Politics and the Media

(POLS 328)

Professor Jonathan Day

Outline 1. Attendance Sheet

2. Restrictions on the Media

3. Freedoms of the Media

RestrictionsRight to Equal TimeRight of RebuttalExecutive PrivilegePrivate IndustriesSome White House and State Department meetingsSome pre-trial hearings and grand jury proceedings Supreme Court conferencesSome legislative sessionsSites of crimes and disasters when public is not permittedInterviewing and filming prison inmatesCombat Zones

More Restrictions

Privacy Protection (example: medical records)Libel LawsObscenitySelf-Regulation

Freedoms

Presidential inaugurationSpace shuttle landingsPolitical ConventionsScene of events: Accidents and CrimesNewspapers can publish or not publish anything they

wantReporters are free to publish pictures that are taken in

public settings and they don’t have to ask for permission.Freedom of Information Act

Freedom of Information Act

Effective starting in 1966 – makes available records of the federal government with several exceptions:National Security PapersLaw Enforcement FilesAgency working papersHighly personal information

The Three Party Conflict

Government vs. Media vs. People

Next Class

Media and Democracy

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-april-5-2004/colbert---jury-on-trial