Chapter 7 Flashcards
Mass media
Sources that provide information to average citizens on a day-to-day basis.
Examples: Newspapers, Radio, Television, Internet
Attracted to spectacles (sex and violence). Rushes to make judgements based on flimsy evidence.
Media as a watchdog and business
Media is a reporter of political events.
- Politicians attempt to shape coverage.
- Role has been expanded because of change in technology.
Media needs to attract a paying audience to stay in business.
- Yellow journalism: a style of reporting featuring sensationalized stories, bold headlines, and illustrations.
Dual roles of watchdog and business often conflict.
Media regulation with FCC and Broadcast
Federal Communications Commission (FCC): created in 1934 and responsible for regulating the media. Concerned about media shaping public opinion so they created the equal time provision. It meant that stations had to give free time to both sides of political parties.
Broadcast media: communications technologies, such as TV and radio, that transmit information over the airwaves.
Internet effects on media
Emergence of the Internet as the dominant information source.
Most traditional media outlets maintain content on websites or apps.
Internet has increased the availability of political information for the average American.
Most major newspapers and radio companies also upload to internet. It is decreasing people’s dependency on local newspaper.
How People Learn about Politics
Few Americans prioritize political information.
Most learn about political information accidentally (by-product theory).
Liberals and conservatives differ somewhat in media sources they use.
How politicians use the media
Media and politicians have a complex relationship.
Media’s watchdog role suggests an adversarial relationship with politicians.
But politicians and the media need each other’s help to achieve goals.
3 ways reporters get information
On the record: a direct quote from a known source.
On background: information from an anonymous source.
Off the record: no information or source is allowed to be publicized.
Media effects (filtering and framing)
Filtering: deciding what story to cover that fits the agenda of the news station.
Framing: deciding what perspective to tell the story that fits the agenda.
Demands on reporters
Reporters are often dependent on sources for material to write about.
Leaking information is often a way for politicians to influence the narrative of a story or get favorable coverage. Most “leaks” are done on purpose by the source.
Reporters do not have shield laws and can be compelled by a court to reveal their sources of leaked information. Some states have laws against this.
How media effects political perceptions
Media effects: influence of coverage on average citizens’ opinions and actions.
What people learn from the media often reinforces preexisting beliefs.
Hostile media effect: neutral coverage is often viewed as biased against one’s own point of view.
Market Forces in Media Coverage
Market forces compel media to focus on political stories that sell (attack journalism, horse race, and soft news) and not stories that inform (hard news).
- Attack journalism: focusing on scandals and controversies.
- Horse race coverage: election coverage focusing on poll results instead of policy differences.
- Soft news: sensational or entertaining stories.
- Hard news: policy-related information is uncommon.
Is the Media Doing Its Job?
The media is responsible for providing citizens information on politicians and government but ignorance persists. Is this the media’s fault?
The average American has only low or moderate interest in politics.
The availability of information does not matter when most people do not seek out information. Americans choose to remain uninformed.
