POLS 34102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Federal Communications Commission, Fairness Doctrine, Investigative Journalism
29 Jun 2018
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CH 07 OUTLINE
Traditional Media
1. The American news media are among the world's freest and most diverse. The freedom to
speak one's mind is one of the most cherished of American political values.
2. Americans obtain their news from broadcast media (radio and television), print media
(newspapers and magazines), and the Internet.
3. Newspapers, though no longer the primary news source for most Americans, remain important
nevertheless because they are influential among the political elite.
4. Competition from broadcast media and free content online have brought financial disaster to
traditional print media. The traditional media organizations that survived have been forced to
adapt, and most now have a significant online presence, which blurs the distinction between old
media and new media.
5. Even though television news reaches more Americans than any other single news source, it
covers relatively few topics and provides little depth of coverage. The broadcast media also rely on
leading newspapers to set their news agenda.There is also a significant generational divide; while
older Americans still get news about politics from TV, more young people get their political news
via social media than television.
6. The trend toward less variety in traditional media has been accelerated by changes in media
ownership, due to the relaxation of government regulations. One consequence of media
monopolies may be a growing distrust of the press.
7. As major newspapers, television stations, and radio networks fall into fewer and fewer hands,
the risk increases that politicians and citizens who express less popular or minority viewpoints will
have difficulty finding a public forum.
New Media and Online News
1. Today, even as the newspaper business struggles for its life, readership of online news has
soared. Online media are more diverse and have created a more democratic and participatory
press than existed in the past.
2. Digital citizenship refers to the ability to participate in society and politics online.
3. While many traditional news sources, such as newspapers, now publish online, other Web
online news outlets tend to be smaller and more specialized, and they have lower personnel and
overhead costs than mainstream publishers. Online news sources include aggregation websites,
niche journalism, citizen journalism and blogs, nonprofit journalism, and social media.
4. News consumers have shifted from a few general-purposes sources, such as the evening
television news and a local newspaper, to a large number of niche publications and specialized
news sources. The rise of niche journalism has fundamentally changed how Americans consume
news and what they read.
5. Social media is the most important development in news and political communication, with
large and growing numbers of Americans, especially younger Americans, getting their news via
Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Traditional media: the american news media are among the world"s freest and most diverse. New media and online news: today, even as the newspaper business struggles for its life, readership of online news has soared. Facebook, twitter, and other sites: citizen journalism includes news reporting and political commentary by ordinary citizens, and even crisis coverage from eyewitnesses on the scene. Many blogs are citizen-run and are more interactive and representative of the diversity of american views than traditional news. In turn, candidates for political office, elected officials, political organizations, and interest groups have been quick to adopt. There are concerns that a shift to online news could create a loss of investigative power, more variation in the quality of news, and potential effects on knowledge and tolerance. Fears of social media"s use in propaganda by extremists have fueled calls for government action around the world.
