Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
WHAT ARE YOUR PRIMARY NEWS
SOURCES?
DO YOU GET NEWS ON A DAILY
BASIS?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
What are the five phases in
journalistic history?
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Party press
Popular press
Magazines of opinion
Electronic journalism
The internet (and beyond)
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
• How is it difficult for elected officials to
gain access to the electronic media
(radio, TV)?
• What about the President?
• How is media coverage the “doubleedge sword” of American politics?
• Why has media coverage of politics
contributed to the decline of political
parties over the last few decades?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
STRUCTURE OF MEDIA
• How competitive is today’s media?
• Newspapers/print
• Radio/TV
• How regulated?
• Print media?
• TV/radio?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
STRUCTURE OF MEDIA
• How has increased competition in TV
influenced political news coverage?
• What constitutes the National media?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
STRUCTURE OF MEDIA
• Why is the existence of a national press
important?
• How does the press act as a
“gatekeeper”, scorekeeper”,
“watchdog”?
• How has the “scorekeeper” role
influenced elections and campaigns in
the U.S.?
• Has the media gone too far in its
“watchdog” role? Explain.
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
What rules govern media?
• Newspaper v. electronic media
• Libel, obscenity, incitement
• Radio, TV – licensed and regulated
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
• What is the “right of
confidentiality”?
• Is it an “actual” right? Should
it be?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
Rules Governing Media and
Campaigning
• Equal-time rule
• Right-of-reply rule
• Political editorializing
• Fairness doctrine
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
How does the media affect politics?
• Definite influence on how we see issues
• What issues we cite as important, how we
attribute responsibility, policy preferences
How large is that effect?
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Don’t know; not enough scholarly research
BUT, it has changed the way politics works
Campaigns
Role of political parties
How does the media influence
election outcomes?
• Presidential races?/local races?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
• What is selective attention? (look
around the room) How does it limit the
impact media coverage has on public
opinion?
• When a broadcaster makes
“commentary” how big of an impact
does it have on you?
• What about election outcomes?
(Presidential?/local?)
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
• Do local newspapers more often
endorse Republican or Democratic
candidates for the Presidency?
• Are journalists more liberal than
the public at large?
• SEE POLLING DATA
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
The National Media (Media elite) is
decidedly more liberal than the
American public.
• Does this mean that news stories are
slanted?
• What are the differences between
routine stories, feature stories, and
insider stories?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
• What factors offset the liberalism of the
National Media in reporting political
news? (What might keep the liberalism
in check?)
• If most reporters hold liberal views,
why hasn’t the American public become
more liberal?
• Could reporters alter public opinion if
they tried?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
• So…how should political news be
interpreted? (credibility and bias)
• Who sees bigger differences between
candidates – newspaper readers or TV
viewers? Explain.
• Media has major effect on how politics
in conducted (specifically elections and
campaigns). PROVIDE EXAMPLES –
candidates use of media; media
coverage of elections/campaigns
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
Government and News
• Shaping public opinion
• Prominence of President
• Coverage of Congress
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
Why is our government among the
“leakiest” in the world?
• Constitutional arrangement
• No Official Secrets Act (like G.B.)
• Adversarial press less likely to
accept word of “elected official”
• Look for “real story”, hence “leaks”
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
• Why so much sensationalism in the
news?
• How has the rise of cynical reporting
affected public perception of the media?
• What has happened to the public
perception of the “accuracy” of the
media?
• What has happened to public trust of
the media?
• What factors do you believe have
contributed to these trends?
Aim: How does the media influence
American government and politics?
What constraints does the government
have on journalists?
• Risks – alienate sources v. becoming
their mouthpiece
• Government tools to fight back
• Numerous press officers in legislative and
executive branches
• Press releases – “canned” news
• Leaks to favorite reporters
• Go local
• President rewards and punishes members of
press