Transcript Wilson Chapter 10 - AP

And now. . . Your Favorite
Chapter
the Media
Wilson 10
In other words - Propaganda
The Role of the Media
• First of all, what is the “media”
• It’s any form of mass communication
including:
• Newspapers
• Radio
• Television
• Magazines
• the internet
Role of the Media
• Most people’s understanding of
government and politics comes from the
media !!
Media history
•
The US media has more freedom than a lot of
European countries
• The US has a long history of private
ownership of media but it has two potential
limits
1 They have to make a profit and sometimes
make up stories to entice readerships. Some
truth to it but it’s very complicated
2 Media bias could be an issue if reporters and
editors all shared the same viewpoints
Media history
• In the early days the political parties controlled
the press but
• Changes in technology and society created the
popular press
• Telegraph, high speed presses and population
concentrated in cities
• 1848 the AP showed up (Associated Press)
which provided objective reporting and equal
distribution of information
Still some crazy stuff out there
• Even so, the publishers views were reflected in
the papers
• Hearst and Pulitzer and Yellow Journalism
helped start the Spanish/American War in 1898
• Clearly there was a profit to be made in
criticizing the government and sensational news
reporting!!!
Magazines
• The middle class favored progressive
periodicals (magazines)
• Creation of Muckrakers - investigative reporting
• Readers were more sophisticated and educated
• Today, though, national magazines focusing on
just politics account for only a very small
percentage of total magazines
Bring on the radio!!
• Dawn of the electronic media in the 1920s
• Politicians could reach voters directly but it was
also easy for listeners to “turn them off”
• TV in the 1940s eventually created short “sound
bites” of info and made it harder for people to
get a real understanding of events
• Now have cable, satellite, magazine shows and
too many news programs to list
• “narrowcasting” is broadcasting to a segmented
audience, a target group only!!
Add the internet
• Increasingly important as almost 50% of
American households have access to it
• It’s free and is playing a larger role in politics
• Almost every candidate has a web site
• It easily facilitates communication between
candidates and voters as well as with political
activists
What does the media do?
1 Gatekeeper - influences what subjects
become national issues and for how long
2 Scorekeeper - tracks political reputations as
well as elections. Momentum in the media is
vital during elections season!!
3 Watchdog - investigate officials and expose
scandals!! Need we mention Watergate??
Rules over the media
• No prior restraint - can’t stop a story
• Confidentiality of sources usually NOT allowed,
especially if it bears on a crime
• Licensing of broadcast media
• Equal time laws for candidates including prices
of commercial air time
• Fairness doctrine was abolished in 1987 and
has allowed the rise of controversial shows like
Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity,
• Other rules around elections
So, is the media biased?
• Generally more liberal than the average person
– But public believes it more than that!!
• Talk radio is predominately conservative
• Many more conservative media outlets recently
including Fox News and shows like Rush
• Selective attention: people only believe or
remember what they want to
• Candidates believe the media including
Johnson who gave up on Vietnam after the
press did
Government and news
• The president is the most covered
• Congress coverage not equal to pres and they
are resentful!!
• Senate more open than House
• C-Span covers all floor action
• Lots of leaks to the press
• Why??
• Competition
• Not “illegal”
• Decentralized power
Adversarial press
• Press and government fighting each other since
Vietnam, Watergate and Iran-Contra
• Competition for journalistic awards
• Media cynicism has created an era of “attack
journalism” and that cynicism mirrors the
publics view
• People think media has too much influence and
the public is down on big business – the media
is big business
Government fights back
• Big staffs of media people working for Congress
and the president
• Press releases – canned news
• Leaks and stories only go to “favorite” reporters
• On-record, off-record information
• Presidential rewards and punishments for
reporters based on their stories