The document discusses the mass media and its role in connecting the public to the government. It serves as a gatekeeper that decides what information is important to share with the public and can influence government by what it reports on. The media can broadcast political events, investigate hidden information, inform the public about policies and issues, persuade on political topics, and satirize failures. It includes print, electronic, broadcast media regulated by the FCC. The president receives the most media coverage while Congress receives less and the Supreme Court the least.

1. The Mass Media
UNIT 5 (Continued)

3. • mass media - forms of
communication that can reach a
large audience at a given time
• connects people and their policy goals
to the government)
• Serves as a gatekeeper – decides what
information is filtered out to the
American public and what is considered
to be “important” can influence the
government by what it reports on and
the issues the people consequently want
the government to solve

4. Roles of the Mass Media
• Broadcast: media events - political events
created specifically for media coverage (ex:
presidential debates, speeches, etc.)
• Investigate: investigative journalism - in-
depth investigations of purposely-hidden
information to reveal suspected political
corruption, criminal activity, or abuse of
power

5. • Link: serve as a linkage institution
between the people and gov’t
• Inform: serve to teach the public
about candidates, public policies,
and political issues
• Persuade: used to influence the
public concerning political issues
• Satirize: criticize/bring attention
to gov’t/politician failures using
humor

6. Types of Media
• print media - includes newspapers and
magazines, anything in print
• America’s oldest form of media
• electronic media - includes radio, TV, and
Internet (radio and TV are examples of
broadcast media)
• Also includes cable + 24 hour news cycle  not
detailed, usually focused on sensational or
breaking news, repetitive; doesn’t go into
depth about a lot of political issues or
candidates’ beliefs

7. Regulation of the Media
• FCC (Federal Communications
Commission) - independent gov’t agency
that monitors/enforces rules censoring
profanity, obscenity, etc. on public radio,
TV, cable, satellite, and wire
• Media companies must be FCC licensed in
order to operate on the public airwaves

8. Media Attention and
the Gov’t
1.) The president gets the most media
coverage – 65% (ex: press conferences,
addresses, State of the Union, etc.)
• Uses media the most to communicate
policies to the American public (media
press corps to follow president’s
movements)
• one person = easier to follow in news
• people look to president as the leader
of the country especially in times of
crisis

9. • Congress gets the second-most
media coverage (29%)
• especially big legislation being
passed, Senate confirmations,
investigations, and important
hearings
• larger body of people = a little
harder to follow in the news

10. • 3.) The Supreme Court gets the
least media coverage of gov’t (6%)
• SC does not allow cameras in the
Court room; justices hardly ever
address the public
• Most coverage when SC accepts
big cases or makes landmark
decisions