1. THE MEDIA “THE FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT”

2. THE MEDIA “THE FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT”

3. The Evolution of News Media in the United States
News media: media providing the public with new information about subjects of public interest
Print media
Newspapers were the first example of news media
Published in the colonies as early 1690
Federalists v. Antifederalists
Partisan newspapers
Partisan press gave way to penny press
Penny press focus on scandal
Cleveland v. Blaine scandals in the election 1884

4. The Evolution of News Media in the United States
Yellow journalism
Form of newspaper publishing in vogue in the late-nineteenth century that featured pictures, comics, color, and sensationalized, oversimplified news coverage
Hearst and Pulitzer
Muckraking
Form of journalism, in vogue in the early 20th century, concerned with reforming government and business conduct

5. Radio News
Radio: advent in early twentieth century was a media revolution
Brought political figures into homes
Fell behind television in mid-50s
AM talk radio in mid-80s revival
Conservative commentators
Liberal talk-radio less success
Satellite radio

6. Radio News FDR’s fireside chats Today
1930’s weekly address to the nation
Today
AM Talk—conservative dominance
Sean Hannity
Rush Limbaugh
Liberals: National Public Radio
Link to Web sites to play students an excerpt from the different talk radio programs.

7. Television News First demonstrated in 1939 Expanded quickly
Network vs. Cable news
Comedy news programs
Regular viewers of The Daily Show (Jon Stewart) were found to know more about world events than non-viewers even when education, party identification, watching cable news, etc. are taken into account.

8. Television News Network News Cable News:
CBS
NBC
ABC
FOX
Cable News:
C-SPAN
CNBC and MSNBC
Comedy News: SNL, the Daily Show, the Colbert Report
Photo caption: What is C-SPAN?
C-SPAN, shown here, is a public access channel that (through the main channel and its affiliates) provides gavel to gavel coverage of the House and Senate. It also airs a variety of other public affairs programming.

9. Where do Americans get their news?

10. The Influence of Media Giants
Only a handful of media outlets are influential nationally.
New York Times
Wall Street Journal
USA Today
Christian Science Monitor
Washington Post
Los Angeles Times
They have reach through their own circulation, but also influence what the five major national networks and cable news organizations decide to focus on.
Affiliates
Wire services also nationalize the news.
News magazines also supplement these other sources.
Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report

11. Current News Media Trends
Consolidation of privately-owned media
Top 10 media chains account for more than 50% of daily circulation
Concerns
Market pressures
Control of the flow of information
Ex: Lebron using ESPN and ABC exclusively to announce decision
Photo caption: How does media consolidation affect news coverage?
When basketball star LeBron James announced he was, “Taking his talents to South Beach,” he created a boon for Disney, the parent company of television networks ABC and ESPN. He made his official announcement on ESPN, after much hype and promotion, and then he did the rounds on ABC’s news shows the next day. Critics charged that this insulated coverage prevented James from having to answer the hard questions about his departure from Cleveland.
Differentiate between private ownership and government ownership of the media. Explain consolidation by explaining that the top ten media chains account for more than 50 percent of daily circulation, while fewer than 300 of the approximately 1,400 daily newspapers are independently owned.
Use the photo or other examples to illustrate the concerns.

12. How the Media Cover Politicians And Government
Communication between elected officials and public figures and media
Press release: document offering an official comment or position
Press briefing: relatively restricted session between a press secretary or aide and the press
Press conference: an unrestricted session between an elected official and the press
On background: information provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to a named source
Deep background: information provided to a journalist that will not be attributed to any source
Off the record: information provided to a journalist that will not be released to the public
On the record: information provided to a journalism that can be released and attributed by name to the source

13. Covering the Presidency
President is the focus of the most media coverage
Can summon the press at will
FDR was the first to use the press conference as a means to shape public opinion and explain his actions.
Press Secretary: existed since Hoover’s administration
President’s main disseminator of information to the press
President gets the most coverage, but much of it is negative
G.W. Bush record low number of press conferences
Strategy to control his image

14. Covering Congress
Size of Congress and its decentralized nature make it difficult for the media to cover it
Solve this problem by:
Giving leaders most attention
Key committee chairs command center stage.
Local newspapers and broadcast stations normally devote some resources to covering their own representatives.
Coverage tends to be negative
Focus on conflict
May be part of the reason people view Congress so negatively
Investigative hearings may be televised

15. Covering the Supreme Court
Supreme Court remains a virtual media vacuum
Broadcast media ban in Court
Use of audio recordings
No cameras, but print and broadcast reporters have access to the Court

16. Roles of the Media
Gatekeeper
Scorekeeper
Watchdog

17. New York Times vs the US
Pentagon papers

18. The Press and the Law Defamation (2 kinds) 1. Libel 2. Slander
New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)
“must prove actual malice if you are a public
official, it is not enough to be merely untrue”
Freedom of Information Act (“foil”)
Shield Laws (state and federal—or lack thereof)
Prior Restraint

20. The Media’s Influence on the Public
Media effects
The influence of news sources on public opinion
Reporting can sway people who are uncommitted and have no strong opinions
Media have a much greater impact on topics far removed from the lives and experiences of readers and viewers
News organizations can help tell us what to think about, even if they cannot determine what we think
Agenda setting: the constant process of forming the list of issues to be addressed by government
Framing: the process by which a news organization defines a political issue and consequently affects opinion about the issue

21. The Public’s Perception of the Media
Public opinion of media is relatively critical.
Perceive media to be:
Politically biased
Roadblocks to solving problems
Inaccurate in their reporting
Unwilling to admit mistakes
Most still view the national news media as credible.
Terrorist attacks shifted public opinion positively for a period.
Value the watchdog role of the news media

22. ideological promotion
The process by which a news organization defines a political issue and consequently affects opinion about the issue is called _________.
framing
agenda setting
media effects
crossfire
ideological promotion

23. ideological promotion
The process by which a news organization defines a political issue and consequently affects opinion about the issue is called _________.
framing
agenda setting
media effects
crossfire
ideological promotion 23

24. Today most Americans get their news from _____.
Cable TV
the Internet
Radio
Local TV
Newspapers

25. Today most Americans get their news from _____.
Cable TV
the Internet
Radio
Local TV
Newspapers 25

26. protection of unnamed sources.
The Supreme Court case NY Times v. U.S. (1971) concerning the publication of the Pentagon Papers affirmed the principle of
media ownership.
content regulation.
the equal time rule.
prior restraint.
protection of unnamed sources.

27. protection of unnamed sources.
The Supreme Court case NY Times v. U.S. (1971) concerning the publication of the Pentagon Papers affirmed the principle of
media ownership.
content regulation.
the equal time rule.
prior restraint.
protection of unnamed sources. 27

28. The White House Press Secretary:_____
delivers daily briefings to the press.
answers the phone for the president.
is really more like an administrative assistant.
is elected by the national press core to represent their interests.
is required to bring coffee and cookies to meetings the president has.

29. The White House Press Secretary:
delivers daily briefings to the press.
answers the phone for the president.
is really more like an administrative assistant.
is elected by the national press core to represent their interests.
is required to bring coffee and cookies to meetings the president has. 29