Role of Mass Media

1
Chapter 8

• Section 3

2
Role of Mass Media

• Four major mass media television, newspapers,
  radio, magazines.
• Other media are books, films, and the internet.
• The media present people with political
  information.
• People acquire most of the stuff they know about
  government from the media.

3
Television

• The first example was Roosevelts opening of the
  1939 Worlds Fair.
• Television replaced newspapers around 1960 as the
  most popular medium.
• The biggest networks are CBS, ABC, and NBC.
• More and more stations dealing with politics are
  sprouting up. (CNN)

4
Newspapers

• The Constitution showed the importance of
  newspapers in the First Amendment.
• Newspapers seem to cover political stories in
  more depth.
• More popular ones are New York Times, Washington
  Post, Chicago Tribune.
• Most newspapers are local papers.

5
Radio

• Began in 1920 and became a big part of American
  lives.
• FDRs fireside chats was the first times politics
  really used the medium.
• All news stations are becoming more popular.
• Satellite radio is become more popular. (Sirius,
  XM)

6
Magazines

• In early years magazines were of opinions.
• Today they provide insight and opinions on
  politics.
• The big ones are Time, Newsweek, and US News.

7
The Public Agenda

• The media plays an important role in determining
  which problems we hear about.
• These problems are typically the ones the
  government tries to fix.
• Some news organizations have a lot of influence
  on political leaders.

8
Electoral Politics

• Television allows candidates to reach the voters.
• Candidates must also put forth a good image while
  using the mass media.
• Campaign managers use the media to help create an
  image.

9
Limits on Media Influence

• Only a small part of society is informed on the
  issues.
• Most people are selective about what they watch
  or read.
• Most public affairs programs dont air during
  prime time.