Chapter 7: The Mass Media Flashcards
What is the correlation between political success and control of the mass media?
Money leads to media which leads to momentum which leads back to money
How do candidates succeed/get their message out?
- staged media events
- 30 second presidency (head shots + quote)
- television ads
- create a positive image
What did FDR do to get a positive image out?
He did whistle stops and fireside chats
What did Ronald Reagan do to get a positive image out?
He was a great communicator, looking at the entire audience and using humor in his speeches
Why was there a change in interest and trust in presidencies in the 70’s?
Watergate scandal, Vietnam, and the oil embargo
What is yellow journalism?
Tabloids showing scandals
What is investigative journalism?
This is something shocking, like the whole Obama birth certificate thing
What medias do the age groups pay attention to?
- narrowcasting is 18-25 or 35
- news stations, 35-55
- print media, 65+
What is broadcast media?
This is free sources of television and radio with feel good stories at the end
What was the first televised debate?
1960, Nixon and Kennedy. Had the largest viewing audience of that time
What does the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) do?
-overseas public airwaves on television and radio
What does the FCC do regarding presidential debates?
- no monopoly controlling the media
- goals and performance of stations
- provide fair and equal representation of all candidates
What is a sound bite?
A snippet of auditory pieces engaged in politics
What is a beat?
A reporter’s specialty
What is a trial balloon?
When a politician purposely leaks information to the press to see if the public likes it or not
