Mass Media

INFLUENCES OF MASS MEDIA ON VOTERS:

Important to understand that ALL mass media outlets have some sort of bias opinion about political candidates

Understanding the bias is extremely important to being a well informed voter

You cannot believe everything you see or read about a candidate -----VERY FRUSTRATING

USE OF DECEPTION IN THE MEDIA

http://www.flackcheck.org/patterns-of-deception/

Mass Media

Mass Media in the US enjoy more freedom than all other media outlets world wide.

Government Reg. are aimed at providing order, fairness, and access to the media

Protecting the Media

Constitutional Protection: 1st Amendment

Print Media is free from prior restraint

No government censorship prior to publication

Editors have total control of their publications

Freedom of press is not absolute

Libel – false statements WRITTEN to damage a person’s reputation

Slander - false statement SPOKEN to damage a person's reputation

Possible Internet Restrictions

Speech that is likely to lead to imminent lawless action

Fighting words

Obscenity

Child Pornography is banned

Defamatory Statements

Right to gather information

Protection of Sources

Challenges against freedom of expression via the internet

Generally the Supreme Court rejects the idea that the media as “rights of access”

Reporters in general are limited to the same access as the public, although in many cases they are granted more access for discovery

More than half of all states have “Shield Laws” to protect reporters from having to reveal their sources.

Privacy Protection Act of 1980 prevents all levels of government from searching for and seizing source documentation.

1996 Decency Act – Federal offense for publishing anything indecent or offensive (struck down by the Supreme Court)

1998 Child Online Protection Act – requires an identification device, such as a credit card, to limit access of minors to adult website (still being debated in the lower courts)

2000 Children’s Internet Protection Act – requires libraries that accept public funds to install anti-pornography filters on their computers

MEDIA AND MEDIA _ BIAS - POWER OF POLITICAL SATIRE

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Regulating the Media

Removed limits on radio and TV company ownership

Removed limits on the number of TV stations a company could own

Prohibited obscenities

Develops the rating system for cable television, and moving ratings.

Requires TV to have a V-Chip to block channels from their children

FCC-Federal Communications Commission

Regulate radio, tv, telephone, telegraph, cable, and satellite communications

FCC cannot sensor broadcasts, but can influence the content of broadcasts via monetary punishments

Removal of the fairness doctrine – that stipulated equal airtime representing both sides of a controversial issue

Regulating the Internet

Media and National Security

Reno vs. ACLU (1997) Freedom of Expression is guaranteed on the internet

Protects several different types of websites

Online Pornography

Websites that promote drug use

Websites that promote hate (Neo-Nazi’s)

Websites that educate people on how to make bombs, or carry out other violent crimes

“Secret or classified” security classifications are not available to the press

Are limited on reporting during times of war – greatly changed after Vietnam

Limited on reporting their location during times of war

Limited on reporting anything that threatens national security.