1. Lecture 9-2
Media

2. The Media As Talent Scouts
The media have largely replaced parties in providing info to the public
Media tend to view campaigns as “horse races,”
News coverage can become valuable free advertising
Name recognition

3. Believability
The public in inclined to believe that they read and hear and watch in the media
Some television journalists are more “believable” than many other public figures and officials

4. Access Media and Politicians need each other
Journalists rely on candidates and officials for access to news and news sources

5. A right to know?
While the press enjoys wide freedom to print news, there is generally no constitutional obligation on the part of public officials to provide information.
Sunshine laws/Freedom of Information

6. Bias Media bias personal and structural
Biggest bias in media is toward profit
Journalists tend to be liberal and vote Democratic
News organization owners tend to be conservative and vote Republican

7. Various studies have found BOTH liberal and conservative bias
there is also a widespread suspicion of politicians generally, regardless of party
Various studies have found BOTH liberal and conservative bias
Different types of media have differing bias
Newspapers
Cable: Fox vs MSNBC
Talk Radio

8. Deciding What Becomes News
Selection of news stories is inevitable
Economics (profit) plays a major role, especially for television

9. Deciding What Becomes News cont
Networks tend for favor Washington-based stories because the equipment is already there
In Washington, there is more coverage of the White House and major departments

10. Deciding How The News Appears
The same events may be described in different ways
Television prefers to emphasize the dramatic and visual parts of a story
Media executives are very much aware of Nielsen ratings and circulation figures

11. The Impact Of The Visual
Television’s unique quality is its capacity to transmit action and images into virtually every home in the land simultaneously
The visual becomes a factor in the selection of new stories and in deciding how they will appear

12. The Impact Of The Visual cont
Television’s preference for the visual influences how candidates conduct their campaigns
The first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960 is a good example of the impact of the visual

13. _____ attracted readers with sensationalized accounts of crimes and scandals.
Pack journalism
Yellow journalism
Objective journalism
Partisan journalism
Biased journalism

14. When an institution tells Americans what to think about, it is considered
elitistism.
populism.
pluralism.
agenda setting.
opinion leading.

15. The equal-time rule requires broadcasters to
provide equal access for all candidates for a political office.
provide equal time for opinions opposing the station’s editorials.
give equal access to local and national news personalities.
give equal time to sports and politics.

16. Which of the following comments best expresses the reality about the mass media’s influence on American political opinion?
The mass media have complete power to shape American public opinion.
Americans are not selective or critical about what the media tell them about politics.
The media influence what Americans think about as news more than their opinions on issues.
The media do not influence what Americans think is important in politics.

17. _____ has the biggest news audience for all the mass media.
The Internet
Radio
Television
Newspapers
Time magazine

18. Private ownership of mass media ensures that news is selected for its
educational value.
shock value.
political importance.
international importance.
audience appeal.

19. Horse race journalism refers to
the war for ratings between the media outlets.
election coverage that focuses on the candidates’ issue positions.
election coverage that focuses on which candidate is ahead.
coverage of the Triple Crown.
press scrutiny of public institutions and investigating perceived misconduct.

20. Watchdog journalism refers to
the war for ratings between the media outlets.
election coverage that focuses on the candidates’ issue positions.
election coverage that focuses on which candidate is ahead.
coverage of the Westminster Kennel Club show.
press scrutiny of public institutions and investigating perceived misconduct.

21. Of all forms of media in the United States, the most highly regulated is
news magazines.
broadcast radio.
the Internet.
broadcast television.
newspapers.