Kenneth Janda here again as principal author of Chapter 6, "The Media." Unlike some American government texts, ours devotes a full chapter to the mass media. The topic is important because the media promote the two-way communication between citizens and government that is necessary for democracy. Here's what to get from reading this chapter.

First, you should learn something about the history of the print and broadcast media. Did the colonists read newspapers? Did citizens in the late 1800s have more choices among newspapers than citizens today? Was there television before World War II? What are the comparative sizes of today's audiences for news on television, radio, and in newspapers and magazines? Concerning the newest mass media, the Internet, check to see how the United States compares with other countries concerning the extent of Internet penetration among its citizens.

Second, be sure you understand how the United States differs from other countries concerning private ownership of the broadcast media and the consequences of private ownership for news broadcasts. For example, what makes a story "newsworthy"? If citizens get their news from different sources, does how they get the news make any difference to what citizens know about government and politics? Which news sources seem to be the most informative?

Third, pay attention to the extent to which the government regulates the media. Understand why it regulates the broadcast media more heavily than the print media, and determine whether government regulation has increased or decreased over time--and why there has been a change.

Fourth, get a hold on the various functions that the media perform in the political system. Who actually provides the information that is reported as "news"? Apart from reporting political events, who interprets and presents the news--and who are the so-called "gatekeepers" of the news that is printed and broadcast? Is there any evidence that the way news is reported actually influences public opinion? Some observes say that the media's greatest influence lies in setting what is called the "political agenda." Know what that term means. Finally, read (and think) about the effects of the media on political socialization. Compared with fifty years ago, does today's media promote order or actually encourage disorder?

Finally, consider the evidence concerning ideological bias in reporting. What evidence is there of liberal bias? Is there any evidence of conservative bias? And, of course, consider the impact of the media in promoting (or retarding) democracy, and the media's effect on freedom, order, and equality.