ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the news media in their role as an actor in campaigns and elections. It looks at the development of the media throughout United States history, and describes the various organizational characteristics of media. The chapter analyzes the ways in which the media actually cover campaigns and elections. That leads to an exploration of media effects, or the ways in which the media influence their audience. The chapter discusses Election Night coverage, and a normative evaluation of the media's activity. The media environment in the United States has rightly been described as "fragmented". Technological change has led to a proliferation of media outlets. The fragmented media environment is complicated for voters to navigate, frustrating for candidates and parties who are trying to get a message to the voters, and challenging for media organizations seeking larger audiences and more profit.
