Third Edition
CQ PressInstructors' ResourcesChaptersCh. 1 Logic of American PoliticsCh. 2 The ConstitutionCh. 3 FederalismCh. 4 Civil RightsCh. 5 Civil LibertiesCh. 6 CongressCh. 7 The PresidencyCh. 8 The BureaucracyCh. 9 The JudiciaryCh. 10 Public OpinionCh. 11 Voting, Campaigns and ElectionsCh. 12 Political PartiesCh. 13 Interest GroupsCh. 14 The News MediaAbout the BookAbout the Authors The Logic of American Politics by Samuel Kernell and Gary C. Jacobson

Chapter Fourteen: The News Media

Exercises



What News Is Newsworthy?
In this chapter, Kernell and Jacobson discuss the sorts of political news that journalists prefer to cover. In this exercise, you are going to study the characteristics of the stories that are most important to journalists. Begin with the comprehensive political news index for a news outlet (such as AP, USA Today, or Reuters Politics). Then look at the same outlet's index of "top stories" (such as AP, USA Today, or Reuters Top Stories). Which political stories also appear as top stories? Which do not? What do the "top" political stories seem to have in common?


In the Strictest of Conference
Go to the White House briefing room online and examine the content of the most recent press conference or briefing. What sorts of questions are asked? Do they all receive answers? Next, go to the online site of a major news outlet such as the Washington Post and try to find an article in which material from the press conference is cited. Generally speaking, what kind of information was selected? What information isn't selected?

Find the Leak
Go to your local newspaper's front page and identify stories containing at least one unattributed piece of information. How many leaks can you find on the front page? In each case, how was the source identified? What point of view is the source advancing? If you had to guess, who do you think the source would be? Why do you think he or she chose to remain anonymous?


Which Medium?
 You are the communications director for a campaign. As part of your duties, you have been asked to deliver a campaign message as soon as possible to as many district voters as possible. You have a limited budget. What type of advertising medium might you use in each of the following situations? Why?

Number of Voters?

Message Length?

Date of the Election?

35 (campus club)

25 words

Tomorrow

2,000 (neighborhood of 25,000-person town)

120 words, 2 images

Next week

573,000 (congressional district in Los Angeles)

100 words, 3 images

Next month

570,000 (congressional district consisting of 300,000-person city and suburbs)

30 words, 5 images

Next month

3,700 (professional association with members across the country)

2,000 words, no images

Today



Headlined News
Google's news index lists news stories from sources across the country. In many cases, these stories are taken from the same wire service story. Find a case where multiple news outlets have taken the same story. Then contrast the ways in which the story is presented. How do the headlines differ? What parts (if any) have been edited out? What illustrations are used?