American National Government - POSC 111 Resource Guide

The United States is a republic of words and images in which institutions of power are increasingly dependent on the media. Power-holders and power-seekers depend on money and technological know-how to purchase and effectively utilize media resources. Governance (including not just the institutions of government but also the parties and pressure groups that seek to influence government) involves a complex admixture of persuasion, coercion, and material inducements.

Medium (plural, media) is defined by Marshall McLuhan as “ any extension of the self.” It is an extension of one or more of the senses: we want to see what is happening in Albania but cannot do so from Pittsburgh with the unaided eye, so we turn on the television.

The global reach of international economies has been mirrored by the development of worldwide media. The spread of the English language as the informational vehicle for international commerce has resulted in a vast network of media outlets. Britain's Financial Times and the Economist are now available in many countries.

U.S. media are part of the economic, political, and social structure of the nation. They are, in essence, an “institution,” much like the institutions of politics, education, and religion, and as such they exert influence and create models for behavior within the national culture.

Freedom of the press is the right, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to gather, publish, and distribute information and ideas without government restriction; this right encompasses freedom from prior restraints on publication and freedom from censorship.

The claim of bias in the American media is a common refrain in the rhetoric of the culture wars. The expectation that news reporting should be neutral and objective developed in the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The question of whether the media should be, or even can be, unbiased has been intensely debated in recent decades.

24-hour cable news coverage

FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press

The news section of National Public Radio. Listen to or read NPR's reliable news coverage.

Political Coverage from The New York Times

A daily political news source with extensive coverage on electoral politics, congressional and presidential politics and policy as well as opinions and blogs.

An independent, non-partisan media company, aims to cover all aspects of the U.S. political process including policy, elections and government.

Major political blog

Political reporting from the Washington Post

The White House provides timely and accurate information about the President's latest events and public statements. Here you'll find photos, video, and blogs, as well as proclamations, executive orders, and press releases.

Today's top journalists discuss Washington's current political events and public affairs.