1. Mass Media and the Political Agenda
AP U.S. Government and Politics
Edwards – Chapter 7

2. “The press in America… determines what people will think and talk about, an authority that in other nations is reserved for tyrants, priests, parties, and mandarins.” - Theodore H. White

3. The Media
Since the late 20th Century, the American political system has been in a period of high-tech politics.
Behavior of individuals and the political agenda are increasingly shaped by technology.
Mass media – Television, radio, newspapers, the internet, and other means of popular communication.
Also called the press or the news media.
News – The news media’s version of reality.

4. The Mass Media Today
Today, politicians use the media to gain control over the political agenda.
Politicians use media events to send messages to the American public.
Sixty percent of presidential campaign spending is on TV ads.
Media events and commercials are used to convey a positive image of a politician or candidate.

5. Historical Development of the Media
The earliest U.S. newspapers were supported by political parties.
The Federalist vs. anti-Federalist debate played out in various partisan newspapers.
partisan press – newspapers and other communication media that openly support a political party and whose news tends to follow the party line.
Technological innovation brought about the gradual decline of partisan newspapers.
Papers were cheaper to produce, freeing printers from their dependence on the political parties for money.
“Yellow Journalism,” based on the use of pictures, comics, and color, emerged as a way to attract readers.

8. Historical Development of the Media, cont.
Many publishers felt yellow journalism was excessive, and sought to report news more responsibly.
This led to objective journalism, which was based on presenting facts instead of opinions and being fair by reporting all sides of an issue.
In the 1920s, hundreds of radio stations were broadcasting in the U.S.
At first, the government didn’t regulate radio.
The Communications Act created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Placed restrictions on radio in terms of political content.
Television followed in the 1950s.
The “Fairness Doctrine” required broadcasters to be objective.

9. Historical Development of the Media, cont.
The development of cable television changed the role of media in politics.
Since cable is privately owned and not broadcasted over public airwaves, cable stations didn’t have to comply with the Fairness Doctrine.
Cable caused the FCC to rescind the Fairness Doctrine.
Many radio stations began airing political talk shows.
Rupert Murdoch launched Fox News, a cable news network that appeals to conservatives.
In the 1990s, the internet was developed.
This made it easy for more people to become involved in politics through blogs or websites.

10. Reporting the News
The quest for profit determines that journalists consider newsworthy.
Most news stories come from well-established sources, like Congress or the White House.
Reporters are assigned beats, specific locations from where news usually comes.
Most news stories are compressed into segments that are about thirty seconds long.
Americans usually hear sound bites, about 10 seconds long, instead of speeches.

11. Functions of the Media in the U.S.
For most people, politics is a second-hand experience, something observed through the media.
The media act as gatekeepers, determining which events will be covered.
The media is responsible for reporting the news.
Signaling function - the media has taken the responsibility of alerting the public to important developments as they occur.
The media is also responsible for setting the policy agenda.
The policy agenda is the collection of issues that attract the attention of public officials.
Agenda setting represents the power of the media to focus the public’s attention on particular events or problems.
Most national media cover the same stories and usually interpret them similarly.

12. Functions of the Media in the U.S., cont.
Entertainment is another function of the media.
Sometimes, TV shows or music artists can have subtle or overt political messages.
The media also has a common carrier function, where it acts as a political forum.
The media serves as a way for politicians (and regular citizens) to express their ideas.
Debates, letters to the editor, etc.
The media also identifies public problems.
“Watchdog Function”
The media exposes problems such as pollution, corruption, crime, and economic problems.
This helps set the public agenda and creates pressure for politicians to address those problems.

13. Functions of the Media in the U.S., cont.
The media acts as an important agent of political socialization.
People’s beliefs and ideology are shaped in part by the media’s programming.
The media is always trying to make a profit.
Because ad revenue is based on popularity, media outlets try to appeal to the largest amount of people possible.
This impacts what a media outlet will report or show.
Advertisers have pulled commercials from TV broadcasts because they found the content objectionable.

14. Current News Media Trends
Four major trends exist in today’s news media.
Corporate Ownership and Media Consolidation
Modern media is dominated by a few mega-corporations.
The top six media chains account for 90% of news media content.
Narrowcasting
Targeting media programming at specific populations within society.
Infotainment
TV programs that blend political news and information with entertainment.
Increasing Use of Experts
News media employ consultants from different disciplines.

15. Media Bias The media now has a partisan function.
This refers to media actors’ efforts to influence public response to a particular party, leader, issue, or viewpoint.
Traditional media is neutral, for the most part, in their coverage.
Broadcast Networks, Newspapers
The most successful talk shows lean conservative.
Rush Limbaugh, FOX News
The most popular liberal talk shows are based on comedy.
The Daily Show, Real Time with Bill Maher
Most successful political blogs on the internet have a liberal bias.

16. Media Bias, cont.
Narrowcasting – targeting media programming at specific populations within society.
FOX News and MSNBC target people with specific ideologies.
Many critics feel that the media has a liberal bias overall.
Citizens of both parties feel that the media isn’t trustworthy.
Some critics feel that racial bias exists in the media, where the media portrays minorities more negatively than it does whites.
Many feel that the media has a commercial bias, avoiding controversial issues to try and keep their audiences as large as possible.

18. Attention to News The U.S. news system is larger than ever.
Despite this, the interest in news has declined since the 1980s.
The development of cable made it easier for people to avoid the news.
Newspaper circulation also declined.
Today’s daily news audience consists mainly of older adults.
40% of young adults pay little or no attention to news.
Young adults are more likely to see biased outlets as legitimate news.
Is there an age “information gap” between older and younger Americans?

20. Role of the Media in Campaigns
Media, especially TV, plays an important role in campaigns in three major ways.
Advertising – Election campaigns spend the majority of their money on TV advertising because most Americans get their political information from TV.
Management of News Coverage – Campaigns try to create news coverage by setting up media events.
Every campaign tries to put a positive spin on news related to their campaign.
Debates – Candidate's performance in debates is important because they are widely watched.
Debates allow the candidates to project their image to voters.
Horse race journalism – coverage that focuses on who is “ahead” rather than the issues.
The internet is also now a popular medium with campaigns.
Advertising, recruiting volunteers, raising money

21. Media and the Government
Because of media influence, government officials keep close tabs on the news.
Communication between elected officials and the media occurs in several ways.
Press releases – documents offering official comments or positions.
Press briefing – relatively restricted session between a press secretary and the press.
Press conference – unrestricted meeting of public officials with reporters.

22. Media and the government, cont.
The media cover all three branches, but the president gets the most coverage.
The attention of the press to the White House allows the president to appear on TV on very short notice.
Bully pulpit – an advantageous position allowing one to make his views known and rally support.
The president’s press secretary is in charge of daily communication between the White House and the media.
The press secretary must convince the media of the importance of the president’s position and defend his decisions.

24. Media and the government, cont.
Congress’ size makes it difficult for the media to cover.
Media usually concentrates on the Speaker of the House, Majority & Minority Leaders, and heads of prominent committees.
Less coverage is given to the Supreme Court.
Most justices don’t seem eager to become more media friendly.
Media coverage of the three branches is disproportionally negative.
Especially President and Congress

25. Government Regulation of Media
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 eliminated many of the rules that once governed media.
This led to the creation of media conglomerates, one company that owns many media outlets.
Television and radio are subject to greater regulation than newspapers and magazines.
TV and radio signals are sent out to the public, therefore are governed more strictly.
Tension between government and media usually is a result of broadcasting sensitive information.
In 2010, WikiLeaks released classified documents and the government said this endangered the lives of American soldiers serving in the Middle East.