Medium is a method of communication; it transmits some kind of information.
Therefore, mass media is a form of communication that can reach vast and diverse groups of people.
Television
The principle source of political information for about 80% of Americans.
Replaced newspapers in the 1960s.
It is everywhere- homes, businesses, public places.
Major networks are uniform across the country- same info despite geographic differences.
Newspapers
First regularly printed paper was the Boston News-Letter in 1704.
There are over 12,000 major newspapers in print in the US today.
About half of the adults in the US read a newspaper everyday.
Carry more in-depth information than television, second most important source of political news in the US
Radio
1920- Radio aired the results of the presidential election.
1930s-1950s: Radio had the same role in American society that television has today.
The average American listens to 20 hours of radio a week.
It has survived the advent of television because it is readily available in places television is not.
Media's Impact on Politics
The Public Agenda- The issues that the media focuses on determine what the public thinks about, and to some extent what it thinks about these issues.
Electoral Process- Television has made candidates more concerned about their public image and less so about party issues.
Limits on the Media
Most Americans do not follow public affairs closely.
Those who do tend to pick news sources that support what they already think.
Lack of public interest, limits the amount of politics that commercial news sources can show.
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