The Mass Media

Chapter 10

The Pervasiveness of Television

•The growth of around-the-clock cable news and information shows is one of the most important developments in recent years. Half of the public are regular viewers of CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, or Fox News.•Most Americans now rely on TV as their chief news source.

The Power of the Media

Where Americans Get Their News

Decline in Viewership of the Television Networks

Young People Have Become Less Interested in Political News

Radio and Newspapers

•9 out of 10 people listen to the radio every week; 8 out of 10 do so every day

•Daily newspaper circulation is one copy for every five people

•Provide more detailed and specific information than TV

Radio Newspapers

Newspapers

• Number of daily newspapers has declined significantly

• Number of cities with multiple papers has declined

• Subscription rates have fallen as most people get their news from television

Role of the National Press

• Gatekeeper: influences what subjects become national political issues and for how long

• Scorekeeper: tracks political reputations and candidacies

• Watchdog: investigates personalities and exposes scandals

The Impact of Broadcasting

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to recognize the effectiveness of radio to reach the public

Media Conglomerates

Why should we be concerned about the concentration of ownership in the media?

Regulation of the Media

The media wants to be allowed to print what it considers newsworthy; the government wants to limit disclosure in order to ensure protection

The Media and Public Opinion

The media not only provide an arena for politics; they are themselves players in that arena

Are the Media Biased?

Media Bias

• Members of the national media are generally more liberal than the average citizen

• Conservative media outlets have become more visible in recent years

• Talk radio is predominantly conservative• Journalistic philosophy is that the news

should be neutral and objective

Public Opinion

Issue Framing

The power to set the context, to frame the issue, to interpret the

facts, and potentially to provide legitimacy for

people, issues, or groups are powerful and

controversial functions of the media

Agenda Setting

Deciding what will be decided, defining the problems and issues to be addressed by

decision makers

Choice of CandidatesPresidential candidates welcome invitations to appear with

Oprah, Leno, or Letterman, and try to reformulate their messages in a light, comedic style that fits the program

Campaign Events

Officials want to control information about

themselves and their policies, including the

way such information is framed and presented

by the media

Media and Political Opinion

One very popular tactic of politicians trying to get free press is to stage “pseudo-events”

Public Perception of Accuracy in the Media

Pew Research Center, "The People and the Press" (February 1999), 13.

Coverage of Government

• The president receives the most coverage• Gavel-to-gavel coverage of House

proceedings since 1979 (C-SPAN)• Senatorial use of televised committee

hearings has turned the Senate into a presidential candidate incubator

• TV coverage often involves short sound-bites

How Groups Use the Media: Media in Campaigns

How does the media affect campaigns?

• Determining “front-running candidates”

• Charging for advertising

• Televising debates

• Portraying charismatic politicians as more “electable”

Image Making and Media Consultants

A portrait of Abraham Lincoln as “Abe the Rail Splitter” and George W. Bush riding a mountain bike

The Media and Voter Choice

• The horse race

• Negative advertising

• Information about issues

• Making a decision

• Election night reporting

Political Institutions and the News Media

Sensationalism

• Intense competition among many media outlets means that each has a small share of the audience

• Sensationalism draws an audience and is cheaper than investigative reporting

• Reporters may not be checking sources carefully because there is such competition for stories