1. Chapter 6: The Media
American and Texas Government: Policy and Politics, 10/e
By Neal Tannahill
2010, 2008, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.
2010, 2008, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc.

2. Case Study: YouTube and the George Allen Campaign
In 2006, Virginia Senator George Allen was on his way to winning reelection, and was a possible 2008 presidential candidate
A video of him using a racially insensitive term was posted on YouTube.
Allen was defeated.
The wide proliferation of video cameras, even in cell phones, and the ability to post video on sites like YouTube has added a new risk for political candidates.
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3. The Media Landscape
In much of the world, media is owned and operated by the government
Government helps fund NPR, PBS, etc., but most media in U.S. is privately-owned
But… consolidation in the media market has put more media outlets into the hands of fewer owners
The majority of newspaper circulation in U.S. is controlled by 10 companies, and some companies own print and broadcast media in the same market
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4. Media Landscape (cont.)
Traditional media, especially newspapers, in decline
“New media” (internet blogs, cable TV, satellite radio) are growing
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5. Government Regulation of the News Media
Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press… - First Amendment, U.S. Constitution
Freedom of the press cherished, but not unlimited
Obscenity and Defamation
To be “obscene,” material must
Depict sexual conduct
Appeal to “prurient interests”
Taken as a whole, lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value
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6. Government Regulation of the News Media
Obscenity and Defamation (cont.)
Defamation
Libel (written)
Slander (spoken)
Public figures must also show that the statement was made with malice or reckless disregard for the truth
Prior Restraint and National Security
“Prior Restraint” is government action to prevent the publication or broadcast of something – very rare
Progressive Magazine – bomb plans (1979)
Pentagon Papers case (1971)
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7. Government Regulation of the News Media
The FCC and the Broadcast Media
FCC created in 1039 to regulate broadcasts over public airwaves – different from print because the public owns the limited frequency spectrum used by broadcasters
Equal time rule
Fairness Doctrine (repealed 1987)
Reporters, Confidential Sources, Criminal Prosecution
Judith Miller case (2005)
Shield laws
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8. Covering the News
A major goal of news media outlets is to attract as large an audience as possible.
The larger the audience they can attract, the higher the rates they can charge to advertisers.
This desire to have as large an audience as possible can lead to more coverage of entertainment and less of policy issues.
Because of chain ownership, stories written for a few major newspapers can end up in dozens of papers across the country.
Likewise, local television stations rely heavily on the network for their news, especially with regard to national and international news.
Campaign organizations have become very adept at manipulating how the news covers candidates.
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10. Media Biases
Research suggests that media sources tend to cover Democratic candidates for president more favorably than their Republican opponents in recent elections.
They have also tended to treat challengers better than incumbents.
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11. Conclusion
The media plays an important role in the policymaking process, especially during the agenda-building and policy evaluation stages.
Agenda Building
Political scientists say that the press plays a signaling role.
The media may be unable to tell people what to think, but they generally succeed in telling people what to think about.
Policy Formulation and Adoption
The media influence policy adoption through framing. The way the media present an issue helps define the approaches policymakers will take in addressing an issue.
The media does not adopt policies, but they publicize policy adoption by reporting on governmental activities in all branches of government.
Policy Implementation and Evaluation
Other than carrying out FCC rules, the media do not implement public policies.
They are, however, important participants in policy evaluation.
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