Chapter 12
The Media
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WHO GOVERNS?
1. How much power do the media have?
2. Can we trust the media to be fair?
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TO WHAT ENDS?
1. What public policies will the media
support?
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The Media and Politics
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Freedom of the Press=very difficult to prove
libel
The United States versus Europe=much
stricter/people who leak information get punished
Freedom of Information Act=easy for press to
extract gov. information
Newspapers=no gov. permission to operate
Radio and Television=FCC must renew their
license
Federal Communication Commission
(FCC)=gov. agency/gives out liscences
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Journalism in American Political
History
The Party Press=gov.
Paid for them/expensive
During early America
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The Popular Press=
Telegraph/AP provided
Stories/printing papers
Cheaper/grew/easy to access
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Magazines of Opinion=“yellow
Journalism/wrote about politics
Reform/writers gained a national following Bettmann/Corbis
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Electronic Journalism=Radio1920s-40s
Before television and the
Television/political talk shows
Internet, news came by
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The Internet=Half of Americans get
radio, as here in 1939. p.
Political news /raise money/organize people/
292
Copyright © 2011 Cengage
Powerlineblog.com. Reprinted with permission.
Blogs, both conservative and
liberal, have become an
important form of political
advertising. p. 289
As appeared on www.dailykos.com. Reprinted with
permission.
Copyright © 2011 Cengage
The Structure of the Media
Degree of Competition=lack of newspaper
competition/young people don’t read political news
as much/often more local news than national
 The National Media=US Associated Press/United
Press International
• Gatekeeper=influence what subjects become
national political news and for how long
• Scorekeeper=keeps track of and makes
political reputations
• Watchdog=keep tabs on
politicians/wrongdoing
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Rules Governing the Media
Newspapers – least
governmental regulation
 Radio and TV – most
governmental regulation
(FCC)
 Campaigning
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Bebeto Matthews/AP Photo
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Activists urge Congress
to pass a law shielding
reporters from being
required to testify about
their sources. p. 296
Confidentiality of Sources
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Some states allow
it/passed laws
Most
states/Federal gov.
do not allow it if in
best interest of
gov.
Could go to jail if
you’re a reporter
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Agree/Disagree?
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Regulating broadcasting
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Radio/TV needs a
FCC license
Renewable every 7
years radio/5 for
TV
Need to submit
your
programming/how
you benefit your
community
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Deregulation
today=lowered
most with
radio/more
opinions on talk
radio
Equal time
rule=must sell
equal time to
both candidates
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Campaigning
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Equal time
rule=must be
charged same
rates as other
candidates
Market=buy ads
campaign in
specific areas/local
ads vs national ads
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Problem=horserace
journalism=media
focuses on who is
ahead in polls vs
position of the
candidates
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Are the National Media Biased?
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Do members of the media have a
distinctive political attitude?
Does that attitude affect what they
write or say?
Does what they write or say affect
what citizens believe?
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Brown Brothers
When President Theodore Roosevelt cultivated the media,
reporters usually were unknown and poorly paid. p. 304
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Are the National Media Biased?
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A liberal majority
Neutral and objective?
• Routine stories=media stories
regularly covered
• Feature stories=reporters seek these
out and publish them
Spanish-speaking voters have become
• Insider stories=cover thingssooften
athat candidates, such as
important
Hillary Clinton, run Spanish web sites. p
secret
299
Media’s influence
• Selective attention=people
remember/believe only what they
want to
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Hillaryclinton.com
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Figure 12.2 Public Perception of
Accuracy in the Media
Source: Pew Research Center, “The People and the Press” (August 2007).
Copyright © 2011 Cengage
Government and the News
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Prominence of the president=press
secretary/goal to control the image
of Pres.
Coverage of Congress=senators use
the press to get recognized
Why do we have so many news
leaks?=only if favorable/branches
compete for power
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©1991 Dana Fradon/The New Yorker Collection from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Cengage
p. 306
Sensationalism in the Media
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1980s sex and politics were govered
(Gary Hart, Bill Clinton)
Since Watergate/Vietnam press has
been adversaries of
Government/competition in media
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Government constraints on
Journalists
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15,000-20,000 congressional staffers
(Congressmen gets mad move on to another)
4 ways Gov/press communicate
1. on the record (quote official by name)
2. off the record (what official says can’t be used)
3. on background (what official says can be used
but can’t attribute to him by name
4. on deep background (what the official says can
be used but not attributed to anyone)
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p. 303
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In 1933, White House press
conferences were informal
affairs, as when reporters
gathered around Franklin
Roosevelt’s desk in the Oval
Office.
Bettmann/Corbis
Today, there are huge
gatherings held in a special
conference room, as on the
right. p. 305
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JASON REED/Reuters/Landov
Activity Pg. 176
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#1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9,
11, 13, 14
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Page 176
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1. A
4. E
6. B
7. A
8. A
9. B
11. C
13. C
14. E
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
MEMORANDUM
To: Matthew Wilson, senator
From: Margaret Drinker, legislative assistant
Subject: Protecting Journalists
The Supreme Court has held that forcing a reporter
to testify does not violate the First Amendment to the
Constitution. But Congress could pass a law, similar
to that in many states, banning such testimony if it
reveals a confidential source.
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Arguments for:
1. Thirty-four states now have shield laws similar to the one
proposed by Congress.
2. Effective journalism requires protecting sources from being
identified; without protection, a lot of important stories
would not be written.
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Arguments against:
1. Every person accused in a criminal trial has a right to know
all of the evidence against him or her and to confront
witnesses. A shield law would deprive people of this right.
2. A shield law would allow any government official to leak
secret information with no fear of being detected.
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Your decision:
Support Bill?
Oppose Bill?
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