American Television News The Media Marketplace And The Public Interest

This concise history of the news broadcasting industry will appeal to both students and general readers. Stretching from the "radio days" of the 1920s and 1930s and the early era of television after World War II through to the present, the book shows how commercial interests, regulatory matters, and financial considerations have long shaped the broadcasting business. The network dominance of the 1950s ushered in the new prominence of the "anchorman," a distinctly American development, and gave birth to the "golden age" of TV broadcasting, which featured hard-hitting news and documentaries epitomized by the reports by CBS's Edward R. Murrow. Financial pressures and advertising concerns in the 1960s led the networks to veer away from their commitment to serve the public interest, and "tabloid" television - celebrity, gossip-driven "soft news" - and news "magazines" became increasingly widespread. In the 1980s cable news further transformed broadcasting, igniting intense competition for viewers in the media marketplace. Focusing on both national and local news, this stimulating volume examines the evolution of broadcast journalism. It also considers how new electronic technologies will affect news delivery in the 21st century, and whether television news can still both serve the public interest and maintain an audience.

This concise history of the news broadcasting industry will appeal to both students and general readers. Stretching from the "radio days" of the 1920s and 1930s and the early era of television after World War II through to the present, the book shows how commercial interests, regulatory matters, and financial considerations have long shaped the broadcasting business. The network dominance of the 1950s ushered in the new prominence of the "anchorman," a distinctly American development, and gave birth to the "golden age" of TV broadcasting, which featured hard-hitting news and documentaries epitomized by the reports by CBS's Edward R. Murrow. Financial pressures and advertising concerns in the 1960s led the networks to veer away from their commitment to serve the public interest, and "tabloid" television - celebrity, gossip-driven "soft news" - and news "magazines" became increasingly widespread. In the 1980s cable news further transformed broadcasting, igniting intense competition for viewers in the media marketplace. Focusing on both national and local news, this stimulating volume examines the evolution of broadcast journalism. It also considers how new electronic technologies will affect news delivery in the 21st century, and whether television news can still both serve the public interest and maintain an audience.

This handbook provides a synthesis of current work and research in media management and economics, and establishes an agenda for future activities. It will serve as a foundational resource for scholars and students in media management and economics.

Facebook, a platform created by undergraduates in a Harvard dorm room, has transformed the ways millions of people consume news, understand the world, and participate in the political process. Despite taking on many of journalism’s traditional roles, Facebook and other platforms, such as Twitter and Google, have presented themselves as tech companies—and therefore not subject to the same regulations and ethical codes as conventional media organizations. Challenging such superficial distinctions, Philip M. Napoli offers a timely and persuasive case for understanding and governing social media as news media, with a fundamental obligation to serve the public interest. Social Media and the Public Interest explores how and why social media platforms became so central to news consumption and distribution as they met many of the challenges of finding information—and audiences—online. Napoli illustrates the implications of a system in which coders and engineers drive out journalists and editors as the gatekeepers who determine media content. He argues that a social media–driven news ecosystem represents a case of market failure in what he calls the algorithmic marketplace of ideas. To respond, we need to rethink fundamental elements of media governance based on a revitalized concept of the public interest. A compelling examination of the intersection of social media and journalism, Social Media and the Public Interest offers valuable insights for the democratic governance of today’s most influential shapers of news.

The Business of Media presents the critical, yet careful, analysis of the rapidly changing media industry that students need in order to get behind the headlines and understand our increasingly media-saturated society. The writing is clear and jargon-free, accessible to undergraduates without requiring a background in economics.

Media and Society into the 21st Century captures the breathtaking revolutionary sweep of mass media from the late 19th century to the present day. Updated and expanded new edition including coverage of recent media developments and the continued impact of technological change Newly reworked chapters on media, war, international relations, and new media A new "Web 2.0" section explores the role of blogging, social networking, user-generated content, and search media in media landscape

"Genuinely transnational in content, as sensitive to the importance of production as consumption, covering the full range of approaches from political economy to textual analysis, and written by a star-studded cast of contributors" - Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner, University of Queensland "Finally, we have before us a first rate, and wide ranging volume that reframes television studies afresh, boldly synthesising debates in the humanities, cultural studies and social sciences...This volume should be in every library and media scholar’s bookshelf." - Professor Ravi Sundaram, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies Bringing together a truly international spread of contributors from across the UK, US, South America, Mexico and Australia, this Handbook charts the field of television studies from issues of ownership and regulation through to reception and consumption. Separate chapters are dedicated to examining the roles of journalists, writers, cinematographers, producers and manufacturers in the production process, whilst others explore different formats including sport, novella and soap opera, news and current affairs, music and reality TV. The final section analyses the pivotal role played by audiences in the contexts of gender, race and class, and spans a range of topics from effects studies to audience consumption. The SAGE Handbook of Television Studies is an essential reference work for all advanced undergraduates, graduate students and academics across broadcasting, mass communication and media studies.

"For anyone interested in the relationship between politics and mass media, this is a key book. Neil Washbourne combines a compendious knowledge of modern forms of communication with an astute and sophisticated analysis of contemporary politics. Mediating Politics is theoretically subtle and empirically detailed, offering a new perspective on a vital topic." Professor John Street, University of East Anglia, UK "In the vast field that political communication has become Neil Washbourne's book stands out... Admirable and helpful work for both students and scholars new to the topic."Professor Liesbet van Zoonen, Erasmus University, Rotterdam How is politics reported in the media? How does the relationship between the media and political organizations affect the political messages that are conveyed? How do members of the public access and make sense of political messages? This book critically analyses the complex relationship between media and politics, beginning with a discussion of what is meant by the mediating of politics. The author outlines the ways in which political messages are formulated, broadcast and received, as well as examining the ways in which the media and political organisations are linked to one another. The author also analyses the relationship between the media and: Globalisation De-regulation of the media Apathy of audiences Illustrated throughout with case studies from the US, UK and from across the world, the book also explores: Celebrity politicians How different national media systems encourage (or discourage) political engagement How young people engage with the media and politics How the Internet has affected the organization of politics and news media Mediating Politics is key reading for media, communication, cultural and political studies students.