4:04 Media and its Impact

The Media Landscape

Introduction

• The media encompasses people or companies producing print and digital communications, as well as the forms of media themselves.

• Media includes print, broadcast, and niche journalism.

Linkage Institutions

• Linkage institutions connect individuals with policymakers.

• Examples include political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media.

• These institutions influence people and communicate their will to decision-makers.

• Multiple paths exist for influencing public policy due to federalism.

• Example: A local news story on education can gain national attention and influence Congress.

Functions of the Media

• Entertainment and political discourse.

• Providing information through news reports, investigative journalism, election coverage, and political commentary.

• Interpreting matters of public interest.

• Setting the public agenda.

• Providing a forum for conversations about politics.

• Socializing children to political culture.

News Consumption Statistics

• U.S. adults who often get news on each platform:

  • TV (Cable, local, network nightly): 57%

  • Online (social media, websites/apps): 38%

  • Radio: 25%

  • Print Newspapers: 20%

• U.S. adults who often get news on TV:

  • 18-29 years old: 27%

  • 30-49: 45%

  • 50-64: 72%

  • 65+: 85%

Television

• Primary news source for adults over 50.

• Reports breaking news, provides political analysis, election coverage, and investigative journalism.

• Example: Coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010.

  • Cable news stations devoted over 31% of airtime to the issue.

  • Focused on the oil company's cleanup efforts and the Obama administration's role.

• Role in socializing children.

• MTV's Elect This campaign in 2016: Used videos, infographics, and social media to share political information and encourage young adults to vote.

Online Media

• U.S. adults who often get news online:

  • 18-29 years old: 50%

  • 30-49: 49%

  • 50-64: 29%

  • 65+: 20%

• Around half of adults between 18 and 49 often get news online.

• Attributed to quick access of information.

• Internet lacks time and place limitations of television.

• Social media and blog posts interpret public interest and influence the public agenda.

• Social media's impact on elections since 2008.

  • Enables direct interaction with voters.

  • Offers free advertising and tailored messaging.

  • Provides immediate feedback.

• Example: A University of Virginia student changed his vote from Mitt Romney (R) to Barack Obama (D) after following New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie (R) on social media in 2012.

Radio

• U.S. adults who often get news on radio:

  • 18-29 years old: 19%

  • 30-49: 27%

  • 50-64: 29%

  • 65+: 24%

• Around 25% of adults over 30 often get news from radio.

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D) used radio for fireside chats.

• Talk radio emerged in the 1970s and 1980s.

  • Provides a forum for conversations about politics.

  • Hosts give opinions and invite listeners to call in.

• Many major talk radio hosts align with conservative ideologies.

• Liberal programs have struggled to gain audience share.

• Abram Brown (Forbes) on demographics:

  • Some liberals are minorities who listen to radio in their preferred language.

  • Others turn to National Public Radio (NPR).

  • Many Americans believe publicly funded media to be less biased than other media.

  • The demographic base for conservative talk radio is shrinking.

Print Newspapers

• U.S. adults who often get news from print newspapers:

  • 18-29 years old: 5%

  • 30-49: 10%

  • 50-64: 23%

  • 65+: 48%

• Around 50% of adults over 65 often get news from print newspapers.

• Reports breaking news, provides political commentary, and features investigative journalism.

• Many have a strong online presence.

• Shocking stories sold newspapers faster.

• Competition influenced journalism approaches like yellow journalism and muckraking.

• Example: Upton Sinclair's The Jungle (1906).

  • Exposed unsanitary practices in the meatpacking industry.

  • Influenced national food safety standards.

• Editor's choices shape the public agenda.

Media Bias

• Bias is inherent and not always negative.

• The First Amendment applies to the media.

• No news agency is without bias.

• Some sources are generally more respected as less ideologically driven.

• Increasing demand for media from diverse audiences has led to criticism of bias.

• Media holds government accountable like a watchdog.

• Media filters government actions through an ideological point of view.

• Relying on varied sources is important.

• Analyze and weigh conflicting opinions.

• Media bias includes agenda-setting, framing, priming, and selection bias.

• Media selection bias differs from polling selection bias.

• Question what you read or watch.

• Bias can affect reliability and accuracy.

• Recognize bias, assess sources, and ensure trust.

• Circular reporting: One source publishes misinformation, another reprints it, and the first cites the second.

• The public's need for quick answers can overpower the need for validity, leading to corrections.

Bias Examples

• Climate Change Coverage:

  • Bar chart analysis: Evidence of agenda-setting and selection bias.

  • ABC, NBC, and FOX devoted around an hour to coverage.

  • CBS devoted over an hour and a half.

  • CBS agenda-setting: Bringing public attention to climate change through increased coverage.

  • Selection bias: Networks choosing to devote air time to climate change.

• Climate Change Headlines:

  • "Climate change is made-up and wastes money."

  • "Climate change is a real issue with real impact."

  • Examples of framing and priming.

  • Each headline presents a biased view, attempting to influence the reader's opinion.

Impact of Media

• 1960 presidential race: John F. Kennedy (D) vs. Richard Nixon (R).

  • Kennedy initially had a disadvantage.

  • Televised debates shifted views of American voters.

  • Media presentation affected the perception of Nixon.

  • Nixon slipped behind in polls, and Kennedy won the election.

  • Gallup Polls 1960 Presidential Debates example is visual, with Nixon initially leading and Kennedy overtaking him after the first debate

• Media influence over political opinions affected government institutions and public policy through the presidency.

• Kennedy's presidency: Cuban Missile Crisis, March on Washington, space program, civil rights bill.

Other Effects of Media

• Democratic debate and political knowledge are affected by several factors.

• Increased media choice.

• Viewers watch programs and ideologically-oriented programming that suits them.

• Voters tend to watch news organizations that align with their views and avoid contrary views.

• Media outlets cater to this tendency to accomplish an agenda and increase viewership.

• Catering to a specific segment convinces advertisers to pay.

• Reinforces existing political beliefs.

• Social media has the same impact by controlling what you see.

• Sites are programmed to learn about you and show news stories that reinforce your views.

• This process may not create the best forum for civil political discourse.

• Consider credibility and ideological bias of news sources.

• Reinforcing ideas through choice of ideological programming may affect willingness to consider other points of view.

Media Ownership

• Who owns the media is a major factor in bias.

• Views of corporation leadership direct what stories are reported and how.

• Choices in news sources may be numerous, but the number of owning companies may be low.

• In 2012, a journalist reported that 90% of media ownership had concentrated from 50 companies in 1983 to just 6 in 2011.