THE MEDIA

JOURNALISM - POLITICAL HISTORY The party press The popular press Magazines of opinion Broadcast journalism Internet

Mass Media Those sources of information and means of communication that reach large numbers of the public

Types of Mass Media 1. Print – examples –newspapers & news magazines 2. Broadcast – TV 3. Internet

National Media (News) National press includes: Wire services (AP, UPI) National magazines – Time and U.S. News and World Report Televised evening news (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS) Cable News Network (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC) Newspapers – Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal

Roles Played by Media Gatekeeper - What is news, for how long Scorekeeper - Who is winning, losing Watchdog

Presenting the News News coverage - print & electronic superficial Most people receive news from TV - which use sound bites

Effects of the Media on Politics Major effect on How politics is conducted How candidates are perceived How policy is formulated

Campaigns – more image-conscious Less party control

Love/hate relationship Network TV coverage Politicians & Media Love/hate relationship Network TV coverage President - 60.1% Congress - 36.5% Supreme Court - 3.4%

Figure 10.1: Young People Have Become Less Interested in Political News

Table 10.1: Decline in Viewership of the Television Networks

Are News stories slanted? The National Press lean to the left Studies have shown that reporting is not systematically biased toward a particular ideology or political party (Wilson)

Table 10.2: Journalist Opinion Versus Public Opinion

Figure 10.3: Decline in Public Trust of the Media Source: David Shaw, "Trust in Media Is on Decline," Los Angeles Times (March 31, 1993): A16, reporting data a Times poll conducted March 6-9, 1993. Copyright 1993, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted by permission.

Figure 10.3: Decline in Public Trust of the Media (cont’d) Source: David Shaw, "Trust in Media Is on Decline," Los Angeles Times (March 31, 1993): A16, reporting data a Times poll conducted March 6-9, 1993. Copyright 1993, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted by permission.

Figure 10.2: Public Perception of Accuracy in the Media Source: Pew Research Center, "The People and the Press" (February 1999), 13.

Little regulation in print media More in Electronic - F.C.C. Contemporary Issues 1st amendment - The press acts as a check -4th branch of gov’t Little regulation in print media More in Electronic - F.C.C.

Libel/Slander -Defamation of character that unjustly injures a person’s reputation Concentration of ownership