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  Six ways the media influence elections Story by Andra Brichacek.   adapted from  https://journalism.uoregon.edu Ask Donald Trump and he’ll tell you journalists wield a lot of power over the U.S. political process. It’s true that the media have played an important role in politics since the First Amendment established freedom of the press as a cornerstone of American democracy. Voters need information to make educated decisions, and it’s journalists’ job to give it to them. But can the media really alter the outcome of an election? In addition to widespread voter fraud, which most experts agree would be impossible to accomplish , Trump is alleging the election has been "rigged" through biased media coverage. Recent shifts in the media landscape have changed how the press interacts with candidates, campaigns and the voting public. And, at a time when trust in the media is at an a...

  What role do the media play in American politics and culture ?   Former CNN White House correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno has been invited by Sciences Po Executive Education on 8 January 2016 to discuss the crucial role of the media in American politics and culture. How would you describe the role of the media and social media in the current presidential campaign ? Frank Sesno The roles of traditional and social media in the current campaign have diverged more sharply than we have ever seen before.  This is because traditional "journalism" media are confounded by populist/outsiders who have been so influential in setting the agenda for this campaign on the one hand, and social media, on the other hand, where they have a ready audience who support and encourage them.   Traditional media are trying to hol...

  Origins of Fourth Estate  adapted rom thoughtco.com  The term "fourth estate" is often attributed to British politician Edmund Burke. Thomas Carlyle, in "Heroes and Hero-Worship in History," writes: Burke said that there were three Estates in Parliament, but in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a fourth Estate more important far than them all. The Oxford English Dictionary attributes the term fourth estate to Lord Brougham in 1823. Others attributed it to English essayist William Hazlitt . In England, the three estates preceding the fourth estate were the king, the clergy and the commoners. In the United States, the term fourth estate is sometimes used to place the press alongside the three branches of government: legislative, executive and judicial. The fourth estate refers to the watchdog role of the press, one that is important to a functioning democracy.

  Woodward and Bernstein  adapted from biography.com Carl Bernstein (born 1944) and Robert Woodward (born 1943), investigative reporters for the Washington Post, wrote a series of articles about the Watergate scandals that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Carl Bernstein, born on February 14, 1944, in Washington, D.C., began part-time work at the Washington Star at the age of 16 and later dropped out of the University of Maryland to work full-time as a reporter. He joined the Washington Post's metropolitan staff in 1966, specializing in police, court, and city hall assignments, with occasional self-assigned feature stories. Robert Upshur Woodward, born on March 26, 1943, in Geneva, Illinois, attended Yale University on a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, after which he served for five years as a naval officer. He joined the Washington Post's metropolitan staff in 1971. On June 17, 1972, Woodward was assi...

Fairness Doctrine... adapted from USA Today In 1949, the FCC issued a report that established the duty of broadcast licensees to cover controversial issues in a fair and balanced manner. That obligation was termed the Fairness Doctrine. Its basic requirements were that broadcasters "devote a reasonable portion of broadcast time to the discussion and consideration of controversial issues of public importance" and "affirmatively endeavor to make ... facilities available for the expression of contrasting viewpoints held by responsible elements with respect to the controversial issues," per a report by the Congressional Research Service . "In practice, it required broadcasters to identify issues of public importance, decide to cover those issues, and then to afford the best representatives of the opposing views on the issue the opportunity to present their case to the community," the report explains. It also required broadcasters to allow individu...

Biden to sign crypto executive order opening door for digital dollar, innovation and equity push Matthew Brown   | USA TODAY   March 9th 2222   WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is tackling cryptocurrency and blockchain with a new executive order meant to promote future innovation in the industry while minimizing the financial risks to Americans and the global financial system. The order, which President Joe Biden is expected to sign Wednesday, will hasten the research and possible creation of the Federal Reserve's own digital currency, pushes for greater support for innovation in blockchain technology and works to ensure the new systems won't increase inequality or financial swings. Agencies like the Commerce, State and Treasury departments, as well as the Federal Reserve, have been working with or researching cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies ...