1. MASS communications: Part II

2. What is news? A Commodity
Bought & Sold as a product
Has a very short shelf life
Within minutes of a news event, broadcast media, print media, and new media are aware of what has occurred
Each handles the news in its own way

3. Types of Media New Media Broadcast Media Print Media Blog Twitter
Television
Radio
Print Media
Newspaper
Magazine

4. Newspaper Growth
In the beginning appealed to business and political leaders
Until 1830 – penny press
Cheap newspapers
Published stories with mass appeal

5. Newspaper Growth New Technology improved newspaper growth
Telegraph lines & Cables
Steam-powered presses
Linotype machines

6. Newspaper Growth Linotype Machine
Allowed type to be set quickly for presses
Prior to invention, each letter had to be set in a rack by hand

7. Newspaper Growth
By the 1890s, newspapers were waging a “war for readers”
Would print sensational stories
Often untrue, bizarre, and unusual events
Called “Yellow Journalism”

8. Newspaper Decline After WWI, production costs became too high
Invention of television & internet
Live coverage
Video footage
Almost instantaneous

9. Newspaper Decline As of 1983 Today Why is this not a good thing?
Approx daily and 755 Sunday papers in large metro areas
Approx weekly papers in small towns and suburbs
Today
Fewer than 30 U.S. cities have competing daily newspapers
Why is this not a good thing?

10. Top Newspapers The New York Times Chicago Tribune
The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post
Los Angeles Times
Chicago Tribune
Louisville Courier- Journal
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Christian Science Monitor

11. Radio & Television Up-to-the-minute live broadcasts
Schedule regular news programs, called newscasts
Digital recordings
Present recorded information during a newscast
Electronic Media
Term used to describe radio and television media
Also includes the internet

12. Radio & Television Newscasts are not limited to covering events
Can include commentaries
Equivalent to newspapers editorial page
Opinions broadcast
Documentaries
Present background information
In-Depth coverage

13. Radio & Television
Electronic media has certain legal restrictions that do not apply to print media
Licenses
Must be licensed by the federal government to avoid conflict with limited number of channels
Equal-time law
Stations that provide air time for a political candidate must provide equal time for any other “legitimate” candidate

14. Radio & Television Fairness Doctrine
Stations must allow opposing views to have comparable air
All radio and television stations are monitored and licensed by the Federal Communications Commission

15. Press Associations
Organized groups of journalists who provide info to electronic media and newspapers
Journalists who work for these organizations do not work for a particular station or paper
The Associated Press
Reuters