Notes

The Reagan White House operated on the following seven principles:
1) plan ahead
2) stay on the offensive
3) control the flow of information
4) limit reporters’ access to the president
5) talk about the issues you want to talk about
6) speak in one voice
7) repeat the same message many times

Investigative journalism—the use of detective-like reporting methods to unearth scandals—pits reporters against political leaders.

In 1934, Congress created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the use of airwaves. Today, the FCC regulates communications via radio, television, telephone, cable, and satellite. The FCC is an independent regulatory body, but in practice it is subject to many political pressures. The FCC has regulated the airwaves in three important ways. First, to prevent near-monopolies of control over a broadcast market, it has instituted rules to limit the number of stations owned or controlled by one company. Second, the FCC conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performance of stations as part of its licensing authority. Third, the FCC has issued a number of fair treatment rules concerning access to the airwaves for political candidates and officeholder.