Chapter 12: The Media

Sound bite

Small radio or video clip of someone speaking

Blog

Series of discussion items on the internet

Trial balloon

Information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a potential policy

Loaded language

Words to persuade without actually making a clear argument

Selective exposure

Consuming news stories that you already agree with

Agenda setting

Ability of the news media to shape the public agenda by covering some issues but not others

Priming

Ability of the news media to influence the factors individuals use to evaluate political elites

Framing

The way in which the media shapes how people view that issue

Watchdog

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

Game frame

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

Horse race journalism

News coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on the issue

Adversarial press

Tendency of the national media to bs suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them

Equal time rule

An FCC rule that says if a broadcaster swells time to one candidate it must sell equal time to other candidates