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Mass Media In Politics

Mass Media In Politics. Print, 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

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Mass Media In Politics

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  1. Mass Media In Politics • Print, Broadcast, and Internet

  2. What is Mass Media • Mass media can be broken down into 3 parts • Print (Magazines, Newspaper) • Broadcast (Radio and TV) • Internet

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Private Media Ownership • Profit vs Responsibility • Advertising is how stations and outlets make $ • Media corporations (FOX, CNN, NBC), Media Bias? • Timing vs. Immediacy = accuracy

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. Gov’t Regulation of Media • FCC: Federal Communication Commission • Independent • Structure and Goal/job? • Fairness Doctrine • Equal opportunities Rule • Reasonable Access Rule

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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 allowedcross-ownership of cable and telephone companies • Allowed local and long-distance telephone companies to compete with one another and to sell television services

  13. 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

  14. How the president is reported on • Daily 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

  15. 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

  16. 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)

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