Session of Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

At the start of our session we began with humorous remarks on Sarah Palin's support for 'arial wolf-hunting', followed by the questioning of Palin's credentials, being a governor and all. Several small remarks were thrown in, and, since this wasn't much of a discussion, Gottschaulk had to call peace. In response, the question came up of government response in accordance to public opinion (which is relevant to the current chapter), questioning the ability of a person to contact government. The question which was brought up stated the impossibility for the common person to gain contact from the government. In the conclusion of the discussion, it was agreed that, though difficult, it is possible for one to make contact with the government, due to the various phone numbers and addresses available throughout the internet, although it may be a while before expecting a response, due to the business of the government, and the versatility of the public opinion.

This short discussion was followed by notes, listed as the following:

- Media consists of many components:

A. Mass Communication is the process of information distributed to large population audiences
1. "Mass Media" refers to the technologies employed in mass communication.
a. - Print Media - communicates information through words and pictures
b - Broadcasted -Communicates information electronically with sounds and images.
2.Mass media is a business for money, as a means of selling advertisements.

B. Group Media - "fax, internet". Communicates thorugh technologies used within common interest groups.
Mass Media reflects the growth of courts, technological innovations, shifting political attitudes of the scope of government, etc.
I. Newspapers.
a - American revolution, advocated production.
b. - 1880's, largely independent, 1890's included entertainment, sports, comics, etc.
c. - 1960's, dwindled due to the increasing popular "consumption" of radio and television.
d. - 1997, fierce competition increased, onl 50 U.S cities and towns had two or more competing daily papers under separate ownership.
e. - 3 Larges papers were: 1. Wall Street (1.8 Million in sales) 2. U.S.A. today (1.7 Million) 3. New York Times (1 Million)
f. - New York Enquirer had 2.5 Milli each week.
II.Magazines.
a. - Have smaller audience, but fairly influential. forums or opinion groups media.
b. - In spite of small circulation, magz were politically influential through 2-step flow of communication.
1. Influenced attentive policy eletes-group leaders who follow news in specific areas.
2.Policy elites influence opinions by circulating views in mass media
III. Radio
a. - Began in 1920's, made celebrities out of news personalities
b. - Novelty was line coverage, reporters had "personalities", became celebs.
c. - Today, radio is mor important as forums to talk rather than as a source of live coverage of events.

IV. Television used extensively for campaign advertising.

V. Modern forms of group media include fax transmissions and internet.

VI. Fax, Internet.
A. Internet exploded in 1990's, worldwide communication.

-Blogs used, list serves - devoted to political topics.
List Serve- a sort of electronic mailing list (not really sure... check with Gottschaulk)

Interest groups - govt agencies, political parties, etc. Maintain websites for informing of public.
Private ownerships give U.S. more freedom than countries which happen to be censored or government owned.

VII. Infotainment - audience appeal. Mixing Journalism with Theatre, defined by

A. Potential.
B. Sensationalism (violence, conflict, disaster, scandal).
C Treatment of familiar life situations.
D. Close-to -home character.
E. Timeliness.

Stories chosen to attract viewers, larger audiences equaled higher advertising rates, thus concluding more profits.

Media owners acquire additional media outlets to increase profits.

A. The result has been a growing concentration of ownership in print and broadcast journalism.
B.Fears of concentrating broadcast media under single ownership has led to government regulation of ownership patterns.

-Government regulation of media addressed three aspects of operation and witnessed two political eras.

I.1934 Communications Act created by Federal Communications Commission (FCC). and formed basis for media regulation for more than 60 years.
A. Tech Regulations - arose because limited number of frequencies available for broadcasting.
1) with a limited number of frequencies, many broadcasts stepped on anothers frequencies.
2) Broadcasts sought regulations and gave up freedom in order to impose ordre in use of airwaves.
3)None may operate radar or television station without FCC License.
B. FCC regulated ownership of Media.
-Broadcasters limited in number of TV stations
-Telecommunications Act of 1996, no limits in number of TV stations, but one may not go beyond 35% of nations markets.
4.21st century had mega-mergers, such as AOL-Time Warner. Merge ISP with cable network wihc was already merged with the biggest publisher in the U.S.
C.FCC regulates broadcast content (only to broadcasters, no magasines and papers). Howard Sterns problem falled under this category.

Under 1934 Act

1.Equal opportunities provide that stations must make equal ammounts of time under same conditions to all political candidates.
2.Reasonable acces rule-required stations to make facilities available to contradicting points of view, from all elements within its community.
3. U.S. Court appeals struck down both equal opportunity rule and reasonable access rule.

2)Many changes began to undermine basis for 1934 Communications Act.
A. Technological changes- tv, computers commonplace, sattelites. Businesses put pressure on congress to remove restrictions.
B.Leaders argued expansion of media competition was to be sufficient.
3)Equal-time Rule-requires station selling time to one candidate for offer to make the same ammount of time equal to another.
END.

Darryl Brice.