Title: 15.7 Media Influence on Laws and Government – Understanding Media and Culture
Headings: 15.7 Media Influence on Laws and Government
15.7 Media Influence on Laws and Government
Learning Objectives
Politics, Broadcast Media, and the Internet
Radio
Television
Nixon–Kennedy Debates of 1960
War and Television
Political News Programming
Online News and Politics
Key Takeaways
Exercises
End-of-Chapter Assessment
Critical Thinking Questions
Career Connection
References

Content: 15.7 Media Influence on Laws and Government – Understanding Media and Culture
15.7 Media Influence on Laws and Government
Learning Objectives
Describe how radio transformed the political process. Discuss the impact of the televised debates on presidential campaigns. Figure 15.8
In 2007, The Washington Post published a critical exposé on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In response to the public outcry, the U.S. Army launched an investigation and set about improving the facility. As demonstrated in this case, media coverage can directly influence people’s lives. Max Borge – The Washington Post – CC BY-NC 2.0. Media have long had a voice and a role in politics. As you have read in earlier chapters, even some of the earliest newspapers and magazines used their pages as a forum for political discourse. When broadcast media emerged during the 20th century, radio briefs and television reports entered the conversation, bringing political stories to the public’s living rooms. In addition to acting as a watchdog, media provide readers and viewers with news coverage of issues and events, and also offer public forums for debate.