THE POLITICS OF THE
MEDIA
Mass Media

How important are the media in American politics?
Mass Media

Media and Democracy
 Marketplace
of ideas
 Increase in political power with the decline of parties
 Influential
 The
average high school senior has spent more time
watching TV than attending school
 TV is the primary source of news in the U.S.
 Concerns
over objectivity
The Growth of Mass Media

How have the media changed and developed?
The Growth of Mass Media

Print Media
 Newspapers
 The
Federalist Papers
 Political leaders promoted newspapers

Postage reduction
 Party
presses
 Penny press – more diverse in scope, used reporters, less
partisan
 Yellow Journalism
The Growth of Mass Media

Electronic Media
 Radio
 Radio
Act of 1927 regulated the industry
 Television
 Network,
cable, satellite
 Internet
 <3
 Technology
gap (aka – digital divide)
Concerns over RELIABLE information (no take-backs)
Functions of the Media

What functions do the media perform in our
society?
Functions of Media

Entertainment
 SNL

Social Effects
 “The
eyes and ears of the world”
 Surveillance


Investigative Reporting
Muckraking
 Interpretation

Putting events into context and explaining complexities
 Socialization
Political use of the Media

How influential are the media in interpreting and
framing news stories?
Political Use of the Media

How politicians make news
Earned media coverage
 Pseudo-events


How journalists report the news

Agenda setting
Determining what issues will be covered
 Gatekeepers


Covering the President
Press releases – prepared texts
 News briefings – questions allowed
 News conferences – direct access to the president

Political Use of the Media
 How
journalists report the news
 Covering


Give less attention to Congress than the President
Kind of complicated and can be dull
 Covering



Congress
the Courts
Gets the least amount of coverage
Judges rarely grant interviews (don’t want their impartiality
questioned)
Supreme Court nominations are the exception – lots of media
attention
The Media and the Public in Politics

How do the media shape and reflect our cultural
values and struggles?
The Media and the Public in Politics

Media in Campaigns
 Negative
coverage
 Paid advertising
 Sound
bites
 Debates


Global Issues
Narrowcasting
 Targeting

specific audiences
Concentration of Ownership
Governmental Regulations

How can we negotiate the delicate balance
between the need for governmental regulation and
the desire for a vigorous and free press?
Governmental Regulations

The Right to Privacy
 Crime

victims
Rules regarding content and ownership
 Libel
 Must
demonstrate “malice”
 Prior
censorship
 Equal time rule
 Same
time, same price
 Fairness
doctrine (1949-1985)
 Broader
than the equal time rule
Governmental Regulations

The Role of Profits
 Social
Responsibility Theory vs. Libertarian View
 Does
the media have a responsibility or obligation to
promote socially desirable behavior?
 Ratings
 News
must generate profits