Media and Interest Groups Flashcards
Where do most Americans get their news?
TV
Which amendment prohibits congress from abridging freedom of the press, but does not provide the media with unlimited print and broadcast freedom?
Amendment 1
What is media consolidation?
When a few media chains owned large portions of the market.
What was the telecommunications act of 1996?
Deregulated whole segments of electronic media in attempt to provide an optimal balance of competing corporate interests, technological innovations, and consumer needs.
What is the equal time rule?
Rule that requires broadcast stations to sell their air time equally to all candidates in a political campaign (if they choose to sell any).
What was New York Times v. US?
The Supreme Court ruled that the government could not prevent the New York Times (using prior restraint) from publishing the Pentagon Papers.
What is prior restraint?
The prevention of publication, which under extremely rare circumstances the government has the power to do.
What is a press release?
A written document offering an official comment or position on an issue or news event.
What is a press breifing?
A reflectively restricted session between a press secretary or aid, and the press.
What is a press conference?
An unrestricted session between an elected official and the press.
What is “on the record”?
Information provided to a journalist that can be released and attributed by name to the source.
What is “on backround”?
Information provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to a named source.
What is deep backround?
Information provided to a journalist that cannot be attributed to any source.
What is “off the record”?
Information provided to a journalist that cannot be released to the public.
What was New York Times v. Sullivan?
Supreme Court ruled that publishing false information is not enough to justify a libel judgment and that actual malice must be proven.
What is actual malice?
A public official must prove that the reporter had knowledge that the information published was false or that it was published with disregard to whether or not it was.
How can story selection or placement exhibit bias?
If a story is put on the front page of the newspaper or said at the beginning of the news hour, as opposed to the middle of the paper or program it could exhibit bias towards the candidate at the beginning of the page/hour.
Why is an editorial not considered to be bias?
Someone is stating their opinion in an opinion column. The reader knows this is the person’s opinion and doesn’t expect the story to be told from all sides.
How are stories that make one side or the other look bad, but are accurate, not considered bias?
They are simply telling the facts, there’s no other way to accurately report what happend.
How are non policy stories on a specific event not considered bias?
They are simpler random, and have nothing to do with politics.
What is narrowcasting?
Targeting media programming at so specific populations within society that agree with their viewpoints. (MSNBC, FOX)
What is the pluralist theory?
The theory that political power is distributed among a wide array if diverse and competing interest groups.
What is the disturbance theory?
Interest groups form In part to counteract the actions of other groups.
What is the transactions theory?
Different groups work together for common goal even if they have different reasons for wanting that goal.
What is the population ecology theory?
The theory that an interest group separates after achieving its goal.
What is the role of interest groups in American government?
Interest groups give the unknown and unrepresented citizens an opportunity to have their voices heard. This makes government more representative of diverse populations and perspectives. It also gives the wealthy and powerful even greater on policy makers at all levels of government.
What is a public interest group?
An organization that seeks a collective good and will not selectively an materially being it group members.
Get out the vote
Many interest groups believe they can influence public policy by putting like -minded people in public office, and support get out the vote effort.
