The Mass Media and the
Political Agenda
Chapter 7
Introduction

Mass Media:
– Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the
Internet and other means of popular
communication.

High-tech politics:
– A politics in which the behavior of citizens and
policymakers and the political agenda itself are
increasingly shaped by technology.
The Mass Media Today
– 60% of presidential campaign spending is to
buy TV ads
– Image making / news management is important,
especially for presidents
– In the past, politicians worked closely with the
media; today they often oppose each other
The Development of Media
Politics
– The news media wasn’t always so important.
– Press Conferences: meetings of public officials
with reporters - Roosevelt was first to use these.
– Traditionally press favored politicians and
limited coverage to convey facts rather than
interpret them
– Today they often oppose each other
The Development of Media
Politics
– Watergate and the Vietnam War changed the
government’s relationship with the press—the
press became more suspicious
– Investigative Journalism: the use of in-depth
reporting to unearth scandals, scams & schemes
putting reporters & politicians opposite each
other.
– News is more negative today
The Development of Media
Politics

The Print Media
– Newspapers and magazines
– Only a few corporations own all news outlets in
the U.S. (print, radio and t.v.)
– Newspaper circulation has been declining.
– Newspaper readers tend to be politically
informed and active
The Development of Media
Politics
Figure 7.1
The Development of Media
Politics

The Broadcast Media
– Television and radio
– Brought government and politics into people’s
homes.
– Made the politicians more aware of their
appearance and mannerisms.
– Television is the principal source of news for
most Americans, and most believable.
Narrowcasting

Narrowcasting allows viewers to select
what information they want to see and avoid
all else
 Cable t.v. encourages narrowcasting
 Critics fear the trend will lead to a less
informed electorate
Reporting the News

Newscasting seeks high ratings and profits
 This can be detrimental for political
agendas AND for informing Americans
about politics
 Sensational, unusual and negative events
receive more attention than the everyday
 This leads public to think politics is
scandalous and to distrust politicians
Reporting the News

Finding the News
– Beats: Most journalists cover a specific
location, such as Congress or the White House.

This set-up gives politicians more control of
information going out.
– Trial Balloons: An intentional news leak for the
purpose of assessing the political reaction.
– Reporters and their sources depend on each
other - one for stories, the other to get them out
Reporting the News

Presenting the News
– Superficial describes most news coverage today
– Sound Bytes: Short video clips of approximately 15
seconds.
Figure 7.2
Reporting the News

Bias in the News
– Many people believe the news favors one point
of view over another.
– More reporters say they are liberal than
conservative
– Bias is NOT apparent so much in the way news
is presented but is a factor in what is reported
and what is NOT
– News is biased towards what will draw the
largest audience.
The News and Public Opinion

The mass media have a huge influence over
the public agenda—the issues citizens want
government to address
 News organizations can define which are
the most pressing political issues and
determine political priorities depending on
their coverage of stories.
The Media’s Agenda-Setting
Function

Policy Agenda:
– The issues that attract the serious attention of
elected officials and other people actively
involved in politics at the time.

Policy Entrepreneurs:
– People who invest their political “capital” in an
issue.
– All depend on good images and good will.
Understanding the Mass
Media

The Media and the Scope of Government
– The media acts as a watchdog to force
government to answer to the public
– But they discourage Americans from thinking
critically/deeply about politics
Quick Write Prompt
Has the quality of news coverage declined?
(A)Discuss TWO characteristics of news
coverage today that indicate a decline in
news quality.
(B) Do you agree that the above demonstrate a
decline in news quality? Defend your
position.