12-1 The Media in American Politics

• Compare and contrast the various functions that the media serve in the American political system.

12-2 Historical Development of the Media

• Assess the evolution from a partisan press to a media focused on objectivity and how changes in technology have transformed the nature of the media.

12-3 The Mass Media Today

• Identify the large variety of traditional and “new” media that provide news and opinion about government and politics, and how media ownership is concentrated in large corporations.

12-4 Effects of the Media

• Compare and contrast the different theories that have been developed to explain the effect that exposure to news has on viewers/readers.

12-5 Criticisms of the News Media

• Critique media coverage of politics, including bias, sensationalism, and the concentration of corporate ownership.