1. 3-9: The News Industry

2. Big Idea: Civic Participation in a Representative Democracy
Enduring Understanding:
The various forms of media provide citizens with political information and influence the ways in which they participate politically.
Learning Objective:
Explain how increasingly diverse choices of media and communication outlets influence political institutions and behavior.

3. Private Control Free Press News Corporations First Amendment
Difficulty in proving libel
No prior restraint
Ability to criticize public officials
News Corporations
Newscasting to achieve high ratings
Consequences on political agenda
Consequences on political knowledge

4. Government Regulation
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Monitors airwaves
Independent but subject to political pressure
Congress—funding
President—appointments
Equality
Rise and fall of Fairness Doctrine
Commission on Presidential Debates

5. Bias Prevalence Not explicit
Determining what news is reported and what news is not
Best indicator—what stories will draw the highest ratings?

6. Agenda Setting Policy Agenda Media’s Role
Issues attracting attention of government officials
Media’s Role
Selectively assigns importance to certain issues
Tells Americans what to think about

7. Candidate-Centered Campaigns
Trends
More focus on individuals
Less focus on issues and parties
Reasons
Sound bites—rallies and gaffes
Focus on day-to-day activities
“Horse-race journalism”
Consequences
More attention on president
Presidential power enhanced

8. Effect on Citizens No proven effect on how people vote
Effect on which issues are prioritized
Doesn’t shape views but reinforces them
Broadcast media discourages critical thinking
People tend to repeat what they hear
Internet news leads to uncertainty over the credibility of news sources