1. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
WHAT ARE YOUR PRIMARY NEWS SOURCES?
DO YOU GET NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS?

2. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
What are the five phases in journalistic history?
Party press
Popular press
Magazines of opinion
Electronic journalism
The internet and social media

3. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
How is it difficult for elected officials to gain access to the electronic media (radio, TV)?
What about the President?
How is media coverage the “double-edge sword” of American politics?
Why has media coverage of politics contributed to the decline of political parties over the last few decades?

4. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
STRUCTURE OF MEDIA
How competitive is today’s media?
Newspapers/print
Radio/TV
How regulated?
Print media?
TV/radio?

7. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
STRUCTURE OF MEDIA
How has increased competition in TV influenced political news coverage?
What constitutes the National media?

8. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
STRUCTURE OF MEDIA
Why is the existence of a national press important?
How does the press act as a “gatekeeper”, scorekeeper”, “watchdog”?
How has the “scorekeeper” role influenced elections and campaigns in the U.S.?
Has the media gone too far in its “watchdog” role? Explain.

9. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
What rules govern media?
Newspaper v. electronic media
Libel, obscenity, incitement
Radio, TV – licensed and regulated

10. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
What is the “right of confidentiality”?
Is it an “actual” right? Should it be?

11. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
Rules Governing Media and Campaigning
Equal-time rule
Right-of-reply rule
Political editorializing
Fairness doctrine

12. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
How does the media affect politics?
Definite influence on how we see issues
What issues we cite as important, how we attribute responsibility, policy preferences
How large is that effect?
Don’t know; not enough scholarly research
BUT, it has changed the way politics works
Campaigns
Role of political parties
How does the media influence election outcomes?
Presidential races?/local races?

13. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
What is selective attention? (look around the room) How does it limit the impact media coverage has on public opinion?
When a broadcaster makes “commentary” how big of an impact does it have on you?
What about election outcomes? (Presidential?/local?)

14. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
Do local newspapers more often endorse Republican or Democratic candidates for the Presidency?
Are journalists more liberal than the public at large?
SEE POLLING DATA

16. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
The National Media (Media elite) is decidedly more liberal than the American public.
Does this mean that news stories are slanted?
What are the differences between routine stories, feature stories, and insider stories?

17. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
What factors offset the liberalism of the National Media in reporting political news? (What might keep the liberalism in check?)
If most reporters hold liberal views, why hasn’t the American public become more liberal?
Could reporters alter public opinion if they tried?

18. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
So…how should political news be interpreted? (credibility and bias)
Who sees bigger differences between candidates – newspaper readers or TV viewers? Explain.
Media has major effect on how politics in conducted (specifically elections and campaigns). PROVIDE EXAMPLES – candidates use of media; media coverage of elections/campaigns

19. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
Government and News
Shaping public opinion
Prominence of President
Coverage of Congress

20. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
Why is our government among the “leakiest” in the world?
Constitutional arrangement
No Official Secrets Act (like G.B.)
Adversarial press less likely to accept word of “elected official”
Look for “real story”, hence “leaks”

21. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
Why so much sensationalism in the news?
How has the rise of cynical reporting affected public perception of the media?
What has happened to the public perception of the “accuracy” of the media?
What has happened to public trust of the media?
What factors do you believe have contributed to these trends?

24. Aim: How does the media influence American government and politics?
What constraints does the government have on journalists?
Risks – alienate sources v. becoming their mouthpiece
Government tools to fight back
Numerous press officers in legislative and executive branches
Press releases – “canned” news
Leaks to favorite reporters
Go local
President rewards and punishes members of press