News Media

Video: The Big Picture

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MED IA_1/polisci/presidency/Greenberg_Ch06_The_News_Medi a_Seg1_v2.html

Learning Objectives
6.1
Evaluate the various roles of the news media in a democracy Assess the respective roles of traditional and other news media today

6.2

Learning Objectives
6.3
Analyze how the news is gathered and disseminated and evaluate the outcome of this process

6.4

Identify the ways in which the news media affect public opinion and policymaking

Video: The Basics

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MED IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg2_Media_v2.html

Roles of the News Media in Democracy

Watchdog Over Government Providing Policy Information

6.1

Watchdog Over Government

Main role of a free press
Cant hold officials accountable without knowledge

6.1

First Amendment prohibits censorship

Contrast with authoritarian regimes Even other democratic regimes exercise more control

Biggest threat to public information

Clarifying Electoral Choices and Providing Policy Information

Providing electoral information
What parties stand for Candidates character, knowledge, experience, issue positions

6.1

Facts and ideas about policy

Emerging problems How well policies are working Pros and cons of policies

Darned reporters

6.1

6.1 What is the chief job of the news

media?
a. Candidate comparisons b. Policy analysis c. Government watchdog d. Entertainment

6.1

6.1 What is the chief job of the news

media?
a. Candidate comparisons b. Policy analysis c. Government watchdog d. Entertainment

6.1

Video: In Context

6.1

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MED IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg3_Media_v2.html

Mainstream and Nonmainstream News Media

Alternatives to the Mainstream Continuing Importance of the Mainstream

6.2

Alternatives to the Mainstream

The Internet
Instant access to information Political uses
Political party and government websites Fact-checking Reading political blogs & expressing political views Visiting political and traditional news websites

6.2

Decline in newspapers

Blogging the Republican National Convention

6.2

FIGURE 6.1: Timeline: The Internet

6.2

Madoff sighting

6.2

FIGURE 6.2: Where people get their news

6.2

Continuing Importance of the Mainstream

Still play central role
Wire services Syndication services Setting political agenda

6.2

Why mainstream news is still important

Audience is broader Stories originate with traditional reporting Quality and quantity have not increased

News with laughs

6.2

Wiki leaks founder in trouble

6.2

Video: In the Real World

6.2

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MED IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg5_Media_v2.html

6.2 What is the main impact of the Internet

on political news?
a. Information is more readily available. b. The quality of news reporting has improved. c. The volume of political news has increased. d. Interest in the news among young people has increased.

6.2

6.2 What is the main impact of the Internet

on political news?
a. Information is more readily available. b. The quality of news reporting has improved. c. The volume of political news has increased. d. Interest in the news among young people has increased.

6.2

Video: Thinking Like a Political Scientist

6.2

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MED IA_1/polisci/presidency/Seg4_Media_v2.html

How the Mainstream News Media Work

Organization of the News Media Political Newsmaking Is the News Biased? Prevailing Themes in Political News

6.3

Organization of the News Media

Corporate ownership
Dominated by a few conglomerates Is media monopoly a problem?

6.3

I want more

6.3

Organization of the News Media

Uniformity and diversity
Fewer news sources

6.3

Profit motives
Infotainment

Political Newmaking
Limited geography of political news
DC and NYC

6.3

Dependence on official sources

Beats and news-gathering routines Press conferences and press releases Leaks

Government news management

Spin

Political Newsmaking
Newsworthiness
What makes a story newsworthy?

6.3

Templates
Episodic foreign coverage Interpreting
Objective journalism Interpretation by pundits, not journalists

News from the field

6.3

Waiting for help

6.3

Is the News Biased?

Liberal reporters
More liberal than population Personal values do not affect reporting Commitment to objectivity

6.3

Not-so-liberal owners and corporations

Owners conservative and Republican Cannot offend advertisers

Biases that matter

Profit motive biggest bias Official sources

Stunned by Katrina

6.3

Prevailing Themes in Political News

Nationalism
Pro-American point of view American interests and concerns Harmonizes with official foreign policy

6.3

Approval of the American economic system

Negativity and scandal

Sex & financial scandal coverage nonpartisan

Prevailing Themes in Political News

Infotainment
Biggest sin is to be boring Sensation over substance

6.3

Limited, fragmented, and incoherent political information

Prevailing technology Organization of news gathering Corporate ownership Profit-making

6.3 What is the primary objective of the

news media?
a. Thorough coverage of important stories b. Safety of reporters in war zones c. Educating the public d. Making a profit

6.3

6.3 What is the primary objective of the

news media?
a. Thorough coverage of important stories b. Safety of reporters in war zones c. Educating the public d. Making a profit

6.3

Explore the Media: Where Do You Get Your Political News?

6.3

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/long/long_greenberg_mpsl sfd_11/pex/pex9.html

Explore the Simulation: You Are the Newspaper Editor

6.3

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/long/long_longman_media _1/2013_mpsl_sim/simulation.html?simulaURL=15

Effects of the News Media on Politics

Agenda Setting Framing and Effects on Policy Preferences Fueling Cynicism

6.4

Agenda Setting
News coverage affects what issues Americans think are important
Policy preferences affected

6.4

The CNN effect

Politicians compelled to act Works both ways Media report issues of concern to those in power

Framing and Effects on Policy Preferences

Issue framing
Affects how public thinks about problems Affects how public assigns blame

6.4

The televised war

6.4

Fueling Cynicism
Adversarial journalism
Failures, not triumphs, are newsworthy

6.4

How does new coverage shape Americans views of government?

6.4 What qualities make an item

newsworthy?
a. Drama/high stakes b. Scandal/sexual or financial c. Novelty/ Mail not delivered as usual d. All of the above

6.4

6.4 What qualities make an item

newsworthy?
a. Drama/high stakes b. Scandal/sexual or financial c. Novelty/ Mail not delivered as usual d. All of the above

6.4

Discussion Question
What effect do the choices that the media make about what stories to cover have on democracy? Can democracy function well with a cynical citizenry? Are there any advantages to cynicism?

Video: So What?

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MED IA_1/polisci/presidency/Greenberg_Ch06_The_News_Medi a_Seg6_v2.html

Further Review: On My PoliSciLab

Listen to the Chapter Study and Review the Flashcards Study and Review the Practice Tests