1. The Media

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The Media State
United States is world’s first media state
Each year, the average American adult spends
1824 hours at work
2737 hours sleeping
3256 hours exposed to the media
Americans experience multiple media exposures simultaneously
Those who use social media aren’t just news consumers, they function as news conduits by linking others to media they consider important.
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The Media’s Functions
Entertainment
Reporting the news
Identifying public problems
Setting the public agenda
Investigative function
Socializing new generations
Providing a political forum
Making profits
Americans most frequently cite television as their primary news source, followed by the Internet, then newspapers. A larger percentage of young people (six in ten) rely on the Internet and television equally. However, the greatest number of television and radio hours are devoted to entertainment, not news.
The top news story in 2009 was the condition of the U.S. economy. Other top stories included the escalating Afghanistan war and the health care debate.
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4. History of the Media in the U.S.
Rise of the political press
Development of mass-readership newspapers
Popular press and yellow journalism
Age of the electromagnetic signal
Political events leading up to the American Revolution changed the nature of the press from printers of official documents and notices of public events to chroniclers of the disputes with Great Britain. The Federalist/Anti-Federalist battle led to newspaper support of political agendas. By the 1850s, newspapers began to realize that circulation would increase through nonpartisan coverage.
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5. Revolution of Electronic Media
Cable TV
Narrowcasting
Talk show politics
The Internet
Broadcasting
Blogging
Podcasting
Social media
In 1980, CNN was launched by Ted Turner as the first 24-hour all news network. It is available in over 93 million U.S. households, and reaches nearly 1 billion people around the globe.
A new type of narrowcasting is interactive, allowing the viewer to influence the content being displayed, sometimes through use of a touch screen. A more traditional type of one-way narrowcasting is familiar to all cable viewers on networks such as ESPN, MTV, CSPAN, Telemundo.
Rush Limbaugh
AP Photo/Lennox McLendon
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6. Number of Years After Introduction to Attract Fifty Million Users
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7. The Primacy of Television
Currently the most influential type of media is television.
Internet is gaining quickly
In 1963, the major networks devoted only 11 minutes a day to national news (a 15-minute show minus ad time). Today it’s about three hours.
Many all-news channels are also available.
However, the viewership of the major network’s evening news programs continues to fall. Combined, the three major networks reach about 22.8 million viewers each evening, down about 1 million viewers each year in each of the past 25 years, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The Daily Show often features political guests.
Courtesy of The Daily Show
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8. The Primacy of Television (cont)
Television influences the political process
Viewers can actually see news and history as it is happening
Relies more on pictures than words
Pressure to sensationalize or trivialize
Over 70 million viewers tuned in to watch the Kennedy-Nixon debates in September and October, Although the candidates were fairly evenly matched, Kennedy seemed more appealing and confident to television viewers. Radio listeners during the first debate thought Nixon had won. Powerful visual perceptions helped solidify voter’s opinions, and have played a role ever since.
The Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960
The Library of Congress
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9. The Media and Political Campaigns
Voters now receive most information from electronic media, especially television.
Three types of campaign television coverage
Advertising
Management of News Coverage
Planning political events to accommodate the press
Developing a good working relationship with reporters
Convincing the media to put the right “spin” on a story
Political Debates
The NY Times reports that $2.6 billion was spent on political advertising by candidates and interest groups at all levels in The majority, about $2 billion, was spent on local broadcast television, up about 34% from the 2004 presidential election year.
Challengers usually have more to gain from a debate than incumbents.
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10. The Media and Political Campaigns (cont)
“On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”
Political campaigns and the Internet
Rise of social media
In recent campaigns, the Internet has played an increasingly prominent role, as candidates use websites to convey their messages as well as to solicit contributions. The Internet has also been a useful tool for voters, with one study reporting that one-fifth of voters had used the Internet to obtain information about elections.
© The New Yorker Collection 1993
Steiner from cartoonbank.com. All rights reserved.
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11. Tweeting Public Opinion
Discusses the emergence of social media use as commonplace by members of Congress.
Airdate: 3/5/2009
Click the icon to open the movie
Video Supplied by Motion Gallery
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Video Questions
Do your representatives use any form of social media? Is it effective?
Are “tweets” reliable as a source of political information? Why or why not?
Is use of social media likely to increase or decrease among politicians?
What news sources do you view as most impartial? Why?
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13. Media’s Impact on Voters
Has the greatest impact on the truly undecided
“Horse race” coverage predominates
Most voters have preconceived ideas about candidates and issues
Selective attentiveness
Candidates package an image through carefully planned appearances and political advertisements. However, the overwhelming amount of information received from different media make it difficult to determine exactly how these images impact voters. Minimal effects theorists believe that other deep-seated, long-term factors (such as party identification) have much greater influences on voters’ choices. They believe that people filter news stories and advertising through their own partisan perspectives, and tend to remember only that which is more consistent with their beliefs (selection retention.)
Agenda setting theorists believe that the media are very influential in telling the public what to think about. In other words, if there are many news stories about the high cost of health care, viewers will see this as an important issue. And if the public is interested, then political candidates discuss the issue and form an opinion.
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14. Atomization of the Media
Increasing concentration of national media, but audience fragmentation leads to loss of influence
Major media have lost dominance
Minor players playing increasing role
Lines becoming blurred between entertainment and politics
Comedy shows often sole source of news
Fringe media often captures public attention
Technology has contributed to the atomization of the media, especially in the development of cable television and the Internet. Breaking news appears immediately on the Internet, thus voters are less likely to rely on the evening news or their morning newspaper. Talk radio and cable news programs have also capitalized on the current populist backlash against “Washington insiders.”
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15. The Media and the Government
By focusing attention on controversial actions, the media can sometimes pressure the government into changing course.
In its role as a watchdog, the media have been referred to as the fourth branch of government, or “the fourth estate.”
© AP/ Wide World Photos
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16. The Media and The President
President Franklin Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat (1933)
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Presidential Library and Museum
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© Underwood & Underwood/Corbis
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Questions
FDR was the first president to fully exploit the airwaves to communicate directly with the American people. Do presidents communicate enough with the public?
Should there be more forums for presidents to communicate directly with their constituents? Which methods would be most effective?
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19. Relationship Between the Media and Recent Administrations
Ronald Reagan
Dubbed “The Great Communicator, ” but could be fuzzy on specifics
Bill Clinton
Knowledgeable and charming; but media often hostile
George W. Bush
Tried to use AND avoid media
Barack Obama
Cerebral and controlled; technologically savvy
Reagan idolized FDR, and was dubbed “the Great Communicator." Could be fuzzy on facts but was great with overarching themes. As an actor, he knew how to use TV to his advantage.
Clinton emulated Reagan and tried to reach out to citizens with his themes. Knowledge and charm made him especially effective in one-on-one situations. Clinton, had many opponents, however, and faced a hostile media environment.
George W. Bush alternately tried to use and avoid the media. Not as comfortable in front of TV cameras, Bush preferred to work behind the scenes. His strength is to speak to moral clarity.
Obama is a calm and confident communicator. Media opportunities are highly structured, and he is skilled in the use of technology and social media. Obama’s style is sometimes too cerebral and controlled.
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20. Setting the Public Agenda
President Ronald Reagan was often oblivious to reporters, and almost never held press conferences. He was publicly perceived as personable.
Ronald Reagan seldom held press conferences.
AP Photo/Barry Thumma
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21. Government Regulation of the Media
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has far more control over the broadcast media than it does over print.
The FCC was created in 1934 to regulate electronic media. In FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (1978), the Supreme Court upheld the FCC’s power to regulate the broadcast of so-called indecent material. The case stemmed from a parent’s complaint that his son heard comedian George Carlin’s “Filthy Words” routine aired over a public radio station owned by Pacifica.
Reverend Jesse Jackson leads a protest outside FCC headquarters.
Chris Kleponis/Bloomberg News/Landov
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22. The Press: Legal and Constitutional Issues
Prior Restraint
For media, this equals censorship
New York Times v. United States (Pentagon Papers)
Free Press and Fair Trial
First Amendment guarantees
Libel: written defamation
Malice must be present
The principle of truth is the historic defense against changes of libel, dating back to the 1735 trial of a newspaper publisher who allowed articles critical of the British-appointed governor of New York.
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23. First Amendment Issues
The First Amendment does not always shield news reporters. Judith Miller of the New York Times was jailed for 85 days for refusing to name I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby as her news source in a leak investigation.
Judith Miller no longer writes for the Times. She authors a blog, and is an occasional commentator for Fox News. Libby was convicted on four of five charges, but later had his sentence commuted by President G.W. Bush.
© AP Images/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
© AP Images/J. Scott Applewhite
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24. The Press and the Government
Symbiotic/Adversarial relationship
Adversaries who need each other
News leaks and “backgrounders”
Scoops
Press conferences
Investigative reporting
The Freedom of Information Act
The Press as Target
A famous example of investigative reporting is the work of Bernstein and Woodward of The Washington Post in uncovering the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up. Their articles eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
Early reporter Ida Tarbell was known as a “muckraker” for exposing the unethical practices of Standard Oil in driving small oil companies out of business. In 1969, reporter Seymour Hersh wrote about the My Lai Massacre and cover-up during the Vietnam War, igniting the U.S. peace movement.
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25. The Public’s Opinion of Network TV
Source: The Pew Research Foundation for the People and the Press, “Public More Critical of Press, but Goodwill Persists,” June 26, 2005
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How Do You Get Your News?
Source: The Pew Research Foundation for the People and the Press, “Public More Critical of Press, but Goodwill Persists,” June 26, 2005
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Do You Think News Organizations Are Pretty Independent, or Are They Often Influenced by Powerful People and Organizations?
Source: The Pew Research Foundation for the People and the Press, “Public More Critical of Press, but Goodwill Persists,” June 26, 2005
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28. The Role of the Press in a Democratic Society
The press plays a vital role in a democracy because it is the principal means by which the people learn about the actions and policies of government.
Even media sources which are primarily designed to entertain increasingly provide information about politics, media and government. Two of the best known are The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
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29. Controlling Ownership of the Media
Media Conglomerates
Reevaluating the rules
Government Control of Content
Control of broadcasting
The Second Gulf War and “embedded reporters”
The Public’s Right to Media Access
The big three networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) are owned by media conglomerates with several other holdings. Their profits are fueled in part by advertising revenues during programming.
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Bias in the Media
Do the Media Have a Partisan Bias?
Mainstream media try to practice objectivity
But public thinks press is biased
Advocacy media is intentionally biased
A Commercial Bias?
Is the priority to inform or make a profit?
Usually means a focus on infotainment
Agenda Setting
Tells the audience what to think about
Advocacy media are at both ends of the political spectrum, although far more identify themselves as conservative than liberal.
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31. Playing Favorites with Obama?
Discusses a possible media coverage imbalance between the candidates in Results of a Project for Excellence in Journalism show that Obama was featured in a larger percentage of news stories than McCain.
Airdate: 7/20/2008
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Video Questions
Are news media under any obligation to provide equal candidate coverage? How about entertainment media?
What are the risks of too much coverage?
How should McCain have responded to the coverage received by Obama?
What media image do you most remember from the 2008 presidential election?
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The Politics of the Press: How Reporters and Broadcasters Describe Themselves
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34. Questions for Critical Thinking
How has the role of media evolved in recent times?
What topics are more likely to receive national news coverage? Why is this so?
Why are First Amendment protections so important? Do you support any limitations on these protections?
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35. Questions for Critical Thinking
Should any media content be restricted? What about programs that incite hate, or discuss clearly false information? How can these be regulated?
What media are you exposed to on a daily basis? How does this differ from past generations?
What will change about media coverage in the next ten years?
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Web Links
Columbia Journalism Review
Freedom Forum
Newseum
Journalism.org
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
The Drudge Report
Columbia Journalism Review
The online version of the Columbia Journalism Review, a magazine that covers media issues. Resources on the
website include lists of which corporations own the media; special reports on the issues involved in covering
controversial topics such as AIDS, tobacco, mental health care, and money and politics; and links to other
journalism websites.
Freedom Forum
A nonpartisan, international foundation that provides information about the freedoms covered by the First Amendment, including freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
Newseum
The Internet version of news museums in New York City, and planned for Washington, D.C. This website offers exhibits that focus on the past, present, and future of the news business.
Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Committee of Concerned Journalists
A consortium of reporters, editors, producers, publishers, owners, and academics. Visitors can read reports, studies, essays, and articles about the future of journalism.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
A nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance to journalists whose First Amendment rights are under
attack. The committee publishes quarterly legal reviews and biweekly newsletters, and offers a 24-hour legal defense hotline for reporters.
The Drudge Report home page, posted by Matt Drudge, provides a handy guide to the Web’s best spots for news and opinions. Its mission is one-click access to breaking news and recent columns. It provides links to specific columnists and opinion pages for magazines and major daily newspapers.
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Web Links
The New York Times
The Washington Post
Sfgate.com
AlterNet
Slate
American Journalism Review
FAIR
The New York Times website offers in-depth reports on international
and national affairs.
The Washington Post website provides political news from the
nation’s capital.
The San Francisco Chronicle has been described as an “oasis of
attitude” in the world of news.
This alternative journalism site presents news and opinion not
found in most other media outlets.
Slate is a “Webzine” featuring columns and wit and perhaps the
best media analysis on the Web.
A variety of stories about the media are provided by the University
of Maryland College of Journalism.
This watchdog site keeps an eye on the media.
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