Chapter 10.2

What are the main characteristics of thematic and episodic framing? Be sure to be able compare each type of frame.

Episodic portrays an event as a stand-alone occurrence, whereas thematic seeks to put the event in broader context and compare it to longer-term trends.

Make sure to know if the following tend to be liberal or conservative:

Journalists-Liberal Owners of (and shareholders) of major media organizations-Conservative

What is meant be "indecency regulations"? When (and why), according to textbooks, do current FCC regulations allow broadcasters to show indecent programming or air profane language?

Keeps the public airwaves free of obscene material. Yes, they can between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Be sure to know which of these media are regulated by either the courts, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), or both:

Newspapers-Courts Everything else-both.

What is Section 230? Why is it controversial in today's social media environment?

Online platforms may not be sued for content posted by users on their sites even if the platforms act like publishers by, for example, moderating posts, establishing community standards, and distributing commercial advisements.

What is the "equal time rule"? What is the consequence for television and radio stations that break this rule?

Registered candidates running for office must be given equal opportunities for airtime and advertisements at non-cable television and radio stations beginning forty-five days before a primary election and sixty days before a general election.

What is the "Fairness Doctrine"? Is it still in use today?

Required licensed stations to cover controversial issues in a balanced manner by providing listeners with information about all perspectives on any controversial issue. If one candidate, cause, or supporter was given an opportunity to reach the viewers or listeners, the other side was to be given a chance to present its side as well. It ended in the 1980s.

Net neutrality has been an important issue in the past decade. What is net neutrality? What is the debate around it? How did the Obama and the Trump administration each approach the issue?

The idea that internets service providers must treat all web traffic equally, and therefore may not be allowed to charge different rates or discriminate against different websites is any way. The Obama administration attempted to fortify net neutrality rules while the Trump administration reversed that by ending net neutrality.

The market, meaning the audience, heavily influences media content. What are the two reasons listed in the textbook that help explain how the audience influences media content?

The principle that the "purpose of journalism" is to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments. Simply reporting true information is not sufficient for journalism to fulfill its purpose. Rather, it needs to provide relevant and useful information that guides citizens in making wise and just decisions. The claim that the news media is afflicted by market bias is a claim that the media too-often falls short of this standard due to the need to contend with competitive market pressures.

What is meant by "ideological bias"?

The systematic slanting of coverage in favor of one or more ideological or partisan orientation(s) and against others.

Be sure to know and understand each of the following types of media effects (and how they differ from each other):

o Agenda setting- The power of the media to influence what the public thinks about (or doesn't think about) through its decisions to cover some events and issues more than others. o Priming- Media influences how we think about an issue by leading us to unconsciously bring certain considerations to the top of our head when we evaluate the issue. o Framing- The media influences how we think about an issue by highlighting particular considerations or aspects of the issue.

According to the textbook (under the section called "News Literacy Tip: Choosing a Balanced and Healthy Media Diet") Be sure to know and understand the following terms:

o Civic Salad- The best and healthiest political information, which should be consumed in abundance: factually reliable, ideologically diverse, but not ideologically extreme. o Civic Poison- The worst sources available, which should always be avoided: factually unreliable opinion, misinformation, and/or propaganda. o Left/Right-Wing Dessert- Factually reliable information, but extreme left/right wing ideological content that should be consumed, if at all, in moderation. (left=left, right=right).

Which ideological group (liberals or conservatives) more often claims the mainstream media to be ideologically biased against them?

Conservatives.

According to the textbook, there are two main dimensions used to assess media sources. Be sure to know and understand these dimensions.

Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check provide assessments of political media sources based on the two dimensions considered here: factual reliability and ideological bias.