NOTES FROM WED FEB 27,2008

Three Sources of Media influence
- Socialization
-Agenda setting
-Framing
-Spin doctors
- Pundits
(Pundits try t do what is right, and bring experts to come in and talk about an issue. Dr. Jewett is head of the pundits of the Political science department)

Covering Congress
- News enclaves
- Nationalization of the news


Feeding the local Press
- The Press Release game.
-regular Columns


The Local Press/incumbent advantage
- In many instances incumbents legislator press releases are printed verbatim
- Local reporters are “generalists”
- Local media cover the individual and no the institution.
-“News Hole” Refers to the amount of time that a station that has a gap that they can fill with a news story. The news channels have a lot of better chance to get the news in! Just imagine the CW! It’s Tv shows all day, and then just that 1 hour gap, the “News Hole” is when they show the news.


Why we Like our members?

- Some constituents
-Run against Congress
-Focus on local connections
-Highlight their parochial accomplishments

Why do we not like Congress?
- National issues are complex and often unsolvable
- Institution is reported on negative national media
-moves very slow
-rarely speaks with a single voice.

Generalities about media Coverage of Congress
- TV ads are becoming increasingly negative, and negative ads increase public cynicism
- Negative ads are not less truthful and tend to sharpen the issues in congressional campaigns
-Increase n Horse Race journalism from 38% to 55% from 1992 to 1996
- Sound bites are getting shorter
-Increase in coverage of national legislative elections, but no movement is coverage of state races.