Chapter 7 AP Government Terms

1. High-tech policies
1. A politics in which the behavior of citizens and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology
2. Mass Media
1. Television, radio, newspapers, the internet, and other means of popular communication
3. Media events
1. Events purposely staged for the media that nonetheless look spontaneous. In keeping with politics as theatre, media events can be staged by individuals, groups and government officials, especially presidents.
4. Press conferences
1. Meetings of public officials with reporters
5. Investigative journalism
1. The use of detective-like reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders
6. Print media
1. Newspapers and magazines as compared with broadcast media
7. Broadcast media
1. TV and radio, as compared with print media
8. Chains
1. By 1994, more than 80 percent of Americas daily papers were controlled by national and regional chains
9. Narrowcasting
1. Media programming on cable TV or the Internet that is focused on one topic and aimed at a particular audience. Ex: MTV, ESPN
10. Beats
1. Specific locations from which news frequencies emanate, such as congress or the white house, most top reporters work a particular beat, thereby becoming specialist in what goes on at those locations
11. Trial balloons
1. An intentional new leak for the purpose of assessing the political reaction
12. Sound bites
1. Short video clips of approximately 15 seconds; typically all that is shown from a politician’s speech or activities on the nightly television news
13. Talking Head
1. A shot of a persons face talking directly to the camera. Because this is visually unappealing, the major networks rarely show a politician talking one-on-one for very long
14. Policy agenda
1. The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively invoved in politics at the time
15. Policy entrepreneurs
1. People who invest their political capital in an issue. According to john kingdon, a policy entrepreneur “could be in or out of government, in elected or appointed positions, in interest groups or research organizations.”