ABSTRACT
A challenge for the media lies in providing context for ongoing news stories. Sorting out the cause and effect when dealing with the president, the public, and the media is difficult. The typical model of the president "proclaiming," the media "transmitting," and the public "receiving" underestimates the complexity of the relationship. The media became seen as a key instrument for enhancing the president's impact. Presidents and their staff are forced to react to real-world events such as mass shooters, economic reports, and initiatives by foreign leaders. Presidents tend to have greater success in dominating foreign policy crisis news than domestic news. Public policy is the ultimate outcome of the political process. Both the president and the media play important roles in establishing the American policy agenda, with the media playing a special role in alerting the public as to what is important.
