Why? This is editorial control.
Watchdog
Can watch who is doing what in government and report on it- hold the government accountable.
Adversarial Press
Reporters continually question government officials, their motives, and their effectiveness.
Political reporting
much coverage takes the objective form of political reporting standard. “just-the-facts” types of stories.
Sound bites
Second long segments to attract attention (both positive and negative) for the speaker. Stories/political messages are shortened, and made to seem less complex than it really is. Causes viewers to focus on the personality of a candidate rather than the issues.
Congress and Press Coverage
congressional stories include members’ roles on committees and in the legislative process. (Roll Call, The Hill, and C-SPAN)
C-SPAN
Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network. The official government cable network- covers the House/Senate proceedings live and also has call and talk shows
Presidents and Press Coverage
FCC and some travel with the president
Courts and Press Coverage
Amendments 4,5,6,8. No cameras are in the Supreme Court.
Political Analysis
Sunday morning “talking heads” and NBC, CBS, and FOX
Editorials
opinions of the writer/speaker
Op-Eds
when someone is invited to write an editorial even though they aren’t employed by that company
commentary
the media’s spin/take on the political situation
narrowcasting
marketing to target groups based on a demographic category- narrow programming all day. The company decides what you see.
Fairness Doctrine
a former federal policy that required radio and television broadcasters to present alternative viewpoints
Talk Radio
syndicated political shows that air at stations coast-to-coast
FCC
Federal Communications Commission Regulates. 5 members nominated by the President (no more than three from the same party) no one may operate stations without their license.
Impact of Ownership
to reach more viewers, networks have revealed their bias and ignite tempers, employ sarcasm, and stoke fear.
Mainstream media
collection of traditional news organizations still operates an objective news model
Traditional bias label
The media have been accused of liberal bias since the 70s. To measure bias, examine the professionals who report the news.
Contemporary Bias
Newer sources are noticeably idealogical. People are choosing more selectively what they read. They supply each other with “news sources” that confirm what they want to believe.
Increased media choices
options create a gap in political knowledge and participation
Confirmation bias
the tendency to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms what they already believe.
Consumer-Driven media
media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers.
