Federal Government Chapter 6
What is the penny press
Cheap, tabloid styled newspaper produced in the nineteenth century when mass production of inexpensive newspapers first became possible due to the steam powered printing press. A penny press newspaper costs 1 cent, compared with other newspapers which costs more than 5 cents
What type of media provides a better context for analysis
Print and digital media as written text provide more detailed and complete information than radio or television media
What is the difference in regulation for the broadcast media and print media
Print media is essentially free from government interference but broadcast media is regulated
What is freedom of the press
The right to circulate information and opinions in print and digital media without censorship by the government.
What is selection bias in the media
The tendency to focus news coverage on only one aspect of an event or issue, avoiding coverage of other aspects
What caused the trend in concentration of traditional media ownership?
The trend in concentration occurred in large part due to the relaxation of government regulations in the 1980s and 90s
Why is the news media sometimes referred to as the fourth branch of government.
They provide a check on the power of government and political leaders
What is U.S. media more focused on?
U.S. media is more focused on soft news such as entertainment, sports and celebrity news
What is the fairness doctrine?
Under the fairness doctrine, broadcasters who aired programs on controversial issues were required to provide time for opposing views It was revoked in 1987
What is broadcast media
television, radio, or other media that transmit audio and/or video content to the public
What 3 important roles does media serve in American democracy
1-To help inform the public about current political issues and events 2-To provide a forum through which candidates, politicians, and the public can debate policies and issues 3-To act as a watchdog on the actions of the government and political actors
What percentage of American adults get news on social media
67%
In 2018 what percentage of Americans were digital citizens
73%
What percentage of people under age 50 get their news from social media
78%
What is the right of rebuttal
A Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or TV broadcast
What is a digital citizen
A daily internet user with high-speed home internet access and the technology and literacy skills to go online for employment, news, politics, entertainment, commerce and other activitities
What are news aggregators?
Applications or feeds that collect web content such as news headlines and blogs, podcasts, online videos and more in one location for easy viewing. Examples are Google News, Reddit and RealClearPolitics allow users to share and comment on the news
What are some examples of niche reporting
Bloomberg News the Hill the Blaze Vice Vox BuzzFeed DrudgeReport Brietbart News FiveThirtyEight
What country owns the broadcast media
Britain Britain owns the BBC
What tactic does politicians and others use to seek to manipulate the news
By providing sound bites that will dominate the news coverage
What is the media of choice for all age groups below 50
Digital media
What is a specific requirement under the Telecommunications Act
During the 45 days before an election, broadcasters are required to make time available to candidates at the lowest rate charged for that time slot.
Where do FCC regulations not apply
FCC regulation does not apply to cable television, the internet, or satellite radio
What 2 companies generate the most digital advertising revenue for newspapers
Facebook and Google
What are some websites devoted to checking the accuracy of political claims
FactCheck.org Snopes.com PolitiFact.com
What are 2 primary concerns over online news
Fake news and the impact on tolerance
What Amendment protects freedom of the press
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
What is the contrast between public broadcasting in other democratic countries vs. in the United States
In contrast, public broadcasting in the United States, such as National Public Radio or PBS, plays a very small role in the media system, at just 2% of the market share, compared to 35% in France, 40% in Germany, and 65% in Denmark.
Where did the Communications Decency Act come from
It came from the Telecommunications Act of 1996
What is the effect of the filter bubble and self-selection bias
It screens out exposure to information that might challenge or broaden or worldview
What is an important news source for older Americans
Local TV
What does the Communications Decency Act do?
Made it illegal to make indecent sexual material on the internet accessible to those under 18 years old. The act was challenged in the Supreme Court in 1997 and ruled unconstitutional and an infringement on the First Amendment's right to freedom of speech
What remains the popular and important sources of news
Major newspapers and TV networks
Where do most leaks come from
Most leaks originate with senior government officials, prominent politicians and political activists
What 2 sources are the leading newspapers in the United States
New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post
What shift did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 cause
Opened the way for additional consolidation in the media industry, that caused a wave of mergers and consolidations that further reduced the field of independent media across the country.
What is public broadcasting
Refers to television, radio, and digital media that receive funding from the public through license fees, subsidies or tax dollars
What Supreme Court case used the right of rebuttal regulation as an argument
The 1969 case of Red Lion Broadcasting Company v. Federal Communications Commission. In this case the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the FCCs determination that a radio station was required to provide a liberal author with an opportunity to respond to a conservative commentator's attack
Which entity declared that access to the internet is a human right
The United Nations
What does the term digital citizenship refer to
The ability to participate in culture and politics online
What is setting the agenda
The ability to shape what issues Americans think about
What is framing and priming
The ability to shape what opinions Americans hold about the issues that were presented when setting the agenda
What is a key feature of the traditional media in the United States
The concentration of its ownership. A small number of giant corporations control a wide area of media holdings, including television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels and local cable providers, book publishers, magazines, newspapers and digital media outlets.
What is the digital divide?
The gap in access to the internet among demographic groups based on education, income, age, geographic location and race/ethnicity
What is framing
The media's ability to influence how the American people interpret events and policies The arguments made by elected officials and other political actors or "frames" are critical to the process of forming opinions During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump framed Hillary Clinton as a criminal for her use of a private email server even though no charges were ever brought.
What is agenda-setting media power
The power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems
What is net neutrality?
The principle that all data and content on the web must be treated equally and not blocked or slowed for certain users. Under net neutrality, internet providers were regulated like a utility They could not block websites, slow some data transmission while imposing fees for fast transmission, or charge consumers to connect to certain sites.
What is a leak
a disclosure of confidential information to the news media
What is citizen journalism
news reported and distributed by citizens, rather than professional journalists and for-profit news organizations
What is niche journalism?
news reporting targeted for a demographic of readers based on content or ideological presentation.
Where do Americans get their news from
newspapers and magazines broadcast media digital media
What is media
print and digital forms of communication, including television, newspapers, radio, and the Internet, intended to convey information to large audiences
What is priming
process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or political actor Calling attention to some matters while ignoring others The public will be primed to use certain criteria when evaluating a politician or an issue and to ignore other criteria
What is the equal time rule
the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public