PS 201 | Introduction to US Politics |
Joseph Boland | Fall, 1998 |
1. An example of source production. In 1979-1980 the U.S. Air Force reported on its public information outreach, which included the following:
newspapers (140) | 690,000 copies/week | |
magazines (Airman) | 125,000 month | |
news releases (headquarters and units) | 45,000 | |
news releases (hometown) | 615,000 | |
interviews with new media | 6,600 | |
news conferences | 3,200 | |
news media orientation flights | 500 | |
meetings with editorial boards | 50 | |
speeches | 11,000 |
This is not the full extent of the Air Force's public relations effort. And, of course, the Air Force is only one branch of the armed forces. Another study found, for example, that the Pentagon published 1,203 periodicals in 1982.
From Herman and Chomsky 1988, 20.
2. A study of sources of
front-page news stories (in percentages).
Source | Times/Post staff stories | Local press staff stories | Wire services staff stories | Total stories | |
Government | 54 | 48 | 60 | 55 | |
U.S. | (32) | (16) | (36) | (31) | |
State | (5) | (15) | (6) | (7) | |
Local | (6) | (17) | (5) | (7) | |
Foreign | (11) | (--) | (13) | (10) | |
Group-linked person | 25 | 36 | 19 | 24 | |
Private person | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | |
Foreigner | 4 | -- | 7 | 5 | |
Other | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
From Graber 1993, 112.