2 October Notes

I was pretty sure I signed up for this day despite the fact there was another post. So....I'm gonna post this anyways....

2) Many changes began to undermine the basis for the 1934 Communications Act
a. Technological change made by television commonplace and it brought computers, fax machines, and satellite transmission. Business pressured Congress to remove restrictions to use these new technologies.
b. Business leaders argued with the expansion of media competition was sufficient to ensure a “market place of ideas” making content regulation unnecessary abridgement of broadcasters First Amendment rights.
c. As noted a U.S Court of Appeals struck both the equal opportunities rule and the Reasonable Access rule in 2000.

3) Despite recent trends, content of radio and t.v.is still regulated in ways newspapers and magazines are not.
a. equal time rule- requires a station selling time to one candidate for office to make the same amount of time available to another
b. right of reply rule-allows a person who is attacked on a broadcast the right to reply over that same station
c. Fairness Doctrine- was in place many years (abolished by FCC in 1987) requested broadcasters to give time to opposing views (most still follow rule voluntarily)

The media makes the news by deciding what to report
1) The major news media maintain journalists in major cities and government centers to report political events firsthand
a. Washington D.C. largest press corps of any city in the world (over 6,000 reporters)
b. White House correspondents rely heavily on information received in pressroom of West Wing in the White House
c. They receive stories routinely through news releases, news briefing, and news conferences. Leaks and trial balloons (ideas leaked to press to see reaction from people) are special cases.
d. Reporters are expected to observe rules associated with news “on background” (information can be used but source cannot be quoted) and “off the record” (information cannot be printed or broadcast)
e. Through its press secretary, the White House feeds reporters the information and “photo opportunities” they need
f. Fewer reporters regularly cover Congress, which does not maintain as tight a control over news stories as the White House does
g. Recently TV coverage of the House and Senate has attracted a small but loyal audience
2) Media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters set the political agenda and function as gatekeepers (presenting the news and deciding which events to report and how to handle their elements
a. Network TV. in particular operates under severe time limitations and the average news story lasts ~1 minute
b. Cable TV. has made round-the-clock news reporting possible
c. TV. news devote more time to the president than to Congress or the Supreme Court
d. media personalities uses issues for audience appeal
e. result in covering election campaigns is horse race journalism-(focuses on “who’s ahead” rather than what candidates stand for
f. media also functions as watch dogs deciding what to report
g. many news events are staff as media events to attract coverage because of audience appeal and gain press time coverage
h. TV news is partial to visual impact news
3) Since 1960s most people get information from TV.
4) Many people don’t remember political information from TV. Television hypothesis suggests TV. is a prime reason for public’s knowledge of public affairs

Virtually all citizens must rely on the mass media for political news
1) Almost nine out of every ten Americans believe that media strongly influences political institutions and public opinion
a. Difficult to determine the extent of such influence
b. Research indicates that television news commentary is the single greatest influence of public opinion about social problems
2) Media plays role in setting political agenda issues that get government attention
a. Media heightens public concerns
b. Media also distorts social problems and confuses public
c. Public opinion influenced by media
d. Political leaders believe media is influential and act accordingly
3) TV generates as a medium of political socialization
a. T.v. programs tend to erode confidence in criminal justice system
b. Media supports government in celebrating national holidays but also erodes public confidence
The media has diverse impacts on democratic government
1) Critics conted that the media color reality in reporting it
a. News reporters said to have liberal bias; editors and publishers suspected of being conservatives
b. Several studies of voting behavior and ideological self-placement show that reporters do have liberal orientation
c. More pronounced bias of reporters is against politicians, especially frontrunners and incumbents
2) Media contributes to majoritarian government in 2 ways:
a. By being critical of politicians and seeking weakness in public statements (watchdog) reporters improve the accuracy of communication from government to citizens
b. By polling citizens’ reactions to political events and government actions to mass media