| A | B |
|---|
| mass media | television, social media, newspapers, news magazines, radio outlets that cover political news |
| mass media impact on parties | parties less important for information because of media coverage |
| what's most frequently reported during presidential election? | "horse race journalism" the public opinion polls that show who is leading |
| sound bite | a short video (or audio) from a longer speech or interview; dominate media coverage during elections |
| scorekeeper role | "horse race journalism" media role covering polling data |
| gatekeeper role | media role in determining which issues are "important" for public to know about |
| watchdog role | media role in covering scandals and government incompetence |
| ideology of most members of media? (from polling data) | liberal |
| most important influence of news media on public? | affecting which issues the public thinks are important |
| "bully pulpit" | informal presidential power to command the attention of the media |
| New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) | FACTS: Nixon administration attempts to use national security in order to exercise PRIOR RESTRAINT against the New York Times printing Pentagon Papers, which expose the history of US involvement in Vietnam. The SCOTUS rules that this prior restraint is unconstitutional, violating the Freedom of the Press clause of the First Amendment. bolstered the freedom of the press, establishing a “heavy presumption against prior restraint” even in cases involving national security |
| Role of mass media during Watergate? | Watchdog role |
| prior restraint | UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN US EXCEPT NATIONAL SECURITY; when a government can stop a story from being reported |
| FCC (Federal Communications Commission) | government bureaucracy that regulates television and radio stations |
| Does biased media change people's political ideology? | NO. Watching a liberal media program will not turn a conservative into a liberal; neither will watching a conservative media program turn a liberal into a conservative. |
