Mass Media and Politics

1
Mass Media and Politics

• Freedom of the Press
• (and Speech)
• Political Science 317
• Mark Stephan

2
Last Class and Todays Class

• Supreme Court
• Reforms, improvements, suggestions for change of
  the news media
  
• The Constitution and the Press
• Cooks take on things
• What the justices have to say..
• Freedom of the Press worldwide

3
Loose Ends

• Cook and Constitutional changes
• Freedoms and obligations
• Freedom of the press from governmental
  interference under the First Amendment does not
  sanction repression of that freedom by private
  interests. (Hugo Black, quoted in Cook, page 181)

4
No Prior Restraint early on

• What is no prior restraint?
• Any problems with this idea?
• Civil War
• Muckrakers
• Government regulations/sanctions in the 19th
  century

5
World War I and beyond

• Freedom of Speech
• Schenck v US (1919), Abrams v US (1919)
• Clear and present danger
• Brandenburg v Ohio (1969)
• Immediate, violent, and illegal action

6
Expanding No Prior Restraint

• Near v MN (1930)
• NY Times v US (1971)
• Alexander v US (1993)

7
Confidential Sources, Rights of Access

• Should journalists have to give up the names of
  their sources?
  
• Should journalists have a special access to
  information above and beyond the regular public?

8
General Points

• Evolving Perspectives of the Press
• Lots of split decisions
• Returning to Cooks point..

9
Freedom of the Press Worldwide

• Freedom Houses methods
• Italy
• United States
• Iraq
• Kenya and Sierra Leone

10
News Flash!!

• World news coverage of Iraq versus US coverage
  why might it be different?
  
• Your examples!
• Marion Barry in elected office again

11
Preview of Next Class

• Moving on to Media Effects
• Dont fall behind!!!