| 1) The Media Industry and Government |
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The media jealously safeguard the freedom of speech, and utilize adversarial journalism. |
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A) Types of Media |
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Broadcast media including radio and television Non-stop cable news coverage adds new depth. |
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Print media including newspapers and magazines Newspapers remain the single most important source. |
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Internet Frequent updating allows it to be very timely coverage. |
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B) Regulation of the Broadcast and Electronic Media |
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U.S. media is neither owned nor controlled by the government. |
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The FCC regulates the industry. The Equal Time rule insists that all candidates have equal access to the airwaves if they can afford to purchase the time. |
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The right of rebuttal gives individuals the right to respond to attacks made on a broadcast. |
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C) Freedom of the Press |
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We have no prior restraint, meaning that publishers may print whatever they like, although they may face sanctions afterward, due to libel or defamation. |
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D) Organizing and Ownership of the Media |
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Although many thousand radio stations, newspapers, and television stations exist, news coverage is dominated by a few outlets. |
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The Associated Press, the New York Times, and Washington Post tend to set the standard for newspapers. |
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Fox and CNN are major cable news sources. |
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Nationalization of news has been important in creating a nationalization of politics and political perspectives. |
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| 2) What Affects News Coverage? |
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A) Journalists |
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Publishers' and reporters' views, ideals, and interests influence coverage. |
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The "liberal" bias has some basis in surveys of journalists, although most journalists attempt to provide balanced coverage. |
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More recently a conservative news complex (Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, American Spectator and The Weekly Standard) has emerged to challenge traditional outlets. |
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B) Politicians |
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The President and other politicians attempt to control the images and "spin" of news stories, hiring skilled publicists to influence coverage. |
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Politicians and reporters often find themselves in a prisoner's dilemma game, tempted to defect from the cooperative relationship. |
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B) Consumers |
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Media need to make a profit, and thus seek to cater to peoples' preferences. |
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Stories of conflict are more likely to be reported then are the issues generating the conflict. |
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| 3) What Are the Sources of Media Power in American Politics? |
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The media have played a central role in 3 major events: the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate affair. |
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A) Agenda Setting |
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The media help determine which political issues become part of public debate. |
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B) Priming |
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Media coverage affects the way the public evaluates leaders or candidates, preparing the public to view events in a positive or negative light. |
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Campaign coverage tends to focus on the "horse race" aspects more than issues or candidate records. |
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C) Framing |
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Media provide the interpretive lens through which the public hears about issues, and elites compete to have their "spin" on the issue become the dominant frame. |
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D) The Rise of Adversarial Journalism |
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Sometimes the media adopts a hostile posture toward the government. |
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This tended to emerge in the 1960's and 1970's, particularly with Vietnam and Watergate. |
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| 4) Media Power and Responsibility |
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Free media is absolutely essential to democratic government. |
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Citizens rely on the media to provide the watchdog role. |
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Critics suggest that adversarial journalism has contributed to popular cynicism and lower levels of participation. |
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