Media

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Chapter 10 Media
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In this chapter you will examine the historical
evolution and present status of relations between
the government and the news media.
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THEME A - The History and Structure of the
American News Media JOURNALISM IN AMERICAN
POLITICAL HISTORY Early partisan sponsorship of
the press. Emergence of mass newspapers National
magazines of opinion Electronic journalism
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The party press

• Parties created and subsidized various newspapers
  
• Circulation was small, newspapers expensive,
  advertisers few
• Newspapers circulated among political and
  commercial elites

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The popular press

• Changes in society and technology made the press
  self-supporting and able to reach mass
  readership.
• High-speed press
• Telegraph
• Associated Press, 1848 objective reporting
• Urbanization allowed large numbers to support
  paper
• Government Printing Office end of subsidies in
  1860
• Influence of publishers, editors created partisan
  bias
• "Yellow journalism" to attract readers
• Hearst foments war against Spain
• Emergence of a common national culture

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Magazines of opinion

• Middle class favors new, progressive periodicals
• Nation, Atlantic, Harper's in 1850s and 1860s on
  behalf of certain issues
• McClure's, Scribner's, Cosmopolitan later on
• Individual writers gain national followings
  through investigative reporting
• Number of competing newspapers declines, as does
  sensationalism
• Today the number of national magazines focusing
  on politics accounts for a small and declining
  fraction of magazines

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Electronic journalism

• Radio arrives in the 1920s, television in the
  1940s
• Politicians could address voters directly but
  people could easily ignore them
• But fewer politicians could be covered
• President routinely covered
• Others must use bold tactics

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Electronic journalism

• Recent rise in the talk show as a political forum
  has increased politicians' access to electronic
  media
• Big Three networks have made it harder for
  candidates by shortening sound bites
• But politicians have more sources cable, early
  morning news, news magazine shows
• These new sources feature lengthy interviews
• No research on consequences of two changes
• Recent access of politicians to electronic media
• "Narrowcasting," which targets segmented
  audiences
• Politicians continue to seek visuals even after
  they are elected

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The Internet

• Ultimate free market in political news
• Voters and political activists talk to one another

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1. Decline in the number of cities in which there
are competing newspapers 2. An Orientation to the
local market 3. The decentralization of the
broadcasting industry 4. Three national TV
networks, over 700 TV Stations, 11,000 cable
systems, 10,000 radio stations 5. National media
consisting of news magazines, TV networks, and
newspapers such as the New York Times, the
Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal
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Degree of competition

• Newspapers
• Number of daily newspapers has declined
  significantly
• Number of cities with multiple papers has
  declined
• 60 percent of cities had competing newspapers in
  1900
• Only 4 percent in 1972
• Newspaper circulation has fallen since 1967
• Most people now get most of their news from
  television

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Degree of competition

• Radio and television
• Intensely competitive, becoming more so
• Composed mostly of locally owned and managed
  enterprises, unlike Europe
• Orientation to local market
• Limitations by FCC widespread ownership created

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The national media

• Existence somewhat offsets local orientation
• Consists of
• Wire services
• National magazines
• Television networks
• Newspapers with national readerships

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Significance of National Media

• Washington officials follow it closely
• Reporters and editors different from the local
  press
• Better paid
• From more prestigious universities
• More liberal outlook
• Do investigative or interpretive stories

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THEME B - Media Ownership and its Impact Upon the
News Ten business and financial corporations
control the three major television and radio
networks, 34 subsidiary television stations, 201
cable television systems, 62 radio stations, 20
record companies, 59 magazines including Time and
Newsweek, 58 newspapers including the New York
Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street
Journal, and the Los Angeles Times, 41 book
publishers, and various motion picture companies
like Columbia Pictures and Twentieth-Century Fox.

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THEME B - Media Ownership and its Impact Upon the
News Three-quarters of the major stockholders of
ABC, CBS, and NBC are banks, such as Chase
Manhattan, Morgan Guaranty Trust, Citibank and
the Bank of America. Ford Motor Co has directors
on the corporate boards of the New York Times,
the Washington Post and other newspapers.
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THEME C - Media Selection of and Bias in the
News Critical Thinking - How to Read A
Newspaper Are News Stories Slanted?
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Dont Believe
The Most Trusted Name in News
Fair and Balanced
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Types of Stories

• Routine stories public events regularly covered
• Reported similarly by all media opinions of
  journalists have least effect
• Can be misreported Tet offensive
• Selected stories public but not routinely
  covered
• Selection involves perception of what is
  important
• Liberal and conservative papers do different
  stories
• Increasing in number reflect views of press more
  than experts or public
• Insider stories not usually made public motive
  problem

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Are news stories slanted?

• Most people believe media, especially television,
  from which they get most news
• But the percentage that thinks the media is
  biased is increasing
• Press itself thinks it is unbiased
• Liberal bias of national media elite
• Various factors influence how stories are written
  
• Deadlines
• Audience attraction
• Fairness, truth imposed by professional norms
• Reporters' and editors' beliefs

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Why Do We Have So Many News Leaks?. Journalist
Opinion versus Public Opinion The Political
Attitudes of the Media Elite Local versus
national orientation of the media
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Why do we have so many news leaks?

• Constitution separation of powers
• Power is decentralized
• Branches of government compete
• Not illegal to print most secrets
• Adversarial nature of the press since Watergate
• Press and politicians distrust each other
• Media are eager to embarrass officials
• Competition for awards
• Spurred by Irangate arms for hostages

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Why do we have so many news leaks?

• Cynicism created era of attack journalism
• Most people do not like this kind of news
• Cynicism of media mirrors public's increasing
  cynicism of media
• People believe media slant coverage
• Public support for idea of licensing journalists
  or fines to discourage biased reporting
• Public confidence in big business down and now
  media are big business
• Drive for market share forces media to use theme
  of corruption

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Sensationalism in the media

• Prior to 1980, sexual escapades of political
  figures not reported
• Since 1980, sex and politics extensively covered

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Sensationalism in the media

• Reasons for change
• Sensationalism gets attention in a market of
  intense competition.
• Sensational stories are often cheaper than expert
  analysis and/or investigation of stories about
  policy or substantive issues.
• Journalists have become distrusting adversaries
  of government.
• Journalists are much more likely to rely on
  unnamed sources today and, as a result, are more
  easily manipulated.

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Roles of the Media 1. Gatekeeper 2.
Scorekeeper 3. Watchdog
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Gatekeeper what is news, for how long

• Auto safety
• Water pollution
• Prescription drugs
• Crime rates

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Scorekeeper who is winning, losing

• Attention to Iowa, New Hampshire
• Gary Hart in 1984 and John McCain in 2000

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Watchdog investigate personalities and expose
scandals

• Hart's name, birth date, in 1984 Donna Rice in
  1987
• Watergate (Woodward and Bernstein)

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THEME D - Government Influence on the Media THE
EFFECTS OF THE MEDIA ON POLITICS GOVERNMENT AND
THE NEWS 1. Prominence of the President 2.
Coverage of Congress
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Prominence of the president

• Theodore Roosevelt systematic cultivation of the
  press
• Franklin Roosevelt press secretary a major
  instrument for cultivating press
• Press secretary today large staff, many
  functions
• White House press corps is the focus of press
  secretary

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Coverage of Congress

• Never equal to that of president members
  resentful
• House quite restrictive
• No cameras on the floor until 1978
• Sometimes refused to permit coverage of
  committees
• Gavel-to-gavel coverage of proceedings since 1979
• Senate more open
• Hearings since Kefauver TV coverage of sessions
  in 1986
• Incubator for presidential contenders through
  committee hearings

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RULES GOVERNING THE MEDIA 1. Libel - untrue and
intended 2. Obscenity 3. Incitement
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Further Controls for Radio and Television 1.
Licensing-every five years 2. The Fairness
Doctrine - no longer in effect 3. The equal-time
provision
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Regulating broadcasting

• FCC licensing
• Seven years for radio
• Five years for television
• Stations must serve "community needs"
• Public service, other aspects can be regulated
• Recent movement to deregulate
• License renewal by postcard
• No hearing unless opposed
• Relaxation of rule enforcement

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Regulating broadcasting

• Radio broadcasting deregulated the most
• Telecommunications Act of 1996 permits one
  company to own as many as eight stations in large
  markets (five in smaller ones)
• Results
• Few large companies now own most of the
  big-market radio stations
• Greater variety of opinion on radio
• Other radio and television regulations
• Equal time rule
• Right-of-reply rule
• Political editorializing rule
• Fairness doctrine was abolished in 1987

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Campaigning

• Equal time rule applies
• Equal access for all candidates
• Rates no higher than least expensive commercial
  rate
• Debates formerly had to include all candidates
• Reagan-Carter debate sponsored by LWV as a "news
  event"
• Now stations and networks can sponsor
• Efficiency in reaching voters
• Works well when market and district overlap
• Fails when they are not aligned
• More Senate than House candidates buy TV time

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The effects of the media on politics

• Studies on media influence on elections
• Generally inconclusive, because of citizens'
• Selective attention
• Mental tune-out
• Products can be sold more easily than candidates
• Newspaper endorsements of candidates
• Often of Republicans locally, whereas of
  Democrats nationally
• But worth 5 percent of vote to endorsed Democrats

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The effects of the media on politics

• Major effect is on how politics is conducted, not
  how people vote
• Conventions scheduled to accommodate television
  coverage
• Candidates win party nomination via media
  exposure, for example, Estes Kefauver
• Issues established by media attention
• Environment
• Consumer issues
• Issues that are important to citizens similar to
  those in media
• TV influences political agenda
• But people less likely to take media cues on
  matters that affect them personally
• Newspaper readers see bigger candidate
  differences than do TV viewers
• TV news affects popularity of presidents
  commentaries have short-term effect

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Figure 10.1 Young People and Political News
Source Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Center
for the People and the Press (June 28, 1990).
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Self-Test
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For more information about this topic, link to
the Metropolitan Community College Political
Science Web Site http//socsci.mccneb.edu/pos/pols
cmain.htm