The Media
A Brief, Quick Overview
AP Government
Chapter 12, Themes A & B
Pop Quiz 12
1. Name big three networks on the public airwaves.
2. Name 1 role of the media.
3. What 2-word term means that viewers choose
what to watch and process?
4. Name a conservative media outlet.
5. What must a public official prove in order to collect
damages in a libel suit against the media?
6. What is the name of the channel that covers
Congress gavel to gavel?
Media Basics Here & Abroad
US press one of the freest in the world:
 John
Peter Zenger case
 1st Amendment
 Strict libel laws
 Private ownership of media outlets
 Leaks are commonplace
 FOIA allows media to force transparency
Types of Media
Print media: magazines, pamphlets,
books, and newspapers
 Declining
in importance
 Many print resources folded or no
longer in print
 Advertisers have abandoned for
electronic media
 Almost no regulation
Types of Media
Electronic media: Television, radio,
Internet
 Largest
source of information
 Constantly evolving
 Radio & TV regulated by FCC
 Internet lacks any real regulation
 Internet today allows many sources of
information—pluralist power
Periods in Journalism in US
 The Party Press
Expensive & usually exclusive to
political elites
 Small area of circulation
 Many newspapers and editors were on
government payroll
 From founding until mid-1800s
newspapers were overtly partisan

Periods in Journalism in US
 Rise of the Popular Press
Development of high-speed rotary press
 Telegraph invented— “News in a flash”
 Urbanization—Mass circulation
 Creation of Associated Press
 Profits via advertising, sensationalism &
“yellow journalism”
 End of government subsidies—GPO
created in 1860
 Publishing moguls and their empires
prospered (Hearst, Pulitzer)

Periods in Journalism in US
 Magazines of Opinion
Driven by reform-minded Progressives
 Roots of investigative reporting AKA
“Muckrakers”
Sinclair, Buck, etc.
 Harper’s, Scribner’s & Atlantic Monthly
were the forefathers of Time, Newsweek,
& US News & World Report

Periods in Journalism in US
 Electronic Journalism

1920’s-1940’s: Radio is king
 Appealed
to all ages in family
 Politicians could speak directly to
constituents from any location
 Necessity by stations to include some
speeches and ignore others
 FDR’s “fireside chats” during WWII made
Americans feel informed and up-to-date on
world events
Radio is King
Periods in Journalism in US
 Electronic Journalism

1950’s-1990’s: Rise of Television
 Telegenic
candidates often win (Debates)
 Until 1990’s the “Big Three” were main
sources of information for 80% of Americans
 News stories have been replaced by “sound
bites” of less than 8 seconds
 CNN and other cable outlets led to the
decline of Big Three
 News events are preferred over news stories
Periods in Journalism in US
 Electronic Journalism

2000’s to present—Emergence of Internet
 72%
of all American homes have Internet
access (2011 Census Bureau)
 Information overload—consumer selects
sources by choice & accident
 Social networking sites are the newest way
to reach thousands with instant information

Do example with class survey
Structure of US Media
Newspapers are no longer
competitive in most markets
TV station are extremely
competitive and usually focused
locally, but have national ties
 AP,
UPI
 Network affiliated
Networks have national focus
Roles of the Media

Gatekeeper - influence what subjects become national
political issues, and for how long. AKA as “front burner”
issues. EXAMPLE:

Scorekeeper - help make political reputations, court the
“Great Mentioner” & decide who the winners & losers are
in Washington. Often leads to coverage of presidential
elections as horse races. EXAMPLE:

Watchdog - Follow closely the front-runner candidates,
searching for “skeletons” in closet. Maintains close eye
on all major candidates. EXAMPLE:

Agenda setter - Influence standards by which policies,
government, presidents, and candidates are judged.
EXAMPLE:
Rules & Regulations
 1st Amendment prevents prior restraint as
determined by US Supreme Court

Near v. MN, NY Times v. US
 Libel is very difficult to prove

NY Times v. Sullivan, Sharon v. Time
 Shield laws exist in 41 states (including NC) but
there is no national protection
 FCC controls TV & radio with licensing, but has
been largely deregulated due to competition
 Equal Time doctrine exists to a limited extent.
 NE NC has no real “market” in which to run ads
Presidents & The Media
Why is the coverage of the
President so predominant?
 Court
media through use of
BULLY PULPIT
 One person—leader of the
“free world”
 Press secretary handles media
Congress & the Media
Hesitant in allowing coverage
Resented coverage of President
C-SPAN & C-SPAN2 now offer
gavel-to-gavel coverage
Committee hearings sometime
launch careers, especially in
Senate
Why so many leaks?
Separation of powers
Federalism
Adversarial press corps
Sensationalism sells
The Public View of
Media
 Negative attacks alienate viewers—tune out
 Believe press influences elections by biased
coverage
Liberal bias blasted by Fox News
 Conservative slant criticized by MSNBC

 View media as big business—not to be
trusted
 Has led politicians to increase negative ads
Self-Constraints on
the Media
 Alienate sources
 Become a “mouthpiece”
 Numerous congressional
staffers— “A dime a dozen”
 Reliance on “canned stories”
 Bypass national media for state
& local coverage