Multiple choice Chapter 16 Flashcards
What is news media?
Broad term for any type of media that includes newspapers, magazines, and TV that covers important events.
What is agenda setting?
The media’s ability to highlight certain issues and bring them to the public’s attention.
What role does media play in shaping American political culture?
Media plays a huge role in shaping American culture and influencing Americans’ attitudes toward government.
What is mass media?
Sources designed to reach a wide audience.
What is investigative journalism?
An approach to news gathering in which reporters dig into stories, often involving wrongdoing.
What are ‘muckrakers’?
‘Muckrakers’ dig up mud, expose wrongdoing, and the government and public respond.
What is broadcast media?
Outlets for news that bring stories directly into people’s homes, including TV and radio.
What is social media?
Form of electronic communication that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking
What is the FCC?
A federal agency that regulates broadcast media
What is media consolidation?
The concentration of ownership of the media into fewer corporations
What were the results of the Telecommunications Act of 1996?
Raised the percentage of a national audience a corporation could hold
What is partisan bias?
The slanting of political news coverage in support of a particular party or ideology
What is horse race journalism?
Focus on the latest polls and emphasizing drama rather than on policy issues
What is watchdog journalism?
Exposing wrongdoing and corruption by policymakers
What is infotainment?
Trying to gain viewers by blending information and entertainment
What is a criticism of talk radio?
They are a lot more conservative
Who appoints members of the FCC?
The president appoints them.
Describe early regulation of broadcast media (radio).
Had to have a license to get on the radio.
Which city has the largest concentration of reporters in the world?
Washington, D.C.
What is a media event?
A situation so staged that the mass media are compelled to cover it.
What are gatekeepers?
Media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters.
What is the ‘television hypothesis’?
TV is to blame for the low level of citizens’ knowledge on public affairs.
What is the stereotyped bias of journalists and reporters?
They tend to be more liberal.
What does ‘on background’ mean?
Can use the information, but not use the source.
What does ‘off the record’ mean?
Not an official statement.
How much freedom does the media in the United States have compared to other countries?
The media in the United States has significant freedom, but it is dependent on advertisements to cover costs.
What has been the trend for all three major networks for their ratings of the evening news since the 1980s?
All have had a big drop in their audiences.
What is the role of the FCC?
An independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, and internet.
What is the Associated Press?
An organization that allowed newspapers to gather, share, and sell resources beyond their city by pooling resources.
What are the largest national newspapers in the United States today?
The main sources of media were newspapers from the 1880s till the 1960s.
When did radio come into existence?
Radio came into existence in the early 1920s.
What are broadcast networks?
A show that is played in different parts of the country on different stations.
Which president first effectively used radio to communicate?
President Franklin Roosevelt with his fireside chats.
How did television impact the 1960 presidential election?
The first televised presidential debate made viewers feel that John F. Kennedy looked better.
What is narrowcasting?
Trying to tailor content for a certain audience.
What is selective exposure?
Favoring sources of information to adhere to their own beliefs.
How do Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC tend to tailor their news?
CNN and MSNBC are more towards liberals, while Fox News is more towards conservatives.
What is the digital divide?
Some older Americans or low-income people either do not use the internet or don’t have access to it.
What are sound bites?
Usually about 10 seconds, when common quotes are taken out of much longer speeches and stories.
What is the role of the President’s press secretary?
Person who holds almost daily press conferences with reporters to answer questions regarding legislation and other issues regarding the president.
How was the relationship between the media and politicians until the early 1960s?
Until the 60s, the media and politicians had a relatively good relationship.
How has the relationship between the media and politicians been since the late 1960s?
After the 60s, it has been a much more strained relationship.
What impact do Americans believe the media has on political institutions and public opinion?
Americans strongly believe that media influences political institutions and public opinion.
How does the Supreme Court typically view Freedom of the Press?
They usually strike down government attempts to restrain the media, with the exception being strategic information during wartime.
What is slander?
Spoken lies to damage someone’s reputation.
What is libel?
Printed lies to damage someone’s reputation.
What are pros and cons of having the name value advantage?
People are more likely to vote for someone they’ve heard of unless it’s for something bad like a scandal.
What is the source of most news about Congress?
It comes from press releases issued by members.
Who does television news devote the most time to?
They devote the most time to the president.
How is it believed that those with higher cognitive skills get the news?
They believe that people with higher cognitive skills read the news.
What is a presidential news conference?
The president delivers carefully rehearsed answers to anticipated questions.
What is the bully pulpit?
A stage where the president could persuade the public of his agenda.
