Suddenly, information that would previously have been available only later in the newspapers was transmitted directly into American living rooms. On November 2, 1920, KDKA in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, became the first station to broadcast election results from the Harding-Cox presidential race, “becoming a pioneer in a brand new technology.”“History of the Radio,” /article.cfm/history_of_the_radio. Additionally, 72 percent of respondents agreed that “most reporters try to help the candidate they want to win.”Rasmussen Reports, “67% Say News Media Have too Much Influence Over Government Decisions,” news release, January 14, 2010, This statistic demonstrates the media’s perceived political power along with the road the media must carefully navigate when dealing with political issues.Īs discussed in Chapter 7, radio was the first medium through which up-to-the-minute breaking news could be broadcast, with its popularization during the 1920s. In a January 2010 survey, two-thirds of respondents said that the media has too much influence on the government. Despite laws put in place to prevent unbalanced political coverage, such as Section 315, a large majority of the public is still wary of the media’s role in swaying political opinion. Regardless of who is encouraging whom, media coverage of politics certainly raises questions among the public. Over the decades, political scientists, journalists, politicians, and political pundits have put forth many arguments about the media’s power in influencing the government and politicians.William James Willis, The Media Effect: How the News Influences Politics and Government (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007), 4. Sometimes the media appear willing or unwitting participants in chasing stories the government wants them to chase other times politicians find themselves chasing issues that the media has enlarged by its coverage. William James Willis, author of The Media Effect: How the News Influences Politics and Government discusses this debate: Many individuals wonder who is really behind certain stories. However, an ongoing debate exists over media’s role in politics. Because of the ensuing two-part feature, the Secretary of the Army and the two-star general in charge of the medical facility lost their jobs. In 2007, for example, The Washington Post conducted a four-month investigation of the substandard medical treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Thus, media support-or lack thereof-can have a significant influence on public opinion and governmental action. In addition to acting as a watchdog, media provide readers and viewers with news coverage of issues and events, and also offer public forums for debate. When broadcast media emerged during the 20th century, radio briefs and television reports entered the conversation, bringing political stories to the public’s living rooms. As you have read in earlier chapters, even some of the earliest newspapers and magazines used their pages as a forum for political discourse. Media have long had a voice and a role in politics. As demonstrated in this case, media coverage can directly influence people’s lives. Army launched an investigation and set about improving the facility. In response to the public outcry, the U.S. In 2007, The Washington Post published a critical exposé on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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