Chapter 8: The Media

The media

  • The media is made up of different communication formats that provide information to the public

  • There is media that uses the public airwaves such as television channels and radio stations

  • There is printed media such as newspapers

  • Recently, social media has been playing a more important role in getting information out to young(er) people

  • Because of the internet, the number of choices available to find information has increased greatly

The media is a business

  • Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed for consolation of media companies

  • Few companies own majority the majority of newspaper with a daily circulation

  • Some argue it was necessary, others argue it is a threat to free speech

  • In 1996, there was reform that made it possible for fewer companies to own several media companies. {Some see this as a threat to free speech.}

Media and partisanship

  • Media landscape is increasingly focused on reaching certain types of people

  • Example: Fox News-Republicans, MSNBC-Democrats

  • Media viewed as being biased

  • In particular, many conservatives feel that the media is biased against them

What does the media do?

  • Public Watchdog

  • Watergate scandal role of Bernstein and Woodward (journalist) and Mark Felt (informant)

  • Agenda setting: The media’s ability to choose which issues or topics get attention

  • Priming: ”when media coverage predisposes the viewer or reader to a particular perspective on a subject or issue. If a newspaper article focuses on unemployment, struggling industries, and jobs moving overseas, the reader will have a negative opinion about the economy”

  • Framing: “choosing the way information is presented. Framing can affect the way an event or story is perceived. Candidates described with negative adjectives, for instance, may do poorly on Election Day”

  1. The media needs to provide us with accurate information

  2. Help us distinguish what is true and what is not

  3. Government and politicians often have a complicated relationship with the press
    {

  5. The media can act as the fourth branch of government }

Media around the world

  • Most nations began with government-operated broadcast media

  • Most democratic countries introduced public stations owned by the government, funded through taxes

  • BBC

  • Berlusconi family controls Italian television, Silvio Berlusconi four term prime minister

Confidence in News

Depiction by the media