PS 101 1st Edition Lecture 10 Outline of Last Lecture I. Review of Public OpinionII. Qualities of Opinion-Preferences-Intensity-Stability-Distribution III. More on Distribution-Normal-Skewed-Bimodal-DeterminingIV. PolarizationV. Opinion Polarization and the “Culture War”-FiorinaVI. Aggregate Opinion in the U.S.Outline of Current Lecture I. Communication and Democracy-“Mass” Media-Models of MediaII. History of Media in the U.S.-The Press-Modern NewsIII. Deregulation of the MediaIV. Routines in News Reporting-Acquiring News-Types of CoverageV. Has the Internet Changed Things?Current Lecture: The MediaI. Communication and DemocracyA. How people1. Discover common interests and form groups These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.2. Articulate interests to government3. Learn about candidates and policy proposals B. How elected officials 1. Accomplish their policy goalsa. Mold public opinion, communicate what they've done, etc.C. “Mass” Media1. Why do we need it?a. Audience is large, heterogeneous, and widely dispersed2. Types a. Print— newspaper, magazinesb. Broadcast Media—TVc. InternetD. Models of the Media in a Democracy1. Watch dog a. Observe, notice what is happening, write critical stories, let people know what is going on2. Lap doga. Politics and media work together in circles, leading to people not getting the news as frequently3. Attack doga. Media reacts to everythingII. History of the Media in the U.S.A. News in the colonial era1. The first newslettersB. Development of the Press1. Penny press–Made newspapers available to more of the populationa. Only cost $.012. Wire service – An organization that gathers news and sells it to other media outlets a. Similar to today’s Associated Press3.Yellow journalism – A style of newspaper featuring sensationalized stories, bold headlines, and illustrationsa. Similar to paparazzi; designed to appeal to the massesC. Rise of the Modern Media1. More technologya. Advent of broadcast media like radio, then television2. More regulationa. FCC – Created in 1934 to regulate American radio stations, andlater expanded to regulate other broadcast mediab. Limits on ownershipc. Fairness Doctrined. Equal Time Provision— If you grant TV time for one candidate in a campaign, you have to grant time at equal price to the other candidate of the campaignD. The Modern News Industry1. What is “news”?a. “What newsmakers promote as timely, important, or interesting from which news organizations select, narrate, and package into information formats and that people consume.”2. Who owns the news? a. Public ownershipb. Non-Profit ownershipc. Private companies for profit3. Effects of Private Ownershipa. Potential advantages?i. Likely to see critical stories; more about the economy and businessii. More efficiency with private ownersb. Potential disadvantages?i. Profitmotiveaffects the substance of programming;tend to focus on what will sell which may not be about policyii. Profit motive leads media owners to acquire additional outletsIII. Deregulation of the MediaA. Telecommunications Act of 1996 1. Overturned many ownership rulesB. Mediaconglomerates1. Companies that control a large number of media sources across several types of media outletsC. Cross-ownership1. The trend toward single-company ownership of several kinds of mediaD. Reporting the News1. Media as gatekeepers a. People in the industry decide what is and is not newsb. But no single “the media”!!!2. What makes something newsworthy?a. How many people it will affect, controversial, what is happening that day3. Is there bias in what makes the news?a. Not ideological, but bias such as inputs that are bent byhow the system works— appear in a systematic wayIV. Routines in News ReportingA. How do journalists acquire the news? 1.Originate ita. As eyewitnesses or through investigative journalism 2. Receive ita. Press conference, interviews, backgrounders3. Gather it a. Telephone, legwork, on-line research B. The Beat System1. Beats are places where the news is expected to occur, so editors assign reporters there2. Some examples?a. The White house, The Pentagon3. Effect?a. Circularity; send the reporters there because that’s where the news is happening, but the news is happening there because that’s where the reporters are… C. Pack Journalism1. Means reporters cover issues as a “pack”2. Why does it occur? a. Lean on same official sourcesb. Pecking order of journalists 3. Effect? a. Cover the same stories, but also miss the same stories D. Horserace Coverage1. Most coverage of campaigns and policy debates focuses on the race or contest— who’s ahead and who’s behind2. Why is it common?a. Fueled in part by industry trends and organizational imperatives; can change daily leading to new stories3. Effects of horserace coveragea. Focus on races makes people more cynical about politics E.Press-Government Relations1. A mutually beneficial relationship!2. Press needs government officials to:a. Have access to interesting and important stories b. Gain and keep viewers and readers 3. Government officials needs press to: a. Get their story out (not all leaks are unintentional)b. Gain popular supportc. Influence other politiciansV. Has the Internet Changed Things?A. Types of outlets1. Though most internet sources are connected to a more traditional source, or compiled from these sourcesB. News cycle 1.The time between the release of information and its publicationC. Less ability for government officials/candidates to be “below the radar”1. There is always someone recording you/reporting what you are