Chapter 5

In this chapter we saw the development of the role played by the media in our government and society. First, we read about the development of the media from a partisan press through the muckraker period, and finally the emergence of the modern media we know today. Second, the chapter revealed to us both the structure of the media in its various forms as well as trends regarding the decline of the old media of newspapers and newsmagazines. Additionally, it portrayed the emergence of the broadcast media with radio and TV as well as later the wireless new media of the Internet, satellite and cable TV/radio, and social media, including e-mail, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and other sources.

Issues regarding the media, including the privatization, conglomeration, and de-regulation of the American media, were extensively reviewed. The negative impacts of the media relative to political campaigns, both regarding the cost of campaign advertising and the horse-race style coverage that emphasizes style over substance as well as a view of general negativity toward politics, provided a strong critique of the media. However, their role as an educator, agenda-setter, issue-framer, and persuasion-maker gives some credence to a more positive evaluation of the media within this country.

Finally, the issue of bias within the media seems not to be resolved.  There is a clear indication that the media have a status quo-oriented style of political coverage, since the government is the main source for their own coverage.  When government information is combined with their journalistic norms of objectivity, a bias becomes apparent. 

There is also a pronounced profit bias in the media, which influences its coverage toward sensationalized “infotainment.”  As revealed in the “Fox Effect” and the fixation on “fake news,” a horse race mentality toward political campaign coverage often dominates news reporting.  Media programming during the presidential election cycle of 2024 contained an excessive amount of coverage specifically attuned to emphasizing the high consumer prices in the economy, massive undocumented immigration on the southern border, and war in Gaza and Ukraine.   

In turn, these issues provided a game frame for congressional coverage that is not that different from general campaign coverage emphasizing perceived winners and losers on an issue-by-issue or event-by-event basis.  The same occurred regarding the superficial court coverage that emphasized constituencies of interest relative to specific cases and painted decisions on those cases in ideological terms.

Quizzes

Critical Thinking Exercises

Most of us have at least heard about political bias in the media. The media, themselves, have educated us to some degree on this issue as pundits from the left accuse the right of bias and pundits from the right fire back with their own accusations of bias. But political orientation bias is not the only form of media bias that can impact our political behavior.

Let’s consider the potential of gender bias. Female politicians from the right and left have often been at the center of news stories that focused on their bodies and not on their political issues. Consider this news article from the 2016 presidential campaign in U.S. News and World Report, September 6, 2016, https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-09-06/medias-sexist-coverage-of-hillary-clinton that focused on Hillary Clinton.

As a major political campaign begins, choose a female and male candidate to follow in the news. Collect as many news articles as you can find on each of these candidates. While reading them carefully count the number of statements made about each candidate’s stance on issues. Once you have tallied that number, read through again counting the number of instances in which the candidate’s physical appearance is addressed.

Compare your results with the work of other students in your class. Do you see any patterns in the news coverage regarding male and female candidates? Do your results support or contradict the idea of gender bias in the media?

Useful Links

Links to further content exploring the themes covered in this chapter 

The State of the News Media

This document provides an in-depth examination of the news media as an institution within our society, economy, and political order.

CNN

CNN was the world’s first all-news cable network. This site has up-to-the-minute updates on news events both at home and abroad; in particular, it is well known for its international coverage. CNN is also well known for its superior campaign coverage during presidential and mid-term cycles, however, it is weak in its coverage of local affairs.

Fox News

Fox News is CNN’s major competitor for being the number one cable news channel and its website offers all the latest news as well as routine interactive opportunities like online polls, etc. Viewers should be cautioned that Fox has a pronounced corporate bias toward presenting a conservative alternative to political news.

MSNBC

MSNBC has much of the same opportunities as CNN and Fox on its website, but often has more in-depth economic affairs coverage. Viewers should be cautioned that many studies indicate that MSNBC exhibits a left-of-center bias in its political coverage.

CNBC

This is the home page for CNBC a cable news channel primarily devoted to business and economic affairs coverage. It is a good source for issues relating to political economy but not for overall political coverage.

The New York Times

This is the website for one of the nation’s premier newspapers which contains extensive national and global coverage of the broad spectrum of American politics. Some analysts detect a liberal bias in its choice of material but it is a debatable point as to whether this bias extends to the actual coverage of the material itself.

The Economist

This is the home page for the British news publication, The Economist, it is a ready source for American national and global political news but it does tend to follow a generally conservative line. Also the newsmagazine often emphasizes economic affairs at the expense of other issues in politics.

The Washington Post

This newspaper covers national and global politics with a superior Washington Bureau relative to other elite newspapers and magazines.

Newsweek

This is the home Web page for, Newsweek, a newsmagazine that covers the full plethora of American politics. It is particularly good at national political news and campaign coverage.

Newsbusters

This site contains a number of video/audio clips that showcase allegations of liberal bias in the media. This, of course, is an overtly conservative site containing clips taken from talk radio and interpreted discussions of video presentations by left-minded elites. Additionally, there are a number of articles not connected to audio/video sources that engage in further identification of liberal bias in the media.

Drudge Report

This link is for the Drudge Report, which provides news (with a right of center bias) and has several links to other political news sites and blogs.

Raw Story

This link provides news and analysis that is similar to the Drudge Report but is ideologically left-of-center.

Democracy Now!

This website provides commentary and interviews from a left of center orientation with newsmakers and reporters on national and international events. 

Columbia Journalism Review

This is the website for Columbia School of Journalism’s publication, Columbia Journalism Review. The link above goes immediately to CJR’s Guide to What Major Media Companies Own that provides up-to-date information on what companies and individuals own which media outlets (Internet, radio, print, television, film, and publishing).

Nieman Watch Dog

This site is for the media watchdog group, Nieman Watchdog, affiliated with the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. This is good site for media analysis and research exploring accuracy in news reporting.

Roper Center

This site provides a plethora of public opinion data collected since the 1950s. The site is maintained by Cornell University.

World Newspapers Access

Provides listings and links to all global newspapers, news sites and magazines in English.

Bill O’Reilly

This is the main Web page for Bill O’Reilly, a conservative TV journalist and broadcaster on Fox News; there are numerous videos and audio recordings from his perspective programs which you can watch.

Rachel Maddow

This is the main Web page for Rachel Maddow, a liberal TV broadcaster on MSNBC.

Rush Limbaugh

The first name in conservative talk radio, Rush Limbaugh was a firebrand in American political communications and you can get access to his archives of articles, videos, and audio clips from him.

Bill Maher

A controversial liberal comedian and socio-political commentator, Bill Maher tackles hot button topics. At this site you can get access to videos, a blog, and interviews/talk forums where this man takes on the right in a no-holds barred fashion.

Daily Show with Trevor Noah

This site is the main Web page for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, a liberal leaning comedy show that lampoons the mainstream media.

Colbert Report

This entertaining show was an irreverent over-the-top portrayal of conservative views that airs the Best of the Colbert Report.

Media watch groups (non-partisan)

Fact Check.org

This organization is sponsored by the Annenberg Policy Institute and is ostensibly nonpartisan. It attempts to validate the proposals, programs, advertisements, policies, campaign efforts, etc. engaged in by politicians and political organizations across the political spectrum. Many of the articles have associated video/audio clips detailing the political action, which is then critiqued in a follow-on article by the staff at Fact Check.

Media watch groups (liberal)

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)

FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin, and misinformation.  Challenging media bias since 1986.

Media Matters for America

This site, among other content, contains a number of video/audio clips that highlight allegations of conservative bias in the media. In particular, it levels most of its criticism against Fox News with special attention played to various “talking heads,” at the organization and those with programs like Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, and Sean Hannity.

Center for Media and Democracy

The Center for Media and Democracy is a progressive nonprofit watchdog and advocacy organization.

Media watch groups (conservative)

Media Research Center

The Media Research Center is a conservative organization to educate the public about left-wing media bias.

Accuracy in Media (AIM)

Accuracy in Media is an American non-profit conservative news media watchdog founded in 1969.