American National

Government

POL 140-10 Spring 2015

The Media

Important Questions About You

Important Questions About the Media

There are a few questions to keep in mind when discussing the media.

What functions do the media play?

How has the media developed throughout American political history?

Is political news a “mirror reflection” of what’s happening in Washington—or a deliberate product of the political process?

Defining the Media

How can we define the media?

Sources help to gather, package, and disseminate information to the public Newspapers Radio Television Internet

Main goal of media has stayed the same

How information is delivered has changed

Functions of the News Media

What are the three basic functions of the mass media?

Informing Press informs public of political events

Investigating Researching and revealing information

about events

Interpreting Media interpret a given day’s news

History of the American News Media

The Colonial Era(1620-1750)

In colonial times, publishing newspapers was time-consuming.

Labor-intensive and expensive

Newsprint comprised of individual letters of metal type

The Founding Era (1750-1790)

Mass media helped in our quest to gain independence from Britain.

Common Sense was mass-produced.The Federalist Papers were published in New

York newspapers.

The Partisan Era(1790-1900)

Big changes occurred in mass media during the nineteenth century.

Newspapers and partisan politics

Influence of the “penny press”

Beginnings of “Yellow Journalism”

Pulitzer and Hearst famously published “Yellow Journalism”

JOSEPH PULITZER WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST

The Professional Era (1900-1950)

This period saw influence of muckraking and the development of radio.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Radio

The Television Era (1950-2000)

TV recast news media and the information available to the public.

THE “BIG THREE”KENNEDY VS. NIXON,

1960

The Mass Media in the Twenty-First Century

We have witnessed many changes in media over the last decade.

Decline in Traditional Newspaper Readership

Popularity of Talk Radio

Rise of Soft News or “Infotainment”

Prevalence of Blogs

Rise and Continuation of Social Networking

Cell Phones and Text Messaging

Journalists and The Media

Journalists may play different roles regarding media coverage.

Gatekeeper Decide what will be covered Managers of wire services, editors, reporters

Disseminator “Just the Facts,” avoid unverifiable stories Does this help the public?

Investigator Investigate problems, critically analyze and report them “Muckrakers,” Woodward and Bernstein (Watergate)

Public Mobilizer Emphasis on civic journalism Grassroots movement due to Internet, etc.

The Media and Public Opinion

Paul Lazarsfeld looked at this relationship involving FDR’s election.

Focuses on 1940 Election

Results: People already made up minds prior to

voting; campaign did not add information

Study gave rise to minimal effects thesis

Three related phenomena limit the media’s ability to influence citizens.

Selective Exposure Individuals exposed to information with

beliefs

Selective Perception Individuals interpret information with beliefs

Selective Retention Individuals recall information with beliefs

The “Not-So-Minimal-Effects” Thesis

Agenda Setting Must choose which events to cover— signal to

public

Priming Media emphasizes characteristics of people,

events, or issues—and this influences public’s view

Framing Media alters public view on issue by presentation

Example of Priming

George W. Bush, New Orleans, post-Hurricane Katrina

Examples of Framing

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