POL 140 Fall 2014

Sources help to gather, package, and disseminate information to the public Newspapers

Radio

Television

Internet

Main goal of media has stayed the same

How information is delivered has changed

Informing

Press informs public of political events

Investigating

Researching and revealing information about events

Interpreting

Media interpret a given day’s news

Labor-intensive and expensive

Newsprint comprised of individual letters of metal type

Common Sense was mass-produced.The Federalist Papers were published in New York newspapers.

Newspapers and partisan politics

Influence of the “penny press”

Beginnings of “Yellow Journalism”

JOSEPH PULITZER WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST

President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Radio

THE “BIG THREE” KENNEDY VS. NIXON, 1960

Decline in Traditional Newspaper Readership

Popularity of Talk Radio

Rise of Soft News or “Infotainment”

Prevalence of Blogs

Rise and Continuation of Social Networking

Cell Phones and Text Messaging

Gatekeeper Decide what will be covered Managers of wire services, editors, reporters

Disseminator “Just the Facts,” avoid unverifiable stories Does this help the public?

Investigator Investigate problems, critically analyze and report them “Muckrakers,” Woodward and Bernstein (Watergate)

Public Mobilizer Emphasis on civic journalism Grassroots movement due to Internet, etc.

Focuses on 1940 Election

Results: People already made up minds prior to voting; campaign

did not add information

Study gave rise to minimal effects thesis

Selective Exposure

Individuals exposed to information with beliefs

Selective Perception

Individuals interpret information with beliefs

Selective Retention

Individuals recall information with beliefs

Agenda Setting

Must choose which events to cover— signal to public

Priming

Media emphasizes characteristics of people, events, or issues—and this influences public’s view

Framing

Media alters public view on issue by presentation

George W. Bush, New Orleans, post-Hurricane Katrina

IRAQ: SPIDER HOLE IRAQ: MILITARY CASKETS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

Obama Press Conference, East Room of White House

Depends on:

1) News model employed by journalists

2) News management technique employed by White House

Mirror Model

Professional Model

Organizational or “Bargaining” Model

Political Model

Public Journalism / Civic Journalism Model

Tight Control of Information

Tight Control of Access to Politicians

Elaborate Communications Bureaucracy

Concerted Effort to Bypass WH Press Corps

Prepackaging News in Sound Bytes