Media and Politics Exam Preparation Flashcards

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the role of media in politics, its effects, and the evolving media landscape in the digital age.

Selective exposure

Consuming only those news stories with which one already agrees.

Echo chamber

A media environment in which people only hear messages they already agree with; also called filter bubbles.

Misinformation

False or misleading stories typically designed to support a particular point of view or candidate.

Trial balloon

Information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy.

Agenda-setting

The ability of the news media to shape the public agenda by printing stories about some topics and not others.

Priming

The ability of the news media to influence the factors individuals use to evaluate political elites.

Framing

The way in which the news media shapes how people view an issue by focusing on some aspects and ignoring others.

Watchdog

The press’s role as an overseer of government officials to ensure they act in the public interest.

Fact checking

Efforts by news organizations to evaluate the veracity of statements by politicians and other public actors.

Game frame

Tendency of media to focus on political polls and strategy rather than on the issues.

Horse-race journalism

News coverage that focuses on who is ahead in political races rather than on the issues.

Adversarial press

The tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them.

Equal time rule

An FCC rule stating that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates.

Internet and social media impact on politics

Changes how individuals receive political information and engage with issues.

Political functions of the media

Informing the public, setting the political agenda, framing political issues, and holding politicians accountable.

Media trust levels

The declining confidence Americans have in the media over recent decades.

Media bias

The perception that the media distorts facts and favors one side politically.

Regulating the media

Processes through which the government manages broadcasting and online platforms.

Public engagement with media

The varying levels of audience interest and attention affecting media influence on politics.

Misinformation spread via social media

The rapid dissemination of misleading information exacerbated by platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

SIFT technique

A method for evaluating the credibility of online information: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace to original sources.

Near v. Minnesota (1931)

Freedom of the press applies to states, preventing prior restraint on newspapers.

New York Times v. Sullivan (1964

Public officials must prove actual malice to win a libel case.