The Mass Media

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The Mass Media

• Chapter 10

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The Pervasiveness of Television

• The growth of around-the-clock cable news and
  information shows is one of the most important
  developments in recent years. Half of the public
  are regular viewers of CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, or Fox
  News.
• Most Americans now rely on TV as their chief news
  source.

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The Power of the Media

• Where Americans Get Their News

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Decline in Viewership of the Television Networks
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Young People Have Become Less Interested in
Political News
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Radio and Newspapers
Radio
Newspapers

• 9 out of 10 people listen to the radio every
  week 8 out of 10 do so every day

• Daily newspaper circulation is one copy for every
  five people
• Provide more detailed and specific information
  than TV

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Newspapers

• Number of daily newspapers has declined
  significantly
• Number of cities with multiple papers has
  declined
• Subscription rates have fallen as most people get
  their news from television

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Role of the National Press

• Gatekeeper influences what subjects become
  national political issues and for how long
• Scorekeeper tracks political reputations and
  candidacies
• Watchdog investigates personalities and exposes
  scandals

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The Impact of Broadcasting

• Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to
  recognize the effectiveness of radio to reach the
  public

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Media Conglomerates

• Why should we be concerned about the
  concentration of ownership in the media?

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Regulation of the Media

• The media wants to be allowed to print what
  it considers newsworthy the government wants to
  limit disclosure in order to ensure protection

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The Media and Public Opinion
The media not only provide an arena for politics
they are themselves players in that arena
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Are the Media Biased?
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Media Bias

• Members of the national media are generally more
  liberal than the average citizen
• Conservative media outlets have become more
  visible in recent years
• Talk radio is predominantly conservative
• Journalistic philosophy is that the news should
  be neutral and objective

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Public Opinion
Agenda Setting Deciding what will be decided,
defining the problems and issues to be addressed
by decision makers
Issue Framing The power to set the context, to
frame the issue, to interpret the facts, and
potentially to provide legitimacy for people,
issues, or groups are powerful and controversial
functions of the media
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Choice of Candidates
Presidential candidates welcome invitations to
appear with Oprah, Leno, or Letterman, and try to
reformulate their messages in a light, comedic
style that fits the program
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Campaign Events
Officials want to control information about
themselves and their policies, including the way
such information is framed and presented by the
media
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Media and Political Opinion

• One very popular tactic of politicians trying to
  get free press is to stage pseudo-events

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Public Perception of Accuracy in the Media
Pew Research Center, "The People and the Press"
(February 1999), 13.
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Coverage of Government

• The president receives the most coverage
• Gavel-to-gavel coverage of House proceedings
  since 1979 (C-SPAN)
• Senatorial use of televised committee hearings
  has turned the Senate into a presidential
  candidate incubator
• TV coverage often involves short sound-bites

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How Groups Use the Media Media in Campaigns

• How does the media affect campaigns?
• Determining front-running candidates
• Charging for advertising
• Televising debates
• Portraying charismatic politicians as more
  electable

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Image Making and Media Consultants

• A portrait of Abraham Lincoln as Abe the Rail
  Splitter and George W. Bush riding a mountain
  bike

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The Media and Voter Choice

• The horse race
• Negative advertising
• Information about issues
• Making a decision
• Election night reporting

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Political Institutions and the News Media
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Sensationalism

• Intense competition among many media outlets
  means that each has a small share of the audience
• Sensationalism draws an audience and is cheaper
  than investigative reporting
• Reporters may not be checking sources carefully
  because there is such competition for stories