POLI SCI III

media

print and digital forms of communication—including television, newspapers, radio, the internet, and social media sites—that convey information to large audiences

principled journalism

reporting that involves being as accurate, fair, and balanced as possible, relying on original sources, being transparent about citing sources, and presenting multiple viewpoints

adversarial journalism

a form of reporting in which the media adopt a skeptical or hostile posture toward the government and public officials

citizen journalism

news reporting and political commentary by ordinary citizens and bystanders, advocacy groups, and eyewitnesses to crises, often using cell phone images or video and distributed via social media

opinion-driven journalism

political blogs and talk shows where the writer or host provides highly opinionated personal commentary, usually through conversations with guests; these formats blur the boundaries between objective journalism and subjective reporting

journalism of assertion

the publishing or broadcasting of information or opinion as quickly as possible, with minimal fact-checking

journalism of affirmation

the putting forth of opinion and information that is consistent with the consumer's preexisting beliefs

media monopolies

giant, often global, corporations that control a wide array of media, including television networks, movie studios, record companies, cable channels, book and newspaper publishers, and digital media outlets

agenda setting

the media's designation of some issues, events, or people as important and others not

framing

the process of presenting information from a certain perspective in order to shape the audience's understanding of that information

priming

the process of calling attention to some issues, and not others, when reporting on political events and officials

mainstream news organizations

organizations that adhere to the principles of journalism by doing original, balanced, factual reporting; using unpaid, credible sources; conducting interviews ethically; and avoiding personal bias by editors or reporters

partisan media

news organizations that mix opinion-driven journalism with factual reporting in order to appeal to consumers who are ideologically liberal or conservative; often characterized by ideological agenda setting, priming, and framing

broadcast media

communication methods such as television and radio; they tend to take the form of one publisher (e.g., a television station) to many (viewers)

news websites

digital sites that are owned and managed by newspapers, follow the principles of journalism, and deliver content like that of print newspapers, with similar story layout for all users

news aggregators

websites that pull together news from a wide range of online sources and make them available on one platform or page; news aggregators can be a way to avoid partisan or filtered news, providing a broad overview of the news of the day from many sources

algorithms

software programs that analyze the viewing, liking, and commenting data of all of a platform's users, as well as individual users' prior data, to present users with additional content tailored to their individual interests instead of ordering posts based on the most recently published (as broadcast media do)

confirmation bias

the tendency to favor information that confirms a person's existing beliefs; it involves discounting evidence that could disprove or challenge those beliefs

filter bubbles

partisan media environments in which users are exposed primarily to opinions and information that conform to their existing beliefs; constructed by algorithms that analyze and then personalize each user's online experience

misinformation

false, inaccurate, or misleading information in the media, especially social media; often targeting political candidates and leaders, misinformation can include manipulated or fabricated content, satire, and parody content to the public

disinformation

misinformation with the intention to deceive (is not an accident)

equal time rule

the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office with equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public

right of rebuttal

a Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or television broadcast

political parties

coalitions of people who form a united front to win control of government and implement policy

partisanship

identification with or support of a particular party or cause

party heuristics

cues people use to identify candidates, policy issues, or regular people as affiliating with one political party or another

proportional representation

a multimember district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote

plurality system

a type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily a majority of the votes cast

Duverger's law

a law that holds that plurality-rule elections, where the winner has the most votes but not necessarily a majority within single-member geographic districts, tend to result in a two-party system, whereas proportional representation tends to result in a multiparty system

party activists

partisans who contribute time, energy, and effort to support their party and its candidates

affective polarization

the emotional dislike of members of the other party

negative partisanship

a phenomenon in which people form strong opinions against a political party rather than in support of one

minor parties

parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties

party organization

the formal structure of a political party, including its leadership, election committees, active members, and paid staff

interest group

an organized group of people or institutions that uses various forms of advocacy to influence public policy

pluralism

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

collective goods

benefits sought by groups that are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

free riders

those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate in acquiring or providing them

informational benefits

special newsletters, periodicals, training programs, conferences, and other information provided to members of groups to entice others to join

material benefits

special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join

solidary benefits

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize friendship, networking, and consciousness-raising

purposive benefits

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize the purpose and accomplishments of the group

lobbying

a strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on government officials

iron triangle

the stable, cooperative relationship that often develops among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups; not all of these relationships are triangular, but the iron triangle is the most typical

issue network

a loose network of elected leaders, public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn together by a specific policy issue