The Relationship Between Journalism And Politics

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The media is sometimes called the “Fourth Estate” because of its influence in shaping the course of politics and public opinion. Some people are influenced by what they read or hear and others are not. There is a well-known psychological process called selective attention. Wilson, Dilulio, and Bose define it as “paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees.” (290) The national press can either help place new matters on the Congressional agenda or publicize matters placed there by others. There was a close correlation between the political attention given in the Senate to proposals for new safety standards for industry, coal mines, and automobiles and the amount of space devoted to these questions in the pages of The New York Times (WDB 12). The relationship between journalism and politics is a two-way street: though politicians take advantage as best …show more content…

has come to have an adversarial press—the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them. This cynicism and distrust of government and elected officials have led to an era of attack journalism—seizing upon any bit of information or rumor that might cast a shadow on the qualifications or character of a public official. Media coverage of gaffes—misspoken words, misstated ideas, clumsy moves—has become a staple of political journalism (WDB 294). Many studies, dating back to the early 1980s, have concluded that members of the national press are more liberal than the average citizen. Not only is the media more liberal, but they also tend to be more secular. Conservative media outlets have become more visible in recent years. More radio talk shows, such as those hosted by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, are politically conservative. As well as some of the television reporting broadcast on Fox News, such as on the O’Reilly Factor. Limbaugh and Hannity have large audiences, and Fox News has grown in popularity (WDB

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