1. The Mass Media Chapter 10

2. The Pervasiveness of Television The growth of around- the-clock cable news and information shows is one of the most important developments in recent years. Half of the public are regular viewers of CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, or Fox News. Most Americans now rely on TV as their chief news source.

3. The Power of the Media Where Americans Get Their News

4. Decline in Viewership of the Television Networks

5. Young People Have Become Less Interested in Political News

6. Radio and Newspapers 9 out of 10 people listen to the radio every week; 8 out of 10 do so every day Daily newspaper circulation is one copy for every five people Provide more detailed and specific information than TV Radio Newspapers

7. Number of daily newspapers has declined significantly Number of cities with multiple papers has declined Subscription rates have fallen as most people get their news from television

8. Role of the National Press Gatekeeper: influences what subjects become national political issues and for how long Scorekeeper: tracks political reputations and candidacies Watchdog: investigates personalities and exposes scandals

9. The Impact of Broadcasting Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to recognize the effectiveness of radio to reach the public

10. Media Conglomerates Why should we be concerned about the concentration of ownership in the media?

11. Regulation of the Media The media wants to be allowed to print what it considers newsworthy; the government wants to limit disclosure in order to ensure protection

12. The Media and Public Opinion The media not only provide an arena for politics; they are themselves players in that arena

13. Are the Media Biased?

14. Media Bias Members of the national media are generally more liberal than the average citizen Conservative media outlets have become more visible in recent years Talk radio is predominantly conservative Journalistic philosophy is that the news should be neutral and objective

16. Public Opinion Issue Framing The power to set the context, to frame the issue, to interpret the facts, and potentially to provide legitimacy for people, issues, or groups are powerful and controversial functions of the media Agenda Setting Deciding what will be decided, defining the problems and issues to be addressed by decision makers

17. Choice of Candidates Presidential candidates welcome invitations to appear with Oprah, Leno, or Letterman, and try to reformulate their messages in a light, comedic style that fits the program

18. Campaign Events Officials want to control information about themselves and their policies, including the way such information is framed and presented by the media

19. Media and Political Opinion One very popular tactic of politicians trying to get free press is to stage “pseudo-events”

20. Public Perception of Accuracy in the Media Pew Research Center, "The People and the Press" (February 1999), 13.

21. Coverage of Government The president receives the most coverage Gavel-to-gavel coverage of House proceedings since 1979 (C-SPAN) Senatorial use of televised committee hearings has turned the Senate into a presidential candidate incubator TV coverage often involves short sound- bites

22. How Groups Use the Media: Media in Campaigns How does the media affect campaigns? Determining “front-running candidates” Charging for advertising Televising debates Portraying charismatic politicians as more “electable”

23. Image Making and Media Consultants A portrait of Abraham Lincoln as “Abe the Rail Splitter” and George W. Bush riding a mountain bike

24. The Media and Voter Choice The horse race Negative advertising Information about issues Making a decision Election night reporting

25. Political Institutions and the News Media

26. Sensationalism Intense competition among many media outlets means that each has a small share of the audience Sensationalism draws an audience and is cheaper than investigative reporting Reporters may not be checking sources carefully because there is such competition for stories