1. Political Participation
Unit 5

2. Print media Newspapers Magazines
New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal are historically America’s most influential newspapers
Most rely on the Associated press news agency for national and international news
Circulation rates have steadily declined as a result of competition from t and internet.
in % of adults regularly purchased a newspaper, today that has fallen to less than 20%
Magazines
Time, Newsweek, and Us News and World Press are the most widely read and influential news magazines
Circulation rates have fallen as a result of the internet

3. Broadcast Media
Radio
FED was the first president to take advantage of radio, with is fireside chats to reassure the American people and discuss the New Deal
Most stations now give little time to news
Talk show hosts have begin to play a prominent and controversial role in discussing political issues
Leading conservative commentators include Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck
Leading liberal commentators include Thorn Hartmann and Rachel Maddow

4. Broadcast Cont. Television
1960 Presidential debates between Kenny and Nixon first debates to be shown on tv
Over 98% of American households now own at least one TV
The 3 major networks have historically dominated political coverge, CBS, NBC, and ABC
Cable news networks such as CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC now provide continuous coverage of national and international news.

5. Internet
TV continues to be the most widely used source for political news the internet is rapidly becoming a key source of information for the American People
Especially popular for those under 30
Many websites such as Politico.com and Huffington Post provide extensive coverage of political issues and policymakers
Web blogs now facilitate rapid communication between the public and government policy makers.

6. Roles of the media Informing the public and shaping public opinion
Providing a link between citizens and government
Serving as a watchdog
Agenda setting

7. Information and Education
to inform and educate the public.
The media has also taken over some of the roles political parties once had in educating the public on candidates.
These media campaigns have provided a boon for the already- present negative electioneering.

8. Where Americans Get Election News

9. What is the news?
Any important event that happened within the last 24 hours
The media decides what is news by deciding what to report (selective exposure)
Generally directed through gatekeepers
Media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters who decide which events to present and how to present them
Time limitations and the potential impact of the story are major elements in selecting what is or is not news.

10. The Decline of the Gatekeepers
Decline of editorial control
rise of the internet
“fake news”

11. Linkage Institutions
Linkage institutions connect citizens to the government in some way

12. Mass Media as a Linkage Institution
Connects people to their government officials by interviewing citizen, presenting poll results, and covering protests Connects government officials to the public by interviewing political leaders, and reporting on government committees and programs. The mass media, political parties, and interest groups are key linkage institutions,

13. Watchdog and Public Advocate
To investigate, examine and report on personalities of candidates and their personalities, as well as public policy
the press is relied upon to serve this democratic function.

14. Agenda Setting
The media plays a powerful role in shaping the public agenda by deciding what how and when to report on topics
Policy agenda consists of the issues that attract serious attention of public officials
Media plays a role by drawing public attention to particular issues

15. Functions of the Mass Media
Entertainment
Popular programs get continued while those with low ratings get cancelled
News Reports
American news papers have reported news since the late 18th century. For example the Federalist papers were printed in newspapers.
Radio and television stations provide their audiences with varying degrees of news programming
Creation of political forums
Politicians use the mass media to promote their careers and draw public attention to their issues
The president has direct access to the media and is thus able to use it to help set the policy agenda

16. Candidate Centered Campaigns
Political campaigns have become more centered on candidates and less focused on issues
Media has contributed to this by
Replacing speeches and dialogues with sound bites that average just 7.8 seconds in length
Focusing on day to day campaign activates such as rallies, gaffes, scandals and negative commercials
Engaging in Horse Race Journalism, or the tendency of the media to cover campaigns by emphasizing how candidates stand in the polls instead of where they stand on the issues.

17. Media politics
4.3

18. Media in American Politics

19. Agenda Setting
The media plays a powerful role in shaping the public agenda by deciding what how and when to report on topics
Policy agenda consists of the issues that attract serious attention of public officials
Media plays a role by drawing public attention to particular issues

20. Candidate Centered Campaigns
Political campaigns have become more centered on candidates and less focused on issues
Media has contributed to this by
Replacing speeches and dialogues with sound bites that average just 7.8 seconds in length
Focusing on day to day campaign activates such as rallies, gaffes, scandals and negative commercials
Engaging in Horse Race Journalism, or the tendency of the media to cover campaigns by emphasizing how candidates stand in the polls instead of where they stand on the issues.

21. Threats to a Free Press Government Control Private Control
The First Amendment is the primary limit on the government’s authority to control the press.
Prior restraint
Print versus electronic media
Technical regulations
Structural regulations
FCC
Content regulations
Private Control
Market forces can limit freedom of the press in two ways:
concentration of ownership
money

22. American News Sources and Levels of Trust

23. Number of Corporations that Control a Majority of U. S
Number of Corporations that Control a Majority of U.S. Media,

24. Types of Media Bias Political Bias Racial and Gender Bias
Negativity Bias

25. Media and the President
1/3 of press in dc assigned to white house
Press room down the hall from oval office
Special access to president
News briefings
News releases
News conferences
Leaks
“rules”
On the record
Off the record

26. Media and Congress
Tends to cover organization as a whole, not individuals
Confirmation hearings, oversight investigations, scandals
C-SPAN AND C-SPANII
Created to increase coverage of Congress

27. Pack journalism

28. How does the media impact democratic debate
Increased media choices
Ideologically oriented programming
Consumer-driven media outlets, and emerging technologies that reinforce existing beliefs
Uncertainty over credibility of news sources and information