Key Terms
Fourth estate
Media as unofficial fourth branch of government; checks the other three. Also called watchdog.
Muckraker
Progressive Era investigative journalists who exposed industry and government wrongdoing.
Yellow journalism
Sensationalized reporting that prioritizes sales over substance.
Mediated information
Political knowledge received through a third party (media) rather than directly from government.
Pack journalism
Homogeneous news content resulting from journalists sharing the same professional values.
Agenda-setting theory (McCombs and Shaw)
The media decides what topics the public thinks about; the more airtime a story gets, the more important people assume i
Framing theory
The way media presents a story shapes how the public understands and evaluates it.
Example
Female candidates are more often framed around personal characteristics; male candidates are more often framed around po
Gatekeeping
Filtering process that determines what information reaches the public.
WHY PRINT STILL MATTERS
Other media (TV, radio, aggregators, podcasts) rely on print to set the original news agenda. It provides the most conte
Media concentration
A few firms own the majority of channels and content. Oligopoly: small number of corporations dominate the market.
Horse-race coverage
Election reporting focused on winners and losers rather than policy.
Negative campaign coverage
A trend since the 1980s. Erodes trust in political leaders, institutions, and government.
Free media
Press coverage a candidate does not pay for.
Paid media
Advertising purchased by the campaign.