Ch. 8- The Media

prior restraint

A government preventing material from being published. This is a common method of limiting the press in some nations, but it is usually unconstitutional in the United States, according to the First Amendment and as confirmed in the 1931 Supreme Court case of Near v. Minnesota. a government action that stops someone from doing something before they are able to do it (e.g., forbidding someone to publish a book he or she plans to release) SUPREME COURT RULED AGAINST IT IN NEAR V. MINNESOTA (a free press is essential for a political system to work)

Evolution of Media

Printed media (newspapers and magazines) to electronic media (radio and TV) to internet before 1966; the creation of the penny press allowed for the dispersion of newspapers in a more f=rapid fashion. Newspaper was the primary source of information. Even in the early 1920's, newspapers were very common. not that much variety in news sources 1966-1974; radio and television was the most common form of media although newspapers were still present. Some variety after 1974; radio and television were heavily popular until the invention of the internet. Although broadcast media is still the main source of news, the internet is catching up. Newspapers are no longer the popular source to receive news. A lot of variety

sunshine laws

a law requiring certain proceedings of government agencies to be open or available to the public. laws that require government documents and proceedings to be made public part of media transparency with the public

Regulations on Internet Media

is largely self regulating. The internet changes so quickly that most laws and regualtions will be out of date by the time they're finally written 1) *Lawsuits* are an effective way to regulate the media.

slander

spoken defamation spoken information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization

chilling effect

the phenomenon that occurs when journalists or other media producers decide not to publish stories on a topic after a journalist has been punished or jailed for such a story

agenda setting

the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems

framing

the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

Yellow Journalism

type of sensational, biased, and often false reporting for the sake of attracting readers Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers coverage of scandals and human interest stories boring stories dont get heard

muckraking

A form of journalism, in vogue in the early twentieth century, devoted to exposing misconduct by government, business, and individual politicians. news coverage focusing on exposing corrupt business and government practices

functions of media

Information, Entertainment, Advertising. Infotainment and Advertainment. 1)Entertaining and providing an outlet for the imagination 2)Educating and informing 3)Serving as a public forum for the discussion of important issues 4)Acting as a watchdog for government, business, and other institutions

conglomerate

a group of diverse companies under common ownership and run as a single organization Most media are controlled by a limited number of conglomerates In the 1980s, more than fifty companies owned the majority of television and radio stations and networks. By 2011, six conglomerates controlled most of the broadcast media in the United States Conglomerates can *create a monopoly on information* by controlling a sector of a market. When a media conglomerate has policies or restrictions, they will apply to all stations or outlets under its ownership, potentially *limiting the information citizens receive.* Conglomerate ownership also creates circumstances in which *censorship may occur*.

influence of the media

the power of the media to persuade the public one way or the other on various topics and issues of concern through different mediums (TV radio, newspaper, & the Internet). Newspapers, television, films can reinforce or break down stereotypes. News 1) covers new materials 2) has an impact, 3) has human interest most news is opinion and depends on the source you get it from

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

A 1966 law that facilitates full or partial disclosure of government information and documents allows citizens to obtain copies of most public records

Types of Media

*print:* oldest and least popular. includes newspaper and magazines. Main source of news for educated elites who's opinions tend to matter a lot in policy making. Print papers are major references for other forms of media. Don't have to be regulated by govenrment *broadcast:* Television reaches more people than any other form of media. Radio is less important. The downside is that television stories are very short and less informative which limits shaping public opinion *internet:* Updates very quickly. Tends to polarize the political parties the most but can also be a good source of publicity for campaigns to reach the masses. Can be very biased and spread fake news like the others although internet is the main source BROADCAST AND PRINT ARE PRIMARLY FUNDED BY ADVERTISING therefore they are NOT likely to report on stories that are critical of their parent organizations/advertisers people, depending on their age, tend to get their information from different media types

episodic framing

- frame news as individual incidents a) focus on individual stories b) emotional appeal c) difficult to see connection d) dispositional attribution "blame the victim" TARGETS ONE occurs when a story focuses on isolated details or specifics rather than looking broadly at a whole issue.

Exceptions to freedom of the press

1 criminal activity 2 in school publications 3 wartime (press would help the enemy if they released too much information about or troops). Can vary. ex is NY times v. US

demographics of media consumers

1) The gap between television and online news consumption is narrowing. 2) Older adults are driving the growth in mobile news use. 3) Two-thirds of Americans (67%) get at least some news on social media. 4) Nonwhites and the less educated increasingly say they get news on social media. social media as a form news is increases which is problematic because the internet is very hard to regulate. Also, most americans feel like the internet is an unreliable source rich and affluent people tend to be the sole readers of newspapers

factors that influence the media

1) journalist and their bosses whom are publishers because they *have the discretion to REPORT and INTERPRET the news*. Interpretations are prone to being biased. (most identify as liberals as opposed to conservatives) 2) *politicians* do alot to *create a positive image of themselves*. They show up on opening days of sports events, natural disasters, and more for the great photo opportunities so that they can look like saints. They also *cultuvate relationships with reporters* so that the reporters write something nice about them. They also tend to *leak information to the journalists* therefore cementing relationships with news organizations so that information can be reported the way they want. Also (press release, public relations) 3) Us- the consumers or news. News agencies target us and want to make sure their content will catch our attention. News stories are tailored to people who will most likely consume it. People who watch and read the news tend to be highly educated officials and wealthy as opposed to those who don't. This leads to problems when reporting news that affects ALL people. Minority group issues are under-reported

media effects

1. Agenda setting 2. Priming ~ setting criteria 3. Framing and Leading, Thematic vs Episodic 4. Socialization 5. Minimal (?): media effect vs. individual pol. interest

Media regulation

1. FCC; requires radio stations to apply for licenses, granted only if stations follow rules about limiting advertising, providing a public forum for discussion, and serving local and minority communities. the Federal Communications Act (1934) 2. Assumption: government interest in public property 3. Equal Opportunities Rule 4. The Open Internet Rule on Net Neutrality (2015) These regulations required internet service providers to give everyone equal access to their services and disallowed biased charging of internet access fees. media cannot commit slander or libel; First, libel and slander occur only in cases where false information is presented as fact. Second, it is up to the defamed individual or company to bring a lawsuit against the media outlet. There must be "reckless disregard" The media have only a limited right to publish material the government says is classified although The line between the people's right to know and national security is not always clear.

Roles of the Media

1. Gatekeeper; all programs and publications need to entertain, inform, or interest the public and maintain a steady stream of consumers. In the end, what attracts viewers and advertisers is what survives. Only juicy information gets published 2. Scorekeeper; the media is there to record data and also capture certain politicians preforming certain actions. This can benifit of hurt a canidate 3. Watchdog; the media, especially journalists, keep an eye on what is happening and sounds an alarm when the public needs to pay attention. 4. The media also engages in agenda-setting 5. The media also promote the public good by offering a platform for public debate and improving citizen awareness. It's informative. 6. The media must have a rep. of being reliable a majority of the time or else they will lose views 7. Act as a public forum for the discussion of important issues. the media provides information so that people can stay informed, make decisions, and get involved in politics and dont have to go out of their way to look up information (lowers information costs)

activities the media engages in

1. Informing/ Educating 2. Connecting among voters and policy-makers 3. Mobilization/ Recruiting volunteers 4. agenda setting

Media Bias

1. Political ideology of the outlet and/or reporters: Liberal or Conservative? or sth else? 2. Profit-seeking nature 3. Consumers' self-selection bias through framing and priming

News is influenced by

1. profit 2. audience shares 3. advertising charge despite having multiple news sources, the general public is still very uninformed about public policies

New York Times v. Sullivan

1964; established guidelines for determining whether public officials and public figures could win damage suits for libel. To do so, individuals must prove that the defamatory statements were made w/ "actual malice" and reckless disregard for the truth

libel

A written defamation of a person's character, reputation, business, or property rights. printed information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization can result in lible suits

1st Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. PREVENTS GOV'T FROM CENSORING THE PRESS

types of news

National and local Network news has a national focus on politics, international events, the economy, and more. Local news, on the other hand, is likely to focus on matters close to home, such as regional business, crime, sports, and weather.5

Near vs. Minnesota

Near wrote an article on how the state was corrupt. the state considered the article a nuisance and sued. Supreme court favored Near, stating its unconstitutional to do prior restraint on a publication (except in rare occassions) the 1931 Supreme Court decision holding that the first amendment protects newspapers from prior restraint.

media inaccuracy

No news outlet wants to be the last to break a story, and the rush to publication often leads to typographical and factual errors.

mass media

Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication. the collection of all media forms that communicate information to the general public

Federal Communications Act of 1934

The Congressional act that turned the Federal Radio Commission into a larger Federal Communications Commission, with responsibilities for regulating the telephone and telegraph industry as well as the radio broadcasting industry. created the FCC

New York Times v. US

The President argues that the publication of the Pentagon Papers is in violation of executive privilege. Result: The barring of the publication of these papers is in violation of the 1st A. Publication does not imperial the public. Supreme Court case protecting the freedom of the press by allowing the New York Times to publish the "Pentagon Papers" despite the Justice Department's order to restrict it Prior Restraint. Overruled Nixon's attempt to prevent publication of Vietnam documents

Reporter's Privilege

The concept that reporter's can keep information such as source identity confidential. The idea is that the reporter-source relationship is similar to doctor-patient and lawyer-client relationships.

Which of the following is an example of episodic framing? a. a story on drug abuse that interviews addicts and discusses reasons for addiction and government responses to help addicts b. a story on how drug abuse policy has changed since 1984 c. a story on candidates' answers to a drug question in a debate d. a story detailing arguments against needle exchange programs

a. a story on drug abuse that interviews addicts and discusses reasons for addiction and government responses to help addicts

When acting as an agenda-setter, the media ________. a. decides which issues deserve public attention b. covers presidential campaigns equally c. reports on corruption in government d. brings in advertising revenue for the media corporation

a. decides which issues deserve public attention

The Supreme Court determined that the right of the press to print classified material ________. a. is obsolete, and the press may never print classified material b. is partial, and the press may print classified material only if it does not compromise troops or covert operatives c. is complete, and the press may print anything it likes d. has not yet been defined

b. is partial, and the press may print classified material only if it does not compromise troops or covert operatives

Media coverage of a race tends to ________. a. accurately portray all races equally b. accurately portray whites and blacks as victims c. overrepresent whites and the elderly as poor d. overrepresent African Americans as poor

d. overrepresent African Americans as poor

The Federal Communications Commission oversees the programming of which entities? a. television b. television and radio c. television, radio, and satellite d. television, radio, satellite, and cable

d. television, radio, satellite, and cable

Thematic framing

depicts the poor and homeless as "faceless" statistics in reports on poverty takes a broad look at an issue and skips numbers or details. It looks at how the issue has changed over a long period of time and what has led to it TARGETS GROUP

the media is important because

filters through information between politicians and information given to the public it mediates this information and shapes it in powerful ways (that influences public opinion) without media, its really hard for voters and other citizens to formulate opinions and try to influence their elective representatives if they don't know that something is even an issue we rely on the media to tell us what the government is doing so that we can tell them whether or not we want to keep letting them do it

Regulations on Broadcast Media

is the most tightly regulated because it reaches the most people 1) *Licensing* the government controls the airwave by licensing. Broadcast time is a limited resource and is technically owned by the public, so if you want to broadcast you need to purchase a license from the federal government. This allows you to run your station ONLY under certain conditions managed by FCC 2) *FCC rules* must be operated in the public interest. All stations must abide but the equal-time rule and fairness doctrine. There are limitations on what can and can't be shown on tv (graphic content, nudity, cuss words). FCC rules only apply to broadcast media and not most cable channels 3) *Legislation* certain acts can regulate media if passed

types of media programming

news, comedy, drama, commercial, infomercial cable stations transmit programming directly to a local cable company hub, which then sends the signals to homes through coaxial or fiber optic cables. Because cable does not broadcast programming through the airwaves, cable networks can operate across the nation directly without local affiliates. Instead they purchase broadcasting rights for the cable stations they believe their viewers want. For this reason, cable networks often specialize in different types of programming.

Media Ownership

parties who own, control, or influence a given media, mostly corporate *Mass media privately owned in U.S. *Freedom of press provides U.S. mass media broad guarantees from governmental control/interference *U.S. media dependent on advertising revenues lead to concerns over monopolization of the media as more and more companies aim to own print, broadcast, and internet media--> LEADS TO LACK OF DIVERSITY IN MEDIA without a robust media, Americans can have less access to information that they need to make smarter political choices (being able to hear more points of view is better than only hearing one point of view)

party press era

partisanship and political party loyalty dominated the choice of editorial content. period during the 1780s in which newspaper content was biased by political partisanship

freedom of the press

right of newspapers and other public media to publish articles believed to be accurate

soft news

sensational stories that do not serve the democratic function of journalism Media coverage that aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a candidate or politician's personality. news presented in an entertaining style

Regulations on Print Media

the first amendment protects media from government regulation although the # of americans getting their information from print is shrinking

minimal effect theory

the idea that the media have little effect on citizens

public relations

the marketing function that evaluates public attitudes, identifies areas within the organization the public may be interested in, and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance biased communication intended to improve the image of people, companies, or organizations Public relations materials normally appear as press releases or paid advertisements in newspapers and other media outlets

priming

the process of predisposing readers or viewers to think a particular way the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response

equal-time rule

the rule that requires broadcast stations to sell air time equally to all candidates in a political campaign if they choose to sell it to any an FCC policy that all candidates running for office must be given the same radio and television airtime opportunities The FCC does waive the equal-time rule if the coverage is purely news. If a newscaster is covering a political rally and is able to secure a short interview with a candidate, equal time does not apply