Chapter 15: The Media
The Evolution of News Media in the
United States
• News media: media providing the public with
new information about subjects of public interest
• Print media
– First example of news media
• Published in the colonies as early 1690
• Federalists v. Antifederalists
– Partisan newspapers
– Partisan press gave way to penny press
• Penny press focus on scandal
– Cleveland v. Blaine scandals in the election 1884
The Evolution of News Media in the
United States
• Yellow journalism
– 1890s
– featured pictures, comics, color, and
sensationalized, oversimplified news
coverage
• Muckraking
– Early 1900s
– concerned with reforming government and
business conduct
The media’s effect on public
opinion can best be described
A. Influencing older citizens’ as
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opinions of incumbents
Affecting the public’s views
on domestic policy only
Influencing which issues
the public sees as
important
Changing well-educated
people’s views on foreign
policy
Influencing the public’s
views on controversial
issues only
Which of the following is most
frequently reported in the media
during a presidential election?
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A. Results from polls
indicating which candidate
is more likely to win
B. Official platforms of the
parties
C. Financial strategies and
management
D. Comparisons of candidates
positions on foreign and
domestic issues
E. Information about the
candidate’s experience in
government and record in
office
Coverage of Elections
• Primaries
– Less covered than general elections, less interest
from media/people, closed primaries, attracts partisan
supporters
• General
– More media coverage, more important in voters’ eyes,
attracts more moderates
• Midterms
– Less media coverage, less interest from average
voters
• Presidential
– More media coverage, more interest
Horse-race Journalism
• During election season, media attention is
placed on candidates’ positions in polls
• Less focus on policies, more focus on
candidates position compared to other
candidates
Other Trends
• Increasing Use of Experts
• Narrowcasting
– Targeting media programming at specific
populations within society
• Public discontent with the media
Participant Leaders
Points
20
Participant
Aiello, Natalie
20
20
20
20
Chambers, Alyssa
Harder, Colton
Huang, Kyle
Jasarevic, Ajsa
20
20
20
Konkolesky, Blake
Lacanilao, Jacey
McClure,
Mackenzie
20
10
Owens, Brianna
Dunn, Madison
Points
Participant
What percentage of your current
points would you like to wager
on the next question?
A. 0%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 75%
E. 100%
In the Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v.
Sullivan, the Supreme Court ruled there would
have to be proof of “actual malice”, ultimately
extending the powers of which amendment?
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a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
First
Second
Tenth
Fourteenth
Nineteenth
Rules Governing Media
• Journalistic standards
• Government regulation of the electronic media
• Content regulation
– Equal time rule
– Fairness doctrine
• Efforts to regulate media practices
– New York Times Co. v. U.S. (1971) and Pentagon
Papers
– Prior restraint unconstitutional, violation of 1st
amendment rights
How the Media Covers Politicians
And Government
• Communication between elected officials
and public figures and media
– Press release, press briefings, press
conferences, off the record vs. on the record
– Availability of the press at the White House allows
immediate coverage
– Most coverage concentrated on Executive branch
• Limited coverage of Judicial Branch
• Moderate covers of Congress
Fastest Responders
Seconds
Participant
Seconds
Participant
Which of the following receives the
MOST media attention in
government?
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a.
b.
c.
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Congress
President
Supreme Court
Bureaucracy
Postal Service
Response
30
Covering the Presidency
• President is the focus of the most media coverage
– Can summon the press at will
– President is one person
– President represents the nation
– President is more powerful than any member of
Congress
• Press Secretary: existed since Hoover’s
administration
– President’s main disseminator of information to
the press
– President gets the most coverage, but much of it
is negative
Covering Congress
• Size of Congress and its decentralized nature
make it difficult for media coverage
• Solve this problem by:
– Giving leaders most attention
– Key committee chairs
– Local newspapers and broadcast stations covering their
own representatives.
• Coverage tends to be negative
– May be part of the reason people view Congress so
negatively
• Investigative hearings may be televised
What is the main reason why
media outlets are NOT allowed
in
the
Supreme
Court?
A. Media is uninterested
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B. The court is too large
to cover
C. To prevent the
prevalence of politics
in the court
D. Supreme court
decisions do not affect
the people of the
United States
30
Covering the Supreme Court
• Supreme Court is thought to be above the
fray of politics
• Supreme Court remains a virtual media
vacuum
• Broadcast media ban in Court
– Use of audio recordings
– No cameras, but print and broadcast reporters
have access to the Court
Policy Agenda
• Policy agenda is the set of
issues/problems that is viewed as
important by people involved in
policymaking
– Law-makers
– Government officials
The agenda-setting function of
the media refers to the power to
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A. Endorse specific
candidates
B. Favor the position of one
interest group over another
C. Counter the censorship
activities of media watch
groups
D. Mobilize economic
interests in favor of a
particular candidate
E. Decide which issues are
important enough to bring
to public attention
30
The Media’s Influence on the
Public Agenda
• Media effects
– The influence of news sources on public
opinion/agenda
• Agenda setting: Policy goals, typically set by political
parties, to be addressed by government.
• How national news media influences politics through
agenda setting:
– Media focuses on which issues to cover during an election
– Helps bring awareness, provide information, or draw attention
to specific issues
• Framing: the process by which a news organization
defines a political issue and consequently affects
opinion about the issue
– Limited impact on parties, can play a role on undecided voters
Which of the following elections
tends to receive the most media
attention
A. Primaries
B. Presidential
C. Midterms
D. Caucuses
E. Local
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Participant Leaders
Points
Participant
Points
Participant
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on the next question?
A. 0%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 75%
E. 100%
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states, regardless of when they
hold their primaries
Coverage tends to focus on
issues rather than on which
candidate is ahead in the polls
Reporters who use secret
sources in their campaign
coverage are shielded by federal
law from having to reveal those
sources
Radio and TV stations must
provide equal time for and equal
coverage of major party
candidates
Network new coverage is usually
dominated by reporters who offer
relatively short sound bites from
the candidates
M
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Which of the following most
accurately describes media
coverage
of
elections?
Media gives equal coverage to
30
Media Coverage of Elections
• Greater coverage in presidential elections
compared to midterms and primaries
• Tend to focus on candidates positions
• Dominated by short sound bites from the
candidates
The Public’s Perception of the
Media
• Public opinion of media is relatively critical.
• Perceive media to be:
– Politically biased
– Roadblocks to solving problems
– Inaccurate in their reporting
– Unwilling to admit mistakes
• Value the watchdog role of the news
media
Government attempts to regulate
the electronic media would fall
under which category?
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a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Equal time rule
Fairness doctrine
Content regulation
Media bias
Partisan media
Response
30
Media Bias
• Media tends to be liberally biased
• Ideological fragmentation is viewed as a
negative trend by those who believe that
the mass media are essential to providing
the facts to educate the public about
policies.
Government attempts to
regulate media
• Equal time rule
• Prior restraint
– New York Times Co. v. United States
• Fairness doctrine