The News Media
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John Raoux/AP Images
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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Print Media
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 First colonial newspapers printed 1690
 Value of free press recognized early
 First political cartoon in a colonial newspaper was Benjamin
Franklin’s “Join or Die” an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
depicting
 Paul Revere’s “Boston Massacre” used as propaganda
 Penny press
 New York Sun – forerunner of modern news because it was
cheap and they freed themselves from political parties
 Yellow journalism – journalism based on sensationalism and
exaggeration
 Muckraking –
term coined by Teddy Roosevelt
 Exposed misconduct by government and officials
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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Radio News
 Center of home life
 FDR's "fireside chats“
 Very little programing at first
 Displaced by TV in 1950s
 AM talk radio
TV News
 Gradually replaced print and radio
 By 2011, most receive news from TV or Internet
 Network v. cable news
 Fox News most popular
 C-SPAN
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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Online Media
 The Internet
 Main news source for 41%
 Lack of credibility, standards
 Rise of fake news
 Blogs (web-log)
 Editorial news outlet
 Social media
 Political debate – Facebook/politics = hot mess
 Reach and engage citizens
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Corporate Ownership and
Media Consolidation
 Private ownership equals independence
 For-profit business driven by bottom line
 How does media pad their bottom line?
 Sensationalism, fake news, page clicks, advertising…anything to drive
viewership to their “news” however fair and honest
 Pressure to consolidate, eliminate competition
 Risks of consolidation
 Limit flow of information and ideas that are the
essence of a free society
 Focus on what sells
 Please advertisers
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Dan Rather (CBS Evening News)
13
“These large corporations, they have things
they need from the power structure in
Washington…and of course the people in
Washington have things they want the news to
report. To put it bluntly, very big business is in
bed with very big government in Washington,
and (that) has more to do do with what the
average person sees, hears and reads than
most people know.”
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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Narrowcasting
 Targeting specific populations
 News audiences divided along partisan
lines
 Appeals to preexisting views
MSNBC – stresses a liberal viewpoint to
liberals with a liberal message
Fox News – stresses a conservative viewpoint
to conservatives with a conservative message
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Infotainment
 Blending information and entertainment
 Political leaders use these shows to:


Reach larger audiences
Humanize politician
 Makes political news more accessible
(palatable) but the comedy may not
properly educate politics correctly or
accurately
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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Increasing Use of Experts
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 Talking heads fill airtime.
 Who are these experts?

Officials, consultants, former politicians, academics,
etc.
 Influence on the public


Lack of objectivity (impartiality) (MSNBC or FOX News)
Weaken democratic deliberation
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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Citizen Journalists
 Ordinary individuals




Collect, report, and analyze
Post content not covered
Provide on-the-scene coverage
Cheaper than hiring reporters
 Problems with amateur reporting
 Lack of objectivity
 Quality varies
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Journalistic Standards
Code of Ethics
Avoiding conflicts of interest
Verifying information
Dealing with sources
On/off the record
Protecting reliable sources (on background – unable to
attribute info to a source))
Government Regulations
 Content
 Equal time rule
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How the Press and Public
Figures Interact
 Press release
 Official written document
 Press briefing
 Press secretary represents official
 Specific topic often with no Q&A
 Press conference
 General Q&A with official
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Covering the Presidency
 Receives most media coverage
 Prestigious post for a reporter
 Daily Q&A with press secretary
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Covering Congress
 Logistical challenge
 535 members
 Focus on party leaders
 Majority and minority leaders in both houses
 Party whips
 Key committee chairs
 Coverage is negative
 Focus on scandals and conflict
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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Covering the Supreme Court
 Media vacuum




TV cameras not permitted
Few reporters cover Court.
Complex legal issues harder to present
Justices rarely grant interviews.
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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News Media Influence
 Media effects
 Influencing public opinion
 Agenda setting
 Influence issues addressed by government
 Framing
 Greater influence on foreign policy
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
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News Media Bias
 Journalists are biased
 Values, preferences, attitudes
 The personalities that gravitate towards journalism
tend to be more liberal
 How are news media biased
 Elite bias
 Dramatic bias
 News media stardom
American Government: Roots and Reform, 2014 Election Update, 12e
O'Connor | Sabato | Yanus
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