AP Government: Chapter Seven
Mass Media and the Political Agenda
Government & Media
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Definitions
• High Tech Politics: Politics in which the behavior
of citizens and policymakers as well as the
political agenda itself is increasingly shaped by
technology
• Mass Media: Key part; TV, radio, newspapers,
magazines, and internet; Reach and profoundly
influence not only the elites but also the masses
• Media Event: Staged primarily for the purpose of
being covered
• Press Conferences: Presidential meeting with
reporters
Opinion Leaders
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Investigative Reporting
• Detective-like
reporting methods to
unearth scandals
Federal Communications
Commission
• 1934 Congress created FCC to regulate use
of airwaves
• Radio, TV, telephone, cable, satellite
• Congress uses its control over purse strings
to influence commission
FCC Members
Media’s Influence
• 2/3 Americans subscribe to
cable TV
• Narrow casting: focus on
particular group; particular
interest
(C-SPAN, CNN, ESPN, etc)
• American media is free and
independent when it comes to
journalistic content, they are
totally dependent on advertising
revenues to keep their
businesses going
• Major media in America are big
business today and potentially
the source of great profits
Massive Conglomerates
• Today’s media
conglomerates control
newspapers with over
80% of the nation’s daily
circulation
• 4/5 newspaper subscribers
now read a newspaper
owned not by a fearless
local editor but by a
corporation headquartered
elsewhere (many control
TV and radio stations as
well)
• News reporting is a
business in America
Definitions
• Beat: Specific
locations from which
news often emanates
• Trial Balloons:
information leaked to
see what the political
reaction will be
• Sound bites: 15 secs.
or less on TV (of
political speeches