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American Government 4/e Thomas E. Patterson | |||||
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CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction
Media emphasis differs: O.J. Simpson trial vs. birthrate among unwed women
The news: "a highly selective portrayal of reality"
Stress is on timely, dramatic, compelling events (news is a business)
George Will: a development requires a defining event to be news
The press or news media: Print (newspapers/magazines) and broadcast (TV, radio)
Heightened influence—due to technology, void created by parties’ decline
A key link between the public and its leaders
Public: more favorable view of press than of their political representatives
The chapter’s main ideas:
American press was initially linked to party system, then became "objective"
News organizations present a common version of the news
News media perform three significant roles:
Signaler (events and problems are brought before public)
Common carrier (a channel by which leaders can address the public)
Watchdog (press scrutinizes official behavior for wrongdoing)
The press cannot replace political institutions, although it tries to
The Development of the News Media: From Partisanship to Objective Journalism
Introduction
Jefferson: preferred "newspapers without a government"
Hamilton—urged John Fenno to start Gazette of the United States
Jefferson—urged Philip Freneau to start National Gazette
Early newspapers—printed party propaganda, i.e., partisan press
Newspapers were also too expensive for average citizen
From a Partisan Press to an "Objective" One
Telegraph, rotary press helped created penny newspaper (New York Sun)
Increased circulation/revenues gave newspapers independence from government
"Yellow journalism" and battle between Hearst and Pulitzer (1898 war)
"Objective journalism"—Adolph Ochs of New York Times
Also promoted by new schools—Columbia, Missouri
Partisanship most obvious during campaigns, but only one-fourth endorse
Descriptive reporting—describing the facts
Greater stress on interpretive reporting (from 8 to 80 percent for Times)
The Development of the Broadcast Media
Radio and Television: The Truly National Media
FDR’s use of radio and "fireside chats"
TV has expanded, is all-pervasive (CNN, C-SPAN)
Radio talk shows—fifth of public claims to listen (mostly conservative)
TV journalists: rely on interpretive style, moreso than newspaper writers
Wish to appeal to entertainment
Each news story should display attributes of fiction
Government Licensing and Regulation of Broadcasters
Establishment of FCC—Federal Communications Commission
FCC can withdraw station’s license (rarely does so)
Equal-time provision; "fairness doctrine" repealed in 1987
Freedom and Conformity in the U.S. News Media
Introduction
Some democracies impose restraints on press (Great Britain)
Broadcasters, press in U.S. have less government control compared to Europe
Libel laws (public figures) help; hard to block stories
U.S. government provides indirect economic support (postal rates)
Enormous news industry—1,600 papers, 10,000 radio stations, five TV networks, etc.
Each weekday—more than 20 million Americans tune in to a network newscast
Average daily circulation of American’s newspapers is 40 million
Despite great number of media forms, most Americans receive uniform news
Pack journalism, groupthink, media concentration, etc., are reasons
Basic reason for uniformity—reporters do not take partisan sides
Domination of News Production
Lack of diversity related to there being so few news organizations that generate information
Radio with "canned news"
Associated Press—services 95 percent of nation’s dailies
TV news production—dominated by five networks
News Values and Imperatives
Competitive pressures (not to be different)
New York Times—"the bulletin board" for other newspapers
Fast pace of journalism, shared professional values create conformity
The News Media as Link: Roles the Press Can and Cannot Perform
Introduction
Many European papers are partisan (Daily Telegraph—Britain’s Conservative Party)
American media—usually don’t take sides in partisan conflicts
Media—search for interesting stories; parties/groups—voice opinions and values
The Signaler Role (alerting public to important developments as soon as they happen)
U.S. media does this well (Haiti in 1994)
More than half of all national news comes from Washington (president, Congress)
Agenda setting—media focuses public’s attention on what to think about
Note 1993–1994 media’s stress on crime
More than 10 percent of public named crime as most important problem
In reality, crime in America decreased by 2 percent in the 1993–1994 period
The Common-Carrier Role (leaders and public communicate through open channel)
Political leaders seek media coverage
Today, journalists less deferential to leaders
Vietnam/Watergate contributed to media suspicions about politicians
News today is journalist centered
Shrinking "sound bite"—below ten seconds in recent campaigns
For every minute of candidate exposure, journalists spoke five minutes
The Watchdog Role (press will expose corrupt or incompetent public officials)
Woodward and Bernstein’s investigation of Watergate scandal
Conflict between watchdog and common-carrier roles
Press criticizes leaders for regular conduct of politics as well as for scandals
"Bad news is good news"
Negative bias in news stories
Focus on politicians’ personal lives
Public has an ambivalent attitude toward media
Over half believe press criticism prevents abuses by politicians
Over two-thirds state that press impedes efforts to solve societal problems
The Public Representative Role (spokesperson for and advocate of the public)
Many reporters believe they have mandate to represent public
Open question whether press changed Vietnam policy; yet see Tet Offensive
Lack of Accountability—public doesn’t elect press like they do politicians
Press resists public scrutiny of its actions (editorial meetings, sources)
Self-regulation attempts failed—National News Council disbanded in 1984
"News from Nowhere"—Politics represents values and interests, but not media
Journalists respond to good stories, not political concerns (O.J. Simpson)
Press searches for dramatic stories
Lippmann: "The press is no substitute for political institutions"
Vital, but Limited—Democracy needs a free press, but media cannot replace political institutions (beyond its capacity)
Receiving the same news does not create an organized community
News creates a "pseudo-community"
Media—are not a guide to policy choices
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