Chapter 7: The Mass Media and The Political Agenda

I. The Mass Media TodayII. The Development of Media PoliticsIII. Reporting the NewsIV. The News and Public OpinionV. Policy Entrepreneurs and Agenda SettingVI. Understanding the Mass Media

I. The Mass Media Today: how American politicians choreograph their messages through the mass media.

A. Mass Media1. Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the

Internet, and other means of popular communication.

B. Media Events1. Events that are purposely staged for the media

and that are significant just because the media are there.

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II. The Development of Media Politics

A. The Print MediaB. The Emergence of Radio and TelevisionC. Government Regulation of Electronic MediaD. From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: The

Rise of Cable and Cable NewsE. The Impact of the InternetF. Private Control of the Media

II. The Development of Media Politics

A. The Print Media1. Yellow Journalism – Sensational style of

reporting characterized newspapers at the turn of the century.

2. Chains - Groups of newspapers published by media conglomerates and today accounting for over four-fifths of the nation’s daily newspaper circulation.

II. The Development of Media Politics

B. The Emergence of Radio and Television

1. Brought government and politics into peoples’ homes with events like the Vietnam War.

2. Politicians’ appearances and mannerisms more important like events such as the Kennedy-Nixon presidential debates.

II. The Development of Media Politics

C. Government Regulation of Electronic Media

1. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates the use of airwaves to (1) prevent near monopoly control of market, (2) review the performance of stations, and (3) issue fair treatment rules for politicians.

II. The Development of Media Politics

D. From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: The Rise of Cable and Cable News

1. Narrowcasting - Media program on cable TV or Internet that is focused on one topic and aimed at a particular audience.

2. Cable TV news channels can bring the news to people and political leaders as it happens.

II. The Development of Media Politics

E. The Impact of the Internet1. Internet facilitates communication about politics in

every conceivable direction.

2. Potential to inform Americans about politics.

3. Internet is purposive – People choose what to learn about.

4. Blogs provide additional information about news stories.

II. The Development of Media Politics

F. Private Control of the Media1. Media is independent in what they can report,

and totally depend on advertising revenues.

2. Primary objective is getting the biggest possible audience.

3. Chains – Massive media conglomerates that account for over 80% of the nation’s daily newspaper circulation.

III. Reporting the News

A. Finding the NewsB. Presenting the NewsC. Bias in the News

A. Finding the News1. Beats – Specific locations from which news

frequently emanates, like Congress or White House.

2. Trial Balloons – An intentional news leak for the purpose of assessing political reaction.

3. Reporters and their sources depend on each other for stories and to get them out.

III. Reporting the News

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III. Reporting the News

B. Presenting the News1. Superficial describes most news coverage today.

2. Sound Bites – Short video clips of approximately 10 seconds.

3. Major TV networks devote less time to covering political candidates.

III. Reporting the News

C. Bias in the News1. Many people believe the news is biased in favor of

one point of view.

2. Generally is not very biased toward a particular ideology.

3. News reporting is biased towards what will draw the largest audience, such as good pictures and negative reporting.

IV. The News and Public Opinion

A. The media can affect what Americans think about.1. By increasing public attention to specific

problems, the media influence how the public evaluates political leaders.

2. By emphasizing one event over others, the media can have an effect on how the public evaluates specific events.

V. Policy Entrepreneurs and Agenda Setting

A. Policy Agenda1. Issues that attract the serious attention of public

officials and other people involved in politics at the time.

B. Policy Entrepreneurs1. People in or out of government who invest their

political “capital” in an issue they want on the policy agenda.

VI. Understanding the Mass Media

A. The Media and the Scope of GovernmentB. Individualism and the MediaC. Democracy and the Media

A. The Media and the Scope of Government1. Media as watchdog restricts politicians.

2. New proposals are met with skepticism which restricts scope of government, what it can do.

3. Media reports problem and force government to address it, which expands the scope of government.

VI. Understanding the Mass Media

VI. Understanding the Mass Media

B. Individualism and the Media1. Candidates run on their own by appealing to

people on television.

2. Easier to focus on one person like the president, than groups, Congress, or the courts.

VI. Understanding the Mass Media

C. Democracy and the Media1. “Information is the fuel of democracy.”

2. But news provides more entertainment than information; it is superficial.

3. News is a business, giving people what they want.