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| Section
I: Topic & Keywords |
Section III: Electronic Indexes & Databases Sources |
Section IV: Web Sources on Topic |
Section V: Mini-Essay |
Section I: Introduction to Topic and Keywords
The media envelopes almost every aspect of American life; and in politics, especially during election years, the media often serves as the only source of information for most voters. This, in fact, is why our Founding Fathers deemed it necessary to allow the press constitutional protection through the First Amendment. However, the days of hand printed newsletters discussing an individual or groups political perspective are long gone, now the media lies in the hands of a few wealthy and influential media moguls.
It is worth considering then the influence the media today is capable of exerting on the electorate,. What role does the media play in the American political landscape? Does the mass media act as the sole provider of information to the electorate? And furthermore, Does the media truly act as a neutral watch-dog as it was intended to do, or is it simply for sale to the highest bidder?
The audience for this dilemma could be as small as a few political inclined individuals at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. However, I contend that any member of the American electorate, especially those who depend on the media for facts and information related to their political decisions are all targeted audiences for my research.
Section I-b: Keywords
UNC Library Catalog:
(media and television) and political campaigns
media and politic? campaign?
Lexis-Nexis Academic :
politic! campaign! w/10 (media or television or radio or internet)
politic! campaign! w/20 media and news not commercial!
Search Engine on Web: <http://www.altavista.com>
media and political campaigns and not commercials
political campaigns and use of media and electorate and not commercials
and news or network broadcast
Section II: Books, Videotapes and CD-ROMs from UNC-CH Libraries
Print Sources:
Berryhill, Dale A. The Media Hates Conservatives: How it Controls the Flow of Information. Lafayette, La.: Huntington House Publishers. 1994. Available: Davis Library, Call No. P95.82.U6 B476 1994.
Buchanan, Bruce. Renewing Presidential Politics: Campaigns, Media, and the Public Interest. Lanham, Md..: Rowman &Littlefield. 1996. Available: Davis Library, Call No. JK524 .B78 1996.
Miller, Edward D. The Charlotte Project: Helping Citizens Take Back Democracy. St. Petersburg: Fla.: Poynter Institute for Media Studies. 1997. Available: Davis Library, Call No. PN 4751 .M55 1994.
Non-Print Source:
The Candidate. Videocassette. 105 min. Wildwood-Ritchie Production. New York: 1972. Available: UL Media Resources Center, Call No. 65 V12.
Section III: Electronic Indexes and Databases Sources
Brinkley, Douglas. “The Great Election 222 Media Debacle.”
Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 6, 2, Spring. (2001):
82-88. Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. Accessed: January 30,
2003.
“FEC Asks Legal Staff to Revise Regulations for Information Age.” Political Finance & Lobby Reporter. 28 April, 1999. LexisNexis Academic. Accessed: January 30, 2003.
Howd, Aimee. “Campaign Reform or Free Speech?” Insight on the News. 3 Jan. 2000, 20. LexisNexis Academic. Accessed: January 30, 2003.
Kern, Montague. “Disadvantage Al Gore n Election 2000: Coverage of Issue and Candidate Attributes, including the Candidate as Campaigner, on Newspaper and Television News Web Sites.” American Behavioral Scientist, 44, 12. August. (2001): 2125-2139. Worldwide Political Abstracts. Accessed: January 30, 2003.
Stuckey, Mary E. “Here We Go Again: Presidential Elections and the National Media.” Perspectives on Political Science, 29, 2, Spring. (2000): 99-103. Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. Accessed: January 30, 2003.
“TV Industry Blasted on ‘All Ads, No News’ in 2000 Campaigns.” Communications Daily. 16 March 2001. LexisNexis Academic. Accessed: January 30, 2003.
Section IV: Web Sources on Topic
Title of Web Page:
NewsHour Extra: Campaigns and the Media.
Web Address:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec00/media.html
Brief Description:
The webpage is set-up as an aid to student’s and teacher’s
in obtaining knowledge about all the different roles the media plays
in political elections. The webpage has ten separate sub-categories:
Getting the Message Out, Times Have Changed; The Impact of T.V.; 24/7,;
Free for All, all candidates have some access to coverage; You Get What
You Pay For, They Know the Beast, Rock the Vote,; But is TV a Bad Thing?,
and the Net and the Future. The site is very useful for simple explanations
of current trends and future predictions for the interplay between politics
and media, and what it means for democracy and voters.
Source of Website: Public Broadcasting Service
Title of Web Page:
Federal Communication Commission’s Complaint #96-401
Web Address:
http://ftp.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Orders/1996/fcc96401.txt
Brief Description:
This webpage contains the complete hearing notes for a complaint filed
by former presidential hopeful Ross Perot. Perot alleges in his complaint
that the network news channels, mainly ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX, are in
violation of several sections of the Communications Act, because they
have failed to provide him "reasonable access" to their facilities
and equal opportunity to representation, which was apparently given
to the candidates of the two “major” parties.
Source of Website: Federal Communications Commissions
Title of Web Page:
Scott London: How the Media Frames Political Issues
Web Address:
http://www.scottlondon.com/reports/frames.html
Brief Description:
Scott London is an independent journalist and radio producer with extensive
broadcast experience, who has worked for NPR and Radio Peace International.
On this page, which discusses the personal, however well researched
and documented, Scott London discusses his insight on the way the media
frames political issues. London further discusses how the framing of
stories is interpreted by audiences, and what impact these interpretations
have on politics and democracy in general.
Source of Website: Scott London
Title of Web Page:
Digital Beat Extra: Television and Political Campaigns
Web Address:
http://www.benton.org/News/Extra/broad030700.html
Brief Description:
This website discusses a small amount of information about spending
on campaign advertisement. But the bulk of the page, and why it is useful
to me, discusses the mediums most routinely utilized by audiences to
obtain political information. Much of the information on the site is
provided in statistical data, probably obtained through polling; and
it is detailed enough to even discuss particular channels and shows
used by the electorate.
Source of Website: Benton Foundation
Title of Web Page:
“Going Negative” Political Communication Lab
Web Address:
http://pcl.stanford.edu/common/docs/research/iyengar/1996/goingneg.html
Brief Description:
This website offers a discussion about political advertising, mainly
negative advertising, and how these advertising campaigns affect the
electorates ideas about candidates, as well as their decision to vote
or not. The site discusses the different behavior of individuals along
party, education and class lines. The concept of apathy among voters
in also introduced and examined.
Source of Website: Stanford University
The Internet
and Political Campaigns:
The Federal Elections Commission Calls for More Rules Governing Political
Websites
The Internet has changed the political landscape from both the perspective of the electorate and that of the politician. Politicians are on a constant mission to reach, inform, and persuade the electorate. Recently politicians and their campaign staffs have created and maintained websites aimed at promoting their campaigns. Some campaigns have actually maintained several sites: one focused on candidate’s virtues and another focused on criticism of their opponents. (1) In addition to using websites as a source of information, many candidates use their sites to facilitate credit card campaign donations, as well as organizing databases filled with volunteer and voter information.
Additionally, individuals and news organizations, independent of official campaigns, have also begun creating websites, some of which are extremely biased or create links to candidate’s personal websites.
The use of the Internet as a campaign tool has created a dilemma for the Federal Election Commission, especially in their interpretation of the Federal Election Campaign Act, passed in 1979. This act was created for regulation with broadcast and newspaper advertisements in mind. (2) To date, the FEC has only issued narrowly stated Advisory Opinions in response to specific inquiries from campaigns; including now President George W. Bush’s campaign staff.
Two questions certain to make the list considered by the FEC’s legal advisors are: “How to determine if a website is entitled to the same First Amendment protection that is afforded to news media organization; and When should the FEC’s regulations be applied to a website which engages in ‘express advocacy’ to elect or defeat a clearly identified candidate for federal election?” (3) This “express advocacy” consideration is most notably tied to implications of campaign finance restrictions.
Currently, the FEC has completed a list of questions, which will be published in a Federal Register notice and will request the comments and suggestions of Internet service providers, such as MSN or AOL, as well as commercial and private website administrators and the general public. (3)
“Many people have a lot of questions,” said Commissioner Karl Sandstrom. “We best approach these one at a time. I’m going to be very supportive of allowing volunteers to engage in this activity.” (4)
The idea of increased guidance is welcome from many political campaigns that have been treading lightly the last few years, unsure of what is and is not allowed in the highly regulated world of federal elections.
“The Internet plays an important role in political campaigns these days, and issues related to it have yet to be addressed, and we are just asking for some guidance,” said Scott McClellan, a spokesman for the Bush campaign.
Bibliography and Footnotes
1. “Internet May be Transforming
Campaigns and Elections.” North Carolina for Voter Education.
[Press Release] 13 Dec. 2002. Accessed: January 30, 2003. Available
online at: http://www.ncvotered.com/index.php3?pagetype=content&filename=pr_11120201
2. Johnston, Margret. “Campaigns Seek Web Guidance.” Federal
Computer Week. 30 Aug. 1999. Accessed: January 30, 2003. Available online
at: www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/1999/FCW_083099_1032.asp
3. “FEC Asks Legal Staff to Revise Regulations for Information
Age.” Political Finance & Lobby Reporter. 28 April 1999. LexisNexis
Academic. Accessed: January 30, 2003.
4. Salant, Jonathan D., AP Writer. “FEC to Offer Rules Governing
Political Websites.” The Associated Press. 28 Oct. 1999. LexisNexis
Academic. Accessed: January 30, 2003.