This chapter focuses on the role of the media in politics. It begins with a review of the news media’s historical development and the current trends in reporting. The chapter chronicles the switch from a partisan to an objective press, examining issues of press freedom and conformity. The final section indicates what roles the news media can and cannot be expected to adequately perform in the American political system. The chapter ends with a discussion of the relationship between the media and the public in the modern age. These are main points in this chapter:

The chapter’s opening section shows how the media are concerned mainly with the dramatic story that is also timely and compelling. The O.J. Simpson case has preoccupied the media while other key social problems, such as the alarming increase in the birthrate among unwed women, are hardly mentioned by the press.

In the nation’s first century, the press was allied closely with the political parties and helped parties mobilize public opinion (see the early roles of Hamilton and Jefferson). Gradually, the press freed itself from this relationship and developed a form of reporting, known as objective journalism, that emphasized the fair and accurate reporting of newsworthy developments (Adolph Ochs of the New York Times). The foundations of modern American news rest on the presentation and evaluation of significant events, not on the advocacy of partisan ideas. The nation’s news organizations do not differ greatly in their reporting. The reasons behind this uniformity are many—pack journalism, groupthink, media concentration, and so forth. However, an underlying reason is that reporters do not take partisan sides. Also, news production is concentrated (radio with "canned news," the role of the Associated Press, and the domination of the five television networks). Finally, the competitive pressures not to be different, the fast pace of journalism, and shared professional values all contribute to this pervasive uniformity.

The press performs four basic roles in a free society. In their signaler role, journalists communicate information to the public about events and problems that they consider important, relevant, and therefore newsworthy. Within this role, the media focuses the public’s attention on what to think about, i.e., agenda setting. Note the chapter’s point about the media’s stress on the crime issue and the public’s increased sensitivity to the problem during the 1993–1994 time frame. The press also serves as a common carrier, in that it provides political leaders with a channel for addressing the public. Journalists cultivate ties to leaders but also are less deferential to them than in the past. Third, the press acts as a public protector or watchdog by exposing deceitful, careless, or corrupt officials. In recent years, this had led to greater degree of negative press and media criticism of leaders. Scandals such as Iran-Contra and Watergate have contributed to this trend. But in general, the American media can and, to a significant degree, do perform these roles adequately.

The press is less well suited, however, to the other role it plays, that of public representative. This role requires a consistent political viewpoint and public accountability, neither of which the press possesses. In particular, the "news from nowhere" criticism reveals that the media do not wish to represent political values or choice. This commitment to impartiality is quite different from the attitudes held by journalists in other democratic nations. The media cannot be a substitute for effective political institutions nor can it create an organized community. The press’s strength lies ultimately in its capacity to inform the public, not in its claims to represent the people.