federal regulation of lobbying act 1946
required groups/individuals to register with congress and rule quarterly reports; accomplished little; grassroots activities not regulated; no enforcement body
ethics in government act 1978
target: executive branch. goal: prevent conflict of interest, lessen the effect of the revolving door.
gatekeeper
the national press influences what subjects become national political issues. argument: mainstream news no longer has reliable role as gatekeeper. recent issues: financial crisis, oil spill, fuel crisis, the upcoming elections, tea party movement, etc. po
watchdog
national press investigates personalities and exposes scandals. appears to be a growing role. media has an instinctive and profitable desire to fulfill this role.
scorekeeper
national press tracks political reputations and candidacies. it covers elections as though they are horse races rather than choices about issues. who is winning or losing? who is being "mentioned" as a candidate? ex: media momentum during presidential pri
FCC
established by the communications act of 1934; independent regulatory agency; 5 commissioners (no more than three from one party); 5 year terms; ensure competition/diversity; licensing; investigations; analyzing complaints; develop and implement policy (l
telecommunications act 1996
deregulate radio and tv; goal: more competition, lower prices; break telecommunications monopoly
freedom of information act 1966
allows executive branch records to be reviewed by public and press (compare to official secrets act)
privacy protection act 1980
prevents unwarranted news room searches. (ex from mr d: police arrest dom diserio and mrs roza on the kettle)
communications decency act 1996
first attempts at regulating obscenity and indecency on the internet; large portions overturned
lobbying
supplying credible info; perhaps most important role of interest groups; valuable to the creation of legislation and to building strong relationships with gov officials, congressional hearings. *tactic= "astroturf lobbying
electioneering
PACs=provide money to campaigns: volunteers/ endorsements; grassroots efforts-mobilize the public to the polls
yellow journalism
Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers.
interest group
an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence public policy
incentive
something of value that one cannot get without joining an organization
solidary incentives
the social rewards that lead people to join political organizations
material incentives
money or things valued in monetary terms
purposive incentive
a benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle
ideological interest groups
political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles.
public-interest lobby
a political organization whose goals will principally benefit nonmembers
social movement
a widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order
political cue
a signal telling a legislator what values are at stake in a vote, and how that issue fits into his or her own political views on party agenda
ratings
assessments of a representative's voting record on issues important to an interest group
blog
a series or log of discussion items on a page of the world wide web
sound bite
a radio or video clip of someone speaking
equal time rule
an FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates.
horse-race journalism
news coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on the issues
routine stories
media stories about events regularly covered by reporters
feature stories
media stories about events that, through public, are not regularly covered by reporters.
insider stories
media stories about events that are not usually made public
trial balloon
information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy
loaded language
words that imply a value judgement, used to persuade a reader without having made a serious argument
selective attention
paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees
adversarial press
the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them
background
a public official's statement to a reporter given on condition that the official not be named
amicus curiae brief
A brief (a document containing a legal argument supporting a desired outcome in a particular case) filed by a third party, or amicus curiae (Latin for "friend of the court"), who is not directly involved in the litigation but who has an interest in the ou
fairness doctrine
an FCC requirement that broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues provide time for opposing views
official secrets act
British legislation to punish officials who divulge private government business
right of reply rule
If a person is attacked on a broadcast, other than in a regular news program, that person has the right to reply over that same station.
muckrackers
journalists who wrote about corruption in business and politics in order to bring about reform.
PACs
Political Action Committees, raise money for candidates &/or parties
revolving door
the employment of former government officials who find their way back into new offices.
advocacy group
an interest group organized to support a cause or ideology
insider strategy
strategy of lobbyists that work closely with a few key members of Congress, meeting them privately to exchange information and favors
outsider strategy
aimed at changing public opinion strategy involves media advertising designed to educate the public or letter wrting phone and fax campaigns designed to impress public officials
astroturf
a movement funded by some interest group and made to look like a grass roots movement; "artificial grass
direct mail
a high-tech method of raising money for a political cause or candidate. It involves sending information and requests for money to people whose names appear on lists of those who have supported similar views or candidates in the past.
attack journalism
a type of increasingly popular media coverage focused on political scandals and controversies, which causes a negative public opinion of political figures; the current era of media coverage that seizes upon any bit of information or rumor that might call