The Functions of Journalism in America

Political Function Press is the watchdog of government Right of free press = obligation to provide the public with information upon which to base political decisions Good news covers in details the activities of the government Watches for scandal and wrongdoing Scrutinizes use of public money and so forth Freedom carries with it responsibility -press should fight attempts by the government to do its business behind closed doors -Can anyone think of a very famous incident in which the press doing it job as a watchdog led to huge changes in our political system? Watergate, briefly describe it… -Ask if they have any other examples of how they have seen the press function as a watchdog – maybe campaigns, etc. -Ask where they find news covering the political function?

Economic Function Public needs information about products, goods and services in addition to events Business, industrial and agricultural news conveys this info; so does advertising Where do you find this kind of news? Remind them about how much of the paper is news; Make difference between advertising and journalism

Sentry Function Press watches society’s horizons; must report what is happening today and what is likely to happen tomorrow Lets us know what to look forward to in the near future What is peeking over the horizon that may challenge us tomorrow? The problem with Internet predators, patterns of change in criminal justice, and identity theft are all examples of issues that became public knowledge because the press brought them to the attention of the public; Press then needs to be aware of trends and almost be like detectives In the past the press has been accused of failing in this job, other times it does it well

Record-Keeping Function Mass media should reflect an accurate record of local, national and world news The first draft of history Record – Who ran for office? who was on the school board? Who died? Who won? Who lost?

Entertainment Function News provides diversion as well as information This function includes the comics, entertaining feature stories, and pictures Appeal to all ages and interests The news is serious, but all good newscasts or paper should have at least one story on the lighter side in order to interest a larger audience.

Social Function News replaces simpler relationships of past “Dear Abby” is an example of the social function of the news People use to get news from their neighbors on a person-to-person basis. No more. Replaced by watching the news; get some socialization by talking about the news

Marketplace Function Marketplace: Press is forum for new ideas; the marketplace of ideas Press conveys concerns of its audience, hopefully spurring action Example: If the audience is concerned about the environment and then conveys this concern through the press, perhaps by letters to the editor, then perhaps something will be done We've seen this with community events like the tree out in the Northridge that the community did not want cut down; they formed a protest and alerted the press so that the event would be covered and they could garner support

Agenda-Setting Function Main idea: While journalists don’t tell us what to think, they do tell us what to think about. Do not dictate our thoughts, but determine what we talk about as individuals Who sets the agenda for the media? Main idea: What is the difference? Can you think of examples of how the media has done this?