1. The Media

2. HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED, READ, OR
LISTENED TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?

4. Mass Media: Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet and other means of popular communication that reach, and profoundly influence, not only the elites but the masses.

5. History of the media Once upon a time in America… There was no:
Internet
Television
Radio
There were newspapers, and they were massively partisan

6. Over time, newspapers became cheaper and easier to operate
Their readership expanded and they tried to appeal to more people
Partisanship and bias didn’t go away, but they were subdued

7. 1848 – The Associated Press (AP) is created – journalists pool their resources
Yellow Journalism
Late 1800s
Pulitzer and Hearst
Sensationalism (violence, corruption, war and gossip)
Progressive Journalism
Muckrakers
Investigative reporting

8. Then radio happened and television happened
These networks focused on “broadcasting”; trying to reach a large audience through tv and radio signals
Big Three
NBC (National Broadcasting Company)
CBS (Columbia Broadcasting system)
ABC (American Broadcasting Company)

9. These stations brought the government into people’s homes like never before
Coverage of WWII, Vietnam, Kennedy and MLK assassinations

10. Television news was limited; basically only three places to get tv news
Then came cable
The rise of 24 hour news networks
Fox
CNN
MSNBC
“narrowcasting”

11. The Internet and social media
Rising in importance
TV is shrinking
Ease of access for citizens and politicians
But…most people still get their news from major news outlets, just the online version

12. Coverage of Politicians
Press Conferences
Press follows political leaders everywhere; president is most scrutinized person in the world
Why do presidents and other leaders allow press access?

13. Media Events and Photo ops
Allow politicians to shape their image and push their agenda
Free advertising
Sometimes political players send out “trial balloons”
They leak ideas to the press to gauge the public’s reaction

14. WHAT MESSAGES ARE BEING SENT BY THIS PRESIDENT FROM THE FOLLOWING PHOTO-OPS?

21. Sound Bites
In order to keep viewer’s attention, the media often dilute candidates words into short easily packaged quotes called “sound bites” that stay in voters’ minds
Candidates sometimes emphasize these same segments
Sound bites have gotten shorter with each passing decade

22. “READ MY
LIPS, NO
NEW
TAXES!”
GEORGE H.
BUSH
(1988)

23. “ COMPASSIONATE
CONSERVATISM”
GEORGE W.
BUSH

25. “I will build a great, great wall.”
DONALD TRUMP

26. “I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN!”

27. “ASK NOT
WHAT YOUR
COUNTRY
CAN DO
FOR YOU…”

28. “I AM NOT A
CROOK!”
RICHARD
NIXON

29. “MR. GORBACHEV,
TEAR DOWN
THAT WALL!”
RONALD
REAGAN

30. Media play three significant roles in American politics

31. #1 They are the Gatekeepers
Media decide what stories are “newsworthy” and so they have a lot of influence over the political agenda

32. #2 They are the Watchdogs
Starting in the 1970s, largely due to events like the Vietnam war and Watergate scandal, investigative journalism reached a new high
Reporters saw it as their job to expose government corruption and mismanagement
Adversarial press
Has led Americans to view the government much more negatively

33. #3 They are the Scorekeepers
Who’s up? Who’s down? Who’s winning? Who’s losing?
Sometimes called “horserace journalism”

34. Pressing questions Are we more informed about politics now or less?
Do people get both sides of the story?
Is the media biased?

35. Are WE more informed about politics now or less?
Generally less
No more “incidental exposure”

36. Do people get both sides of the story?
Kinda
Selective exposure is real though

37. Is the media biased?
Well…many studies have shown that journalists tend to be liberal and favor democrats
Most Americans think the media is biased in favor of liberals
Even Democrats think the media is biased in favor of liberals
However, most studies have not drawn this conclusion
Why not?

38. Media outlets have to appeal to a broad base of advertisers and viewers
Most Americans are moderate
Outlets would lose viewers if they were really as partisan as people say

39. Government regulation of the media

40. Freedom of the press
American press have A LOT of freedom, more than most countries
Libel – printed lies
Slander – spoken lies
Lying is not illegal; but if the lies are used intentionally to defame someone, the injured party may sue

41. New York Times v. United States (Pentagon Papers)
Prior Restraint
Government cannot censor something before it is published
What if government secrets are leaked to the press? Can these be published?
Near vs. Minnesota
New York Times v. United States (Pentagon Papers)

42. On the record – officials willing to be quoted and named
Off the record – Information cannot be used in any way
On background – Information can be reported, but not attributed to the source by name
On deep background – info can be reported, but there can’t be any type of connection to the source
Anonymous sources
Sometimes “whistleblowers” fear being discovered
Sometimes people won’t talk to journalists unless they are granted anonymity
Is there a problem with “unnamed sources”?

43. What if anonymous sources reveal criminal activity?
Shield laws

44. Regulation of the airwaves
FCC – Federal Communications Commission
TV and radio stations need a license, newspapers do not
Equal time and right of reply
Fairness Doctrine
Doesn’t exist anymore