Question Of the Week

What I personally think about this is the struggle for who gets what? Mass communications help determine what the nation knows about politics and helps determine who gets what. The media is often referred to as "fourth branch" of the government because of the power they have. Now and days television is the more powerful media format since almost every home in the world has a television. Most people watch their local news for information. But teens usually go on the internet to get their information and resources. CNN was rated the highest.
A free press is guaranteed in the Constitution. The media and government officials are natural adversaries as the media seeks to serve as watchdogs and define the problems of society. Media professionals view their jobs as a "sacred trust" and believe they serve as the true voice of the public.
Media power derives from five functions: newsmaking, agenda setting, interpreting, socializing, and persuading:
1. Newsmaking. The media determines what will be news, thereby attaching importance to events and people. Investigative journalism can also pose a threat to politicians and bureaucrats, potentially uncovering scandal or ineffectiveness. Also, the media provide opportunities for political actors to gain the limelight through staging media events and providing "sound bytes." By the same token, events which are not pictorial in nature may be relatively neglected by the media.
2. Agenda Setting. This is the real power of the media. The media select what is to be covered, thereby setting a political agenda. Conversely, media inattention can allow governments to continue ineffective policies or worse. The media can even propel a latent issue into a "crisis" with which government must deal.
3. Interpreting. The media interprets the news for us, often in the form of stories. Stories, in turn, often involve good guys versus bad guys, little guys versus big guys, and contrasts of appearance versus reality, sometimes showing governmental hypocrisy. Pictures are key to interpreting stories and can be edited to show whatever viewpoint or emotion the editor seeks to reveal.
4. Socializing. Socialization, which is the learning of political values, is communicated not only in the news, but in entertainment, sports, and even advertising programming. Such programming coverage teaches how democracy works and legitimizes the electoral victors.
5. Persuading. Sometimes the media seeks to influence opinions directly. This occurs in editorial features, paid political advertisements, and sometimes in investigative reports. PACs and corporations can use their funds to purchase media coverage to promote their views on issues and candidates. Candidates, in turn, rely on media professionals to maximize their impact on public opinion. Presidents can go "over the heads of Congress" to seek to persuade the public of the wisdom or propriety of their policies.
The Politics of News
The economic interests of the media in gaining and keeping viewers may bias it toward sensationalism, giving disproportionate coverage to events involving war, violence, conflict, scandal, corruption, sex, scares, and personal lives of politicians and celebrities. In general, there is a negativism in the media, biasing it toward bad news as more newsworthy. "Good news" stories, such as the fact that drug use has declined, is less reported and as a result often is not part of the knowledge base citizens use in forming their opinions. The news profession itself holds investigative reporting in high esteem, creating media pressure toward muckraking. Reporters may see themselves as "watchdogs" of the public interest or even as adversaries of government. Sometimes muckraking stories become "feeding frenzies" where intense coverage blocks out almost all other news. Journalistic activism, in turn, means that the personal values of reporters are more important than they would otherwise be. Surveys of reporters, editors, and other media executives reveal a liberal bias, with few (around 10 percent in typical surveys) classifying themselves as conservative, right-leaning, or Republican. Conservative commentators include George Will, William F. Buckley, and Patrick Buchanan. Fox News network has brought a conservative voice to television. Hollywood is also decidedly liberal, but it is unclear how great an influence it has on politics as most television programs and movies are aimed entertainment and selling advertising time. In the arena of talk radio, however, conservatives dominate. Talk radio is sometimes referred to as "call-in democracy."
Mediated Elections
The media shapes political campaigning and elections.
The public learns about the candidates through the media. Thus, one's media image is of primary concern. The media image includes the candidate's words, mannerisms, appearance, personality, warmth, friendliness, humor and ease in front of the camera. In the arena of television, personal communication becomes central to a successful candidate. How a candidate says something thus becomes as important as what the candidate says. The media plays a central role in selecting candidates early in the process. The media helps create name recognition by frequently referring to a candidate, and media inattention can kill a candidate's aspirations. In presidential elections, it is essential to build name recognition early in the primary process by staging media events that attract coverage for free. The media sort out serious candidates and place expectations on front runners. By establishing front runners the media help determine financial contributions to the candidates.
Early in the campaign season media coverage and standings in the polls are usually synonymous. Therefore, media exposure is essential early in the campaign. Candidates hire media consultants to help them gain access to media coverage. The campaigns create media events to attract coverage by placing the candidates in action-oriented activities. The media report mainly on who is ahead or behind in a race, or horse-race coverage. In addition, focus is on money being spent in the campaign, standings in the polls, controversies, verbal blunders, and character issues, while policy issues only account for about one-third of the coverage. Negative stories of candidates predominate and increasingly the candidates personal lives are being scrutinized in detail. Increasingly, candidates sound bites are shrinking and now are typically less than eight seconds in length. While there is media bias, attempts are made to cover both party's candidates equally. Typically, front runners are criticized more than underdogs.
Freedom versus Fairness I do believe that the constitution protects the freedom of the media but does not guarantee its fairness. The media can be telling us different things but at the same time you wouldnt know if its true or not, neither would our politics. And what people are looking for is fairness and  truthness, the truth about America.