American Government: Stories of a Nation Ch. 16--The Media

news media

a broad term that includes newspapers, magazines, radio, television, internet sources, blogs, and social-media postings that cover important events.

social media

forms of electronic communication that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

agenda setting

the media's ability to highlight certain issues and bring them to the attention of the public.

mass media

sources of information designed to reach a wide audience, including newspapers, radio, television, and internet outlets.

wire service

an organization that gathers and reports on news and then sells the stories to other outlets.

investigative journalism

an approach to news gathering in which reporters dig into stories, often looking for instances of wrongdoing.

broadcast media

outlets for news and other content including radio and television that bring stories directly into people's homes.

media consolidation

the concentration of ownership of the media into fewer corporations.

partisan bias

the slanting of political news coverage in support of a particular political party or ideology.

horse-race journalism

coverage of political campaigns that focuses more on the drama of the campaign than on policy issues.