Mass Media Key Terms
Beats - specific locations from which news frequently emanates, such as Congress or the White House; most top reporters work a particular beat, thereby becoming specialists at what goes on at that location
Broadcast Media - That portion of the mass media which consist of television and radio.
High-tech Politics - The current American political system in which the behavior of citizens and policy makers, as well as the political agenda itself, is increasingly shaped by technology.
Horse Race – a close contest; by extension, any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.
Investigative Journalism - the use of detective-like reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, putting reporters in adversarial relationships with government officials.
Issue Advocacy – promoting a particular position or an issue by interest groups or individuals but not candidates. Much issue advocacy is often electioneering for or against a candidate and, until 2004 had not been subject to regulation.
Linkage Institutions - The channels or access points through which issues and people's policy preferences get on the government's policy agenda.
Mass Media – means of communication that are reaching the public, including newspapers and magazines, radio, television (broadcast, cable, and satellite), films, recordings, books, and electronic communication, also called "the press," because they reach out and profoundly influence not only the elites but the masses; they are a key part of high-tech politics.
Media Events - An event that is staged primarily for the purpose of simply being covered events purposely staged for the media that nonetheless look spontaneous; in keeping with politics as theater, media events can be staged by individuals, groups, and government officials, especially presidents.
Narrowcasting - as opposed to the traditional “broadcasting,” the appeal to a narrow, particular audience by channels such as ESPN, MTV, and C-SPAN, which focus on a narrow particular interest.
News Media – media that emphasize the news.
Newspaper Chains - newspapers published by massive media conglomerates that account for almost three- quarters of the nation’s daily circulation; often, these chains control broadcast media, as well.
Policy Agenda - the list of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside of
government closely associated with those officials, are paying some serious attention at any given time.
Policy Entrepreneurs - People who invest their political "capital" in an issue and who depend heavily upon the media to get their ideas placed high on the governmental agenda.
Political Socialization – the process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Press Conferences - meetings of public officials with reporters.
Print Media - That portion of the mass media which include newspapers and magazines.
Selected Perception – the process by which individuals perceive what they want to and media messages.
Selective Exposure – the process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases.
Sound Bite - Short video clips of approximately 15 to 30 seconds, which are typically all that is shown from a politician's speech or activities on the nightly television news.
Talking Heads - A shot of a person's face talking directly to the camera; because this is visually unappealing, the major commercial networks rarely show a politician talking one-on-one for very long.
"The Press" - The media that includes television, radio, newspapers, magazines, wire services, and on-line services, among others.
Trial Balloons - Information leaked for the purpose of determining what the political reaction will be.
Yellow Journalism - The term used to describe sensational news reporting.