Chapter 20: The Media

Question 1

Media as a Linkage Institution

Answer 1

they have the power to influence society and politics almost as effectively as the government itself.

Question 2

Free Press

Answer 2

an uninhibited institution that places an additional check on government to maintain honesty, ethics, and transparency.

Question 3

The Traditional Press

Answer 3

Fostered a spirit of unity, but only large cities could maintain a regular newspaper.

Question 4

The Associated Press (AP)

Answer 4

A formal news organization where, by pooling resources, the editors could gather, share, and sells the news beyond their respective cities.

Question 5

News bureaus

Answer 5

offices beyond a newspaper’s headquarters

Question 6

Investigative reporting

Answer 6

reporters dig deeper into stories to expose corruption in government and other institutions.

Question 7

National Political News

Answer 7

The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today are influential and set the tone.

Question 8

Leading Ideological Political Magazines

Answer 8

Liberal- The Nation, The New Republic, The Progressive, and Mother Jones

Conservative- National Review, Human Events, The Washington Times, and American Spectator

Question 9

New communication technologies

Answer 9

Radio and television competed with each other and surpassed print media for news.

Question 10

Radio

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

Broadcast network

Answer 11

broadcasting from one central location to several smaller stations.

Question 12

Affiliates

Answer 12

They are local and free networks, smaller new stations that receive the broadcast. (WLWT is a NBC affiliate)

Question 13

Television

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Big Three Networks

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

CNN

Answer 15

The Cable News Network, AMericans have access to national news 24 hours a day.

Question 16

The Internet

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Social media advances

Answer 17

400 million users daily. News outlets engage readers online, allowing direct conversations between journalists and consumers. Consumers use it to organize newsworthy events.

Question 18

Horse-Race journalism

Answer 18

reporters update readers and viewers nonstop on the ups and downs of competing candidates.

Question 19

Scorekeeper

Answer 19

remind viewers on the “score” (who is down in the polls) part of horserace journalism.

Question 20

Gatekeeper

Answer 20

control the flow of information. What DIDN’T they tell you? Why? This is editorial control.

Question 21

Watchdog

Answer 21

Can watch who is doing what in government and report on it- hold the government accountable.

Question 22

Adversarial Press

Answer 22

Reporters continually question government officials, their motives, and their effectiveness.

Question 23

Political reporting

Answer 23

much coverage takes the objective form of political reporting standard. “just-the-facts” types of stories.

Question 24

Sound bites

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Congress and Press Coverage

Answer 25

congressional stories include members’ roles on committees and in the legislative process. (Roll Call, The Hill, and C-SPAN)

Question 26

C-SPAN

Answer 26

Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network. The official government cable network- covers the House/Senate proceedings live and also has call and talk shows

Question 27

Presidents and Press Coverage

Answer 27

FCC and some travel with the president

Question 28

Courts and Press Coverage

Answer 28

Amendments 4,5,6,8. No cameras are in the Supreme Court.

Question 29

Political Analysis

Answer 29

Sunday morning “talking heads” and NBC, CBS, and FOX

Question 30

Editorials

Answer 30

opinions of the writer/speaker

Question 31

Op-Eds

Answer 31

when someone is invited to write an editorial even though they aren’t employed by that company

Question 32

commentary

Answer 32

the media’s spin/take on the political situation

Question 33

narrowcasting

Answer 33

marketing to target groups based on a demographic category- narrow programming all day. The company decides what you see.

Question 34

Fairness Doctrine

Answer 34

a former federal policy that required radio and television broadcasters to present alternative viewpoints

Question 35

Talk Radio

Answer 35

syndicated political shows that air at stations coast-to-coast

Question 36

FCC

Answer 36

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.

Question 37

Impact of Ownership

Answer 37

to reach more viewers, networks have revealed their bias and ignite tempers, employ sarcasm, and stoke fear.

Question 38

Mainstream media

Answer 38

collection of traditional news organizations still operates an objective news model

Question 39

Traditional bias label

Answer 39

The media have been accused of liberal bias since the 70s. To measure bias, examine the professionals who report the news.

Question 40

Contemporary Bias

Answer 40

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.

Question 41

Increased media choices

Answer 41

options create a gap in political knowledge and participation

Question 42

Confirmation bias

Answer 42

the tendency to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms what they already believe.

Question 43

Consumer-Driven media

Answer 43

media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers.