The influence of government over the media

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The influence of government over the media
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Government officials have a number of ways to
influence media content

• The media are dependent upon officials for the
  largest amount of source material
• The US government provides a number of subsidies
  to media companies
• The government protects media companies from
  foreign or domestic attack
• Officials woo journalists who are compliant
• Officials can withhold information
• Officials can censorespecially during wartime

3
Government subsidies

• Newspaper delivery rules
• Third class postal rates
• Special merger rules
• Public broadcasting subsidies
• Spectrum allocation
• HDTV bonanza

4
According to official sources . . .

• News organizations depend on official sources for
  their raw materials and interpretations of events
• Must fill in the white space between the ads
• Backgrounding
• Quotes
• Exclusives
• White papers

5
Just being there is 90 of the battleGovernment
controls access

• During war, who is in embedded?
• Army control over where they go, who they talk
  to, what they say, to some extent
• Press releases
• Press conferences
• Who gets called on?
• Who isnt invited back?
• Press passes
• Official meetings
• Air Force One, etc.
• What organizations are considered the press?

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President v. Congress

• The administration has much greater control over
  sources of information than Congress does
• Official secrets
• Loyalty to the president
• Hand-picked assistants
• Can remove any leak from inner circle
• President is ultimate news source
• No alternative for journalists to turn to
• Physical access of journalists controlled
• White House, Pentagon, State, etc.
• Modern focus on, fascination with, president
• National spokesperson, nations leader

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Career motivation

• Journalists get ahead by getting scoops and
  inside information
• Government officials can use this to control
  press behavior
• Trial balloons
• off the record
• Use press as a weapon against opposition

8
Media ownership

• Media owners tend to be more conservative than
  journalists
• Media owners are interested in the business
  climate of the country
• longer range view
• Have at times been called upon to keep a story
  out of the public eye
• National security
• Inappropriate
• Political favor