Roles of the Media 4th Branch?

Essential Questions Identify the 3 roles of the media Describe the concept of Horse Race Journalism Analyze the effects of the People Holding the Media accountable Explain the consequences of media’s influence in political campaigns

Media This branch is not elected, but it is still held accountable by…. Ratings, Advertising, and Profits Politically uncensored except… Obscenity FCC- Federal Communications Commission

Three Roles of the Media in Politics Gate Keeper Score Keeper Watch Dog

Gatekeeper Agenda Setting- The media brings attention to issues most Americans would never consider…

Scorekeeper The tendency of the media to only report the winners and losers of a campaign, not the issues. Horse-Race Journalism If the Media is not reporting on the winners or losers, they are reporting on the Day to Day campaign activities

Watchdog When the media checks on all levels of the government for corruption and ill intent.

It creates a FEEDING FRENZY Too Much of a Watch Dog? It creates a FEEDING FRENZY

Feeding Frenzy When political scientist Larry Sabato published his book on the media’s role in campaigning, he gave a term to a phenomenon others had already seen: a feeding frenzy. The press en masse attacks a wounded politician whose record or more accurately, his character has been questioned. Every network and cable station participates, often without any real evidence to back up the rumor. Paradoxically, Bernstein in investigating Watergate set the stage for the recent feeding frenzies. Today, just the fear of being a media target may deter many qualified people from entering public service, Sabato notes.

Questions Get in your trivia groups and discuss the following questions. What are the consequences of the feeding frenzy for modern politics? Does the feeding frenzy help or hurt the Country? Should a candidate’s personal background(scandals) disqualify them from running for public office?

Telecommunications Act 1996 which deregulated whole segments of the media like local phone service, cable television, and more Created our current media Structure…Where large corporations own MANY, MANY media outlets Leads less diversity in the media. Same issues covered in every paper or on many television networks.

How Media Covers Politics The President receives the most news coverage of any political figure Hold news conferences to shape Public opinion and explain actions Sound Bites- A short piece of a speech taken from a long interview or speech

Media’s Influence on Public Create a Policy Agenda-Identifying a specific set of problems and offering a solution to these problems Framing- The process in which a news organization will define a political issue Michelle Obama’s quote “for the first time in my adult life, I'm really proud of my country." Leads to NARROWCASTING Broadcasting to a specific group of people… MSNBC- Liberal, Fox News-Conservative, and ESPN- Sports Fans

Decline of Traditional Media Newspaper readership is on the decline Television Watching is on the Decline New Media---The Internet is on the RISE!!!!

Roles of New Media Access more information than ever from websites Wiki Leaks Create a more personal connection with candidates Personal Websites, Facebook, and Twitter Easier to raise money and support Campaign Contributions and Grassroots

Pros and Cons Superficial Coverage of Policy Issues Public has access to important information about candidates Investigative reporting/Watch Dog Superficial Coverage of Policy Issues Influenced by Profit Yellow Journalism Focus more on Horserace and Candidates not issues

Politicians Use of the Media Advertising Negative and Positive Debates Campaign Contributions Furthering their Message Presidential and Congressional Websites Creating personal connections