Media-1

American Government: The Media

Overview of Chapter 14

  • Focus on the development and impact of various news media formats.

  • Critical examination of how news is produced and reported.

Development of the News Media

Legacy News Outlets

  • Definition: Organizations that provide news primarily through trained journalists.

  • Examples include: The New York Times, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.

  • Legacy outlets operate as businesses, competing for audience engagement without compromising information integrity.

Early Newspaper Economics

  • Newspapers were costly to produce in colonial America.

  • Emergence of political parties in the 1790s led to newspapers being used for partisan promotion.

  • Objective reporting was often neglected in favor of political advocacy.

Liberation from Party Sponsorship

  • In the 1830s, steam power and better presses led to cheaper production, enabling independence from political patrons.

  • The New York Sun capitalized on new printing technologies, increasing mass readership.

  • Rise of the Penny Press allowed broader public access to news by lowering prices.

Characteristics of the Penny Press

  • Sold for a penny, targeted a broader audience by focusing on varied topics rather than solely political content.

  • The term Yellow Journalism emerged, highlighting sensationalism and exaggerated news reports.

Emergence of Radio and Television

Radio

  • KDKA launched as the first commercial radio station in 1920; over 40% of U.S. households owned radios by 1930.

  • Initially provided short news announcements, with newspapers covering more extensive stories.

  • President Roosevelt utilized radio for effective direct communication with the public through "fireside chats."

Television

  • Introduced post-World War II, rapidly gained popularity; by 1960, 88% of households had TVs.

  • Networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC became dominant news sources.

  • Adaptation required throughout media forms, with newspapers and radio evolving to coexist with TV.

The Digital Revolution

Internet's Impact

  • Birth of the Internet in 1969, burgeoning by the 1990s with commercial service providers.

  • By 2001, mobile internet use facilitated instant access to news.

  • Digital platforms have changed the landscape, introducing podcasts and streaming, and allowing direct political engagement in the news cycle.

Case Studies: Political Figures Online

  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and her calls for accountability from Trump supporters highlighted using digital platforms for political discussion and action.

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene received suspension for spreading false claims about election fraud, demonstrating the interplay between digital media and accountability.

The Regulatory Framework of Broadcast Media

Federal Communications Act of 1934

  • Established regulations to manage all media, including an Equal Time Provision to ensure fair candidate coverage.

News Production Process

Reporting and Beats

  • Legacy media practices assign reporters to specific topics or venues (beats).

    • Examples: White House, Supreme Court, Congress, etc.

  • Embedding strategy places journalists within military units during coverage.

Implications of Beats

  • Continuous flow of news stories reinforces the need for news organizations to maintain constant reporting.

  • Pack Journalism: reporters often echo each other’s narratives, creating media homogeneity.