Chapter 7 – Mass Media

High -Tech Politics - a politics which the behavior of citizens and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology.

Mass Media - key part of technology - TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, internet

Development of Mass Media

Hoover (1929-1933) reporters submitted their questions to the president in writing and he responded in writing.

FDR (1933 - 1945) 1st president to use the media effectively. Held 1,000 press conferences in 12 years in the White House and broadcast series of “fireside chats” over the radio to reassure the nation during the Great Depression.

Vietnam and Watergate soured the press on government. Today investigative journalism pits reporters against political leaders.

Chapter 7 – Mass Media

Scholars distinguish between 2 kinds of media:

1. Print media - includes newspaper and magazines (yellow journalism, chains created) Most influential newspapers is the New York Times and Washington Post; magazines: Newsweek, Time, etc.

2. Broadcast media - consist TV and radio

Technology developed 1950-1960s, first televised debates were 1960 Kennedy - Nixon debates. The poll results of this debate illustrate to the radio gave the edge to Nixon, those who saw it on TV thought Kennedy won.

Chapter 7 – Mass Media

TV took the nation to the war in Vietnam during the 1960s and TV exposed government about the progress of the war. The growth of cable TV, particularly the CNN brings news to people as it happens. People think television reports are more believable than newspaper stories.

With the increase in cable channels and Internet usage, a recent trend has been the increase in “broadcast” channels that are oriented toward particularly narrow audiences called narrowcasting.

Chapter 7 – Mass Media

Reporting the News

This is a business in America which profits shape how journalists define what is newsworthy, where they get their information, and how they present it. It has become semi-entertaining.

The charge that the media have a liberal bias has become a familiar one in American politics and there is some limited evidence to support it.

A conclusion that news reporting contains little explicit partisan or ideological bias is not to argue that it does not distort reality in its coverage. Ideally the news should mirror reality.

Chapter 7 – Mass Media

The Media’s Agenda-Setting Function

People are trying to influence the government’s policy agenda when they confront government officials with problems they expect them to solve. Interest groups, political parties, politicians, public relations firm, and bureaucratic agencies are all pushing for their priorities to take precedence over others.

Political activists rely heavily upon media to get their ideas placed high on the governmental agenda.The staging of political events to attract media attention is a political art form.Civil Rights relied heavily on the media to tell their stories of unjust treatment.

Chapter 7 – Mass Media

Understanding the Media

Media acts as key linkage institutions between the people and the policy makers and have a profound impact on the political agenda. Media is so crucial in today’s society, they are referred as the fourth branch of government.

The watchdog function of the media helps to keep government small. When the media focus on injustice in society, the media inevitably encourage the growth of government. The media portray government as responsible for handling almost every major problem.