Chapter 8

“The News Media”

THE CURRENT MEDIA LANDSCAPE IS PLANNED CHAOS….

Key Point #1

The Media Landscape• Where you get your news matters

– CNN or MSNBC: likely identify as a Democrat

– Fox News or Talk Radio: likely identify as a Republican

• Before the internet and cable 3 stations dominated the news, now there are more choices

• The news media has changed because of consolidation and new media

Media Ownership & Consolidation– Media Ownership & Consolidation • The government owns very few of the media outlets in

the United States– More state and local agencies are using the media to convey

their message• Private businesses own most of the media outlets in

the United States– Print Media (Newspapers & Magazines)– Broadcast Media (Television & Radio)

• The chain of ownership has caused major news outlets to all cover the same story in exactly the same form– As a result, news outlets from around the country focus on

the same national stories each day, often told from the same perspective

The Rise of New Media

• Many mainstream media outlets have been in decline (in terms of circulation and ratings)– Magazines & Newspapers have been hit especially hard

• New Media: alternative media sources such as the internet, cable television and satellite radio.– Changed the way that candidates campaign and engage

in the business of politics – Created the 24-hour news cycle

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

• The FCC and the Broadcast Media– Congress created the Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) in 1939 to regulate media using public airwaves.

– In the past few decades, the FCC loosened its regulations on political broadcasting, but recently it has become more aggressive in monitoring indecency in the realm of entertainment.

– Fairness Doctrine: FCC regulation requiring broadcasters to present issues in a balanced manner; repealed in 1987

Reporters & Confidential Sources• Journalists constantly base

their stories on confidential information– They rely on these sources

and so they feel an obligation to protect them

• Shield Law: a law that protects journalists from being forced to disclose confidential information in a legal proceeding

INDIVIDUALS & THE GOVERNMENT TRY TO INFLUENCE THEIR MEDIA PERCEPTIONS….

Key Point #2

“The Spin Room”

• Campaign organizations are constantly trying to influence the way that the media views and thus depicts their particular candidate

• Usually based on a few simple ideas – Choose a single theme to emphasize on that day– Eye catching visual backdrop that reemphasizes the

theme– Stick to the campaign script

• Sound Bites

Media Bias • Objective journalism: style of news reporting that

focuses on facts.• Most Americans believe the media are biased.• Media sources tend to cover Democratic candidates

for president more favorably than their Republican opponents in recent elections and treat challengers better than incumbents.

THE MEDIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE WORLD….

Key Point #3

The Media & Public Policymaking

• Signaling Role– A term that refers to the accepted responsibility of

the media to alert the public to important developments as they happen.

• Framing– The process by which a communication source,

such as a news organization, defines and constructs a political issue or public controversy