Mass Media In PoliticsPrint, Broadcast, and Internet

What is Mass Media

Mass media can be broken down into 3 parts

Print (Magazines, Newspaper)

Broadcast (Radio and TV)

Internet

Television/Internet Penetration

Television• In 2004, 98% of U.S. households had television• 1200 commercial and 300 public television stations. More

stations=mean fight for audience=stratification of news• Television claims by far the biggest news audience of all

mass media• The Internet• January 1993 only 50 web sites, Now over 350,000 sites

and over a billion Web users

Why is the internet different?podcats, blogs, brings up the idea of push vs pull marketing

access by individuals and industry

advertising and cost

myspace, facebook, and youtube

Movement of Younger people to online news vs. traditional TV or Radio news

Private Media Ownership

Cause, what is news? What is considered news worthy? Is it audience driven or outlet driven?

Newscorp, Comcast, AOLTimeWarner, movement towards news conglomerates

Profit driven

Sensationalism - arousing or tending to arouse (as by lurid details) a quick, intense, and usually superficial interest, curiosity, or emotional reaction

Private Media Ownership

Profit vs Responsibility

Advertising is how stations and outlets make $

Media corporations (FOX, CNN, NBC), Media Bias?

Timing vs. Immediacy = accuracy

Role of the Media

• Gatekeepers: influence what subjects become national political issues and for how long

• Scorekeeper: tracks political reputations of candidates• Horse race journalism: election coverage by the mass

media that focuses on which candidate is ahead rather than on issues

• Watchdog: Investigate personalities and expose scandals

Is the Media Biased?

• Many see the media as more liberal than average citizen

• Conservative media outlets have become more visible in recent years• Routine stories – little room for bias• Feature stories – can be opinionated• Insider Stories – topic can be biased

Gov’t Regulation of Media

FCC: Federal Communication Commission

Independent

Structure and Goal/job?

Fairness Doctrine

Equal opportunities Rule

Reasonable Access Rule

Newspapers and Regulation

• Newspapers are almost free from government regulation• Prosecution only after the fact = no prior

restraint• Sue only for libel, obscenity, incitement to

illegal act• Confidentiality of Sources

History of the FCC

Federal Communications Act of 1934: created the Federal Communications Commission

• Federal Communications Commission: an independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable and satellite

• Was in force until 1996

The Telecommunications Act of 1996

• Relaxed or scrapped limitations on media ownership• Set no national limits for radio ownership and relaxed

local limits• Lifted rate regulations for cable systems and allowed

cross-ownership of cable and telephone companies• Allowed local and long-distance telephone

companies to compete with one another and to sell television services

Rules and Regulations

Broadcast media have been subject to additional regulation because they use public airwaves

• Fairness Doctrine: obligated broadcaster to provide fair coverage of all views

• Reasonable Access Rule: required stations to make their facilities available for expression of conflicting views

These rules have been rescinded• Equal Time Rule: required broadcasters to make time

available under the same conditions to all candidates for public office

How the president is reported onDaily briefings passed out to White House reporters, Prepared by the staff of the President, and usually given by the Press Secretary = Lots of sound bites to use.Does This every day new info from the White House give the President increased power?By persuasion and power of the Presidency of the media coverage?Why do we have so much coverage of the President?W

Changes in the Media Today

• Move toward sound bites make it harder for politicians to get out message

• Lots of stations = political stratification of media = Narrowcasting

• Larger Monopolies on Media• People believe what they see or hear• Media tries to be immediate • Attack Journalism: attacking some ones character or

qualifications• Sensationalism

How Government is fighting back

• Numerous press officers• Press releases• Leaks to favorable reporters• Go to local news vs national news• Punishment to reporters (President)