Chapter 7
The Mass Media
and the
Political Agenda
Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy
Fourteenth Edition
Introduction
Mass Media:
Television, radio, newspapers,
magazines, the Internet and other
means of popular communication
High-Tech Politics:
Politics in which the behavior of
citizens and policymakers and the
political agenda itself are
increasingly shaped by technology
The Mass Media Today
Effective communication through media is key
to political success.
Media Events:
Events purposely staged for the media that nonetheless
look spontaneous.
Image Making
News Management
The Impact of the Internet
Wider range of information
More biased? Less accurate?
Potential to inform?
Since Americans are generally
disinterested in politics, they will not
necessarily use the Internet for
political information. (2% News)
Blogs
additional information / opinion
Private Control of the Media
Only a small number of TV stations
are publicly owned in America.
Media are totally dependent on
advertising revenues.
Chains:
Account for over four-fifths of the
nation’s daily newspaper circulation
Also control broadcast media
Reporting the News
Beats:
specific locations from which news
frequently emanates.
Trial Balloons:
an intentional news leak for the purpose of
assessing the political reaction
Reporters and their sources…
depend on each other.
 Presenting the News
 Superficial describes most news coverage today.
 Sound Bites: short video clips of approximately 10 seconds
 Major TV networks devote less time to covering political
candidates
Bias in the News
Many people believe the news is
biased in favor of one point of view.
Generally is not very biased toward a
particular ideology
News reporting is biased towards what
will draw the largest audience—good
pictures and negative reporting
Partisan Bias
Back
The News and Public Opinion
Television news
Agenda-setting effect
Provides criteria
Which the public evaluates political leaders.
Provides coverage
Some stories or events can be made more
important or less important.
The Media’s Agenda-Setting Function
Policy Agenda
The issues that attract the serious
attention of public officials and other
people actively involved in politics at the
time
Policy Entrepreneurs
People who get an issue placed high on
governmental agenda
Use media to raise awareness of issue
The Media and the Scope of Government
Media as watchdog restricts politicians
Government met with skepticism which
restricts scope of government
If media identifies a problem, it forces
government to address it, which
expands the scope of government
Individualism and the Media
Candidates appeal to people on television
Easier to focus on one person like the president,
than groups, e.g., Congress or the courts
Democracy and the Media
“Information is the fuel of democracy.”
But news provides more entertainment than
information; superficial.
News is a business, giving people what they
want.
Summary
 Media shape public opinion on political
issues and influence policy agenda.
 Broadcast media have replaced print media
over time.
 Narrowcasting and the Internet are further
shifting media.
 Seeking profits, media are biased in favor of
stories with high drama.
Remy Summary-A
Additional Info - THE MASS MEDIA
The Fourth Branch of Government - “The Mass Media”?
Newspapers
98 % 1 paper cities - 78 % of circulation by chains
National weekly magazines (Time,USN, Newsweek)
Can set national agenda
Wire services (AP, UPI) employ reporters worldwide
Used by more newspapers today (cut costs)
Electronic Media (Radio, TV, Cable, Internet)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Regulates broadcast ownership & content
Almost all media are privately owned
Ownership has become less diversified
Remy Summary-B
CH 19- THE MASS MEDIA
What makes “news” ?
Information that is “useful” (gov/econ/bus)
Information that is “popular” (entertainment)
The President -80 % of nat. gov. media coverage
TV has great impact presidential campaigns
Focus on key leaders in Congress
The First Amendment (Freedom of the Press)
No prior restraint
National security exceptions
National security v citizen’s right to know
Pentagon Papers (1971)
No laws against criticizing government officials
Shield laws in some states (36 states, Ohio = Yes)
NON-Edwardian Info
ERAS OF THE AMERICAN PRESS
PARTY PRESS
PARTIES STARTED & SUPPORTED NEWSPAPERS
POPULAR PRESS
MASS CIRCULATION
“YELLOW JOURNALISM”, “MUCKRAKERS”
MAGAZINES OF OPINION
MIDDLE CLASS PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
ELECTRONIC JOURNALISM
RAPID NEWS REPORTING
CHANGED THE WAY WE VIEWED POLITICIANS
POPULAR
PRESS
“YELLOW
JOURNALISM”
TABLOID
NEWS
SENSATIONALISM
Circulation monthly decline
WHO READ THE NEWSPAPER YESTERDAY ?
WHICH NEWSPAPERS ARE
READ EACH DAY
WHO READ THE NEWSPAPER YESTERDAY?
Where Americans Get News

Back
News Generation Gap
Back
Sources of Campaign News
Back
A FREE PRESS IS RARE IN THE WORLD
(17% OF THE NATIONS)
GOVERNMENT RESTRAINTS ON THE AMERICAN MEDIA
LIBEL, OBSCENITY, INCITEMENT
(BUT NO PRIOR RESTRAINT ?)
GOV’T CONTROL OVER RADIO AND TV BY THE F.C.C.
LICENSING
DECENCY STANDARDS
GOV’T INFLUENCE ON THE NEWS
LEAKS
(TRIAL BALLOONS, PERSONAL ATTACKS)
BACKGROUND STORIES
(INSIDER INFORMATION)
PUNITIVE MEASURES
THE NATIONAL PRESS IS STAFF BY PEOPLE
WHO ARE MORE LIBERAL THAN THE
PUBLIC IN GENERAL.
(AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE)
MASS MEDIA MAY NOT REFLECT REALITY
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SLANTING THE NEWS
1-SELECTION OF NEWS TO COVER
70% IS PREPLANNED (THOM. DYE)
2-WRITING AND EDITING PROCESS
3-INTERPRETATION OF THE NEWS
4-EMPHASIS OF THE NEWS
Media Bias
Questions about effects of media bias.
Media bias unavoidable--journalists are human.
Media generally thought to be liberal.
Recent growth of conservative news sources.
Looking at good stories over issues.
Can be charmed by interesting personalities.
Confidence in the Media
General confidence is on a downturn.
Republicans are more critical than Democrats.
Democrats and Republicans use different sources.
Ideological fragmentation may be cause for
concern.
People tend to choose news that supports their
opinion.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE MEDIA
IS QUESTIONABLE
SHALLOW INFORMATION
“SOUND BITES”
SELECTIVE VIEWING
WATCH WHAT WE AGREE WITH
THE MEDIA DOES INFLUENCE THE POLICY AGENDA
ROLES OF THE PRESS
*GATEKEEPER
DECIDING WHAT IS NEWS
*SCOREKEEPER
DECIDING WHO IS “WINNING”
*WATCHDOG
EXPOSING “SCANDLES”
LOADED WORDS
REPETITION
Presidential Press Conferences
Back
THE MEDIA
IMPORTANT TERMS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATTACK JOURNALISM
CANNED NEWS
COMMUNITY NEEDS
EQUAL-TIME RULE
FAIRNESS DOCTRINE
FEATURE STORIES
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC)
INSIDER STORIES
LOADED LANGUAGE
MARKET (TELEVISION)
MUCKRAKER
THE MEDIA IMPORTANT TERMS
LOADED LANGUAGE
MARKET (TELEVISION)
MUCKRAKER
OFF THE RECORD
ON BACKGROUND
RECKLESS DISREGARD
RIGHT-OF-REPLY RULE
SELECTIVE ATTENTION
SOUND BITE
TRAIL BALLOON
“YELLOW JOURNALISM”
THE MEDIA
QUESTIONS
1-DOES THE DESIRE OF AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS TO BE “OBJECTIVE” MAKE
AMERICANS LESS INFORMED? SHOULD THE UNITED STATES HAVE THE PARTY
PRESS LIKE MANY EUROPEAN NATIONS?
2-DOES A POPULAR PRESS PANDER TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR OF
INTEREST AND TASTE?
3-EXPLAIN HOW LOCALISM & DECENTRALIZED QUALITIES OF THE AMERICAN
NEWS MEDIA CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY?
4-IF MOST REPORTERS HOLD LIBERAL VIEWS WHY HASN’T AMERICAN SOCIETY
BECOME MORE LIBERAL OVER THE YEARS?
AP - THE MEDIA
QUESTIONS
5-DEFINE THE WATCHDOG ROLE OF THE PRESS. IS IT GOOD OR
BAD FOR DEMOCRACY?
6-WHAT SORT OF ISSUES WOULD YOU EXPECT THE MEDIA TO
HAVE THE MOST IMPACT?
7- WHAT LIMITS SHOULD THERE BE ON FREEDOM OF THE
PRESS?