News Media Vocab

Agenda setting

The power of the media through news coverage to focus the public’s attention and concern on particular events, problems, issues, personalities, and so on.

Common-carrier function

The media’s function as an open channel through which political leaders can communicate with the public.

Framing

The process by which the media play up certain aspects of a situation while downplaying other aspects, thereby providing a particular interpretation of the situation.

High-choice media system

A media system in which audiences have such a wide range of choices that they can largely control the type of information to which they are exposed.

Low-choice media system

A media system in which audiences have a single daily newspaper and three television networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC.

News

The news media’s version of reality, usually with an emphasis on timely, dramatic, and compelling events and developments.

News media (press)

Print, broadcast, cable, and internet organizations that are in the news-reporting business.

Objective journalism

A model of news reporting that is based on the communication of “facts” rather than opinions and that is “fair” in that it presents all sides of partisan debate.

Partisan function

Efforts by media actors to influence public response to a particular party, leader, issue, or viewpoint.

Partisan press

Newspapers and other communication media that openly support a political party and whose news tends to follow the party line.

Priming

The way in which the context established by media messages affects how people interpret the information they receive.

Signaling (signaler) function

The responsibility of the media to alert the public to important developments as soon as possible after they happen or are discovered.

Watchdog function

The accepted responsibility of the media to protect the public from incompetent or corrupt officials by standing ready to expose any official who violates accepted legal, ethical, or performance standards.