10 The Media
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Media: Historical Background Beginnings: Party press, intensely partisan Popular press: as urbanization occurred Mass circulation, rotary press Yellow Journalism: Pulitzer and Hearst –Media once, and always has been, a business Alternative: Magazines of opinion, muckrackers (Lincoln Steffans, McClure’s) Electronic media (20s radio, 40s tv): –Individual personalities paramount Contemporary media: –Fewer cities with competing papers –Local market orientation –Decentralized broadcast industry, but 7 major networks –National media papers, newsmagazines –Ever-expanding internet (2004 campaign and the “bloggers”
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Media Selection and Bias Media do not “mirror” reality Selecting/editing subjective, especially over time National press reporters more liberal, eds. Cons. Conservatives targeted PBS in 1995 National press fulfills three additional roles Gatekeeper- judgment on what issues/how long Scorekeeper- tracking (and making) reputations Watchdog- exposing political intrigue Social Scientists: still unable to determine extent of media influence. –Otherwise, whole country would have liberalized long ago. True?
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Figure 10.2: Public Perception of Accuracy in the Media Source: Pew Research Center, "The People and the Press" (February 1999), 13.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Media as influencer/Press Conferences Within what context? Political Agenda National press bias focuses on Washington politics FCC regulations/monopoly ownership regulations has reemphasized local focus Press Conferences as agenda-setter “Bully Pulpit” in hands of Reagan/Clinton Liability in hands of most others: Carter/Bush
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Table 10.1: Decline in Viewership of the Television Networks
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Press Conference Deficiencies Edwards and Wayne 1997: Infrequency: randomness > superficiality Size: too big to allow for follow-ups Formality hinders questioning Rehearsal and question control reduce spontaneity. Jeff Gannon/aka James D. Guckert Televised conferences prevent informality and candid nature of responses (FDR) Presidential control leads to “soft” questions True for Bush in April?
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Figure 10.3: Decline in Public Trust of the Media Source: David Shaw, "Trust in Media Is on Decline," Los Angeles Times (March 31, 1993): A16, reporting data a Times poll conducted March 6-9, Copyright 1993, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted by permission.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Figure 10.3: Decline in Public Trust of the Media (cont’d) Source: David Shaw, "Trust in Media Is on Decline," Los Angeles Times (March 31, 1993): A16, reporting data a Times poll conducted March 6-9, Copyright 1993, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted by permission.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Figure 10.1: Young People Have Become Less Interested in Political News Source: The Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press (June 28, 1990).
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved Table 10.2: Journalist Opinion Versus Public Opinion