Sides Chapter 8: The News Media Flashcards
Who are the News Media?
The news media include any regular communicators of information about current events to mass audiences. Most news media outlets communicate through text, video, websites, or social media channels.
What is the most popular source of news for Americans?
television. 69 percent of Americans report sometimes watching local television news, and 40 percent watching often. National network television news audiences are also relatively large, though not as large as they once were.
What is a common misconception for users online?
They may not know where it originated or whether it was produced by a news outlet. Users do not always remember the sources of their news, including whether it was original reporting, repackaged commentary, or a stray rumor. One of the online’s politico’s biggest misconceptions is to assume that other people are paying attention to the same content they see.
Why has news become nationalized?
Because large state and local media operations became less sustainable as advertising and subscription revenues declined, in-depth reporting on state and local politics became less feasible. By choosing national outlets over local media, news audiences have reinforced this pattern: they have enhanced the business model for national coverage and will further diminish it for local coverage.
What are the consequences of news becoming nationalized?
As a result Americans now know less about subnational politics than they used to know, but they know more about national political actors and events. And then this leads to voting increasingly along partisan lines based on their views of the president rather than their images of their local representative.
What does the Federal Communications Commission do (FCC)?
It regulates broadcast radio and television because there is limited space on the broadcast spectrum. The FCC rule that is the most relevant to the political campaigns is the right to equal time. Stations with FCC licenses are required to provide “equal time” to all candidates for office. They cannot simply advertise on behalf of a favored candidate and ignore the others.
What is the one most important things for the news media?
They must be profitable first and foremost.
What are the 2 strategies for news media to stay viable?
One strategy to maintain viability is to cut their operating costs by eliminating reporting positions and other staff. The second strategy is raising revenue. News outlets, especially newspapers, increasingly charge for access to their news online.
What is infotainment?
a combination of informational and entertainment programming
What is the norm of objectivity in terms of the media?
They began to see it as their job to report on events fairly and accurately, with appropriate attention paid to all sides of controversial issues. The norm of objectivity became codified in the guidelines of news organizations.
Which races get covered?
The media are more likely to cover a campaign when the race is competitive. They are also more likely to cover a campaign when the office at stake has more authority.
What are the four news values?
novelty, personality, conflict, and skepticism
What is horse race journalism?
Which focuses on which candidate is ahead or behind, who is gaining or losing ground, and what the candidates are trying to do to win. Horse race coverage is appealing because there are many ways to determine who is ahead or behind: fundraising, endorsements, polls, the size of rallies, and so on.
What is interpretive journalism?
Reporters do not simply report on what the candidates do and say, they provide further analysis and interpretation. They attempt to tell their audience why the candidates are doing what they are doing and thereby reveal the candidates’ underlying message. Journalists see their obligation as not just to narrate events but also to provide context. They draw on their perceived expertise to read between the lines and to help their audience understand what is “really going on.”
How to campaigns seek out media?
They do this through “earned media” and “paid media.” Nearly everything a candidate does is designed to be picked up in the next day’s newspaper, etc. they want every interaction with the news media to be on their terms.
