1. The News Media
Chapter 15

2. Important definitions:
Linkage Institution
The media links citizens with government, along with political parties, interest groups, and elections.
Mass Media:
Array of organizations through which information is collected and disseminated to the general public.
Ex. Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, blogs, Internet.

3. Media
News Media -one components of the larger mass media, provide the public with new information about subjects of public interest and play a vital role in political process.
Media forms a spectrum of opinion
TV 1st introduced in the 1940s / radio in the 1920s
By 1960s Americans could see presidential debates
1960 1st televised presidential debate: Nixon and Kennedy
Herbert Hoover ( )-no media involvement in politics
Franklin D. Roosevelt ( )- invented modern media politics/Fireside Chats
Gave press conferences twice a week
First to use the radio extensively
Press respected FDR

4. Until the 1960s the press respected the government
Didn’t report private lives
Impact of Vietnam War and Watergate Scandal
Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal
Investigative Journalism

5. Print Media Newspaper began in the colonies in the 1690s
Ex. Federalist v. Anti-Federalist Papers
New York Sun –cost a cent (1800s) ….became known as the penny press.
one of the first newspaper to begin partisan papers
Yellow Journalism- form of newspaper published, pictures, comics, color and sensational news coverage.

6. Radio, T.V. News Became the center of homes in the 20s
Liberals turn to National Public Radio (NPR) which received government funding as well as private donations
T.V. began in 1938 but did not cover news until after WWII
1963: network provided about 15 minutes news a day.
Newspaper-major source
C-SPAN- congressional and news network.

7. New Media (internet/blogs/social networks)
Internet: % of Americans get news from online sources/ media
Why? Low cost/ free
Blogs: link people with common ideology
Right: drudgereport.com/ redstate.org/ townhall.com/
Left: dailykos.com/ huffingtonpost.com/talkingpointsmeno.com
Social Networking: Facebook, Twitter…ect

8. Current News Media Trends
Media Consolidation: media multimillion-dollar profit business
Narrowcasting: targeting media programming at specific population within society. EX, FOX/MSNBC/UNIVISON/TELEMUNDO
Increasing Use of Experts: news sources employ experts consultants from a number of different fields.
Citizen Journalists: Ordinary individuals who collect, report, and analyze new content.

9. Rules Governing the News Media
“Code of Ethics”: includes principles and standards governing issues such as avoiding conflicts of interest and verifying the information being reported.
On the record- information provided to a journalist that can be released and attributed by name to the source.
Off the record- information provided to a journalist that will not be released to the public.
On background- information provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to a named source
Deep background- information provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to any source.

10. Government Regulations
1. Media Ownership: Telecommunication Act: freeing whole segments of electronic media (signed by Bill Clinton, first time that Internet was included in broadcasting)
2. Content:
- Content Regulation: limitations on the substance of the mass media.
-Equal time rule: the rule that requires broadcast stations to sell air time equally to all candidates in a political campaign if they choose to sell it to any.

11. How media cover politics?
Day-to-Day operation
1,300 are accredited to sit in Congress
80 journalist were creditably White House correspondent in 2012
How the press and public figures interact?
press release- written document offering an official comment or position on an issue or news event. (faxed/ ed/ handed)
Press conference- an unrestricted session between an elected official and the press.
Press briefing- a relatively session between a press secretary aor aide and the press.

12. Covering the Presidency
The executive branch gets the most attention
The White House is one of the most prestigious posts a political reporter can get.
White House’s press room/ garden

13. Covering Congress and Supreme Court
With 535 member coving Congress is a little difficult
1. Leader of both parties, SOH receives most of the attention
2. Committee chairs (such as Appropriation or Judiciary)
3. local newspaper and broadcast stations normally devote some resources to covering their local senators and representatives
Supreme Court:
TV cameras has never been permitted to record Supreme Court proceedings.
Very few reporters covering the S.C.
Justices protect the perception of the S.C. as non-political…JUST THE LAW!!!!!!!

14. News Media Influence
Media effects -the influence of news sources on public opinion
Reporting can sway the public opinion and votes of people who lacks strong political beliefs.
Likely that the media have a greater impact on topics far removed from the lives and experience or reader and viewers.
The media can influence the list of issues to be address by
government through a process known as agenda setting (forming the list of issues to be address by government)
4. Media influence public opinion through framing (news organization defines apolitical issue and consequently affects opinion about the issue)
5. Media have the power to indirectly influence the way the public views politicians and government.