text assets/images/thmbs/intro.gif Communications & Politics

American democracy puts the power of government directly into the hands of the people, who exercise that power by electing representatives at local, state, and national levels. From the beginning of the nation, its sheer size meant that it would be impossible for voters to determine whether or not their elected officals were actually doing what they were elected to do. The new government needed a strong and large network of public communication in order to function according to its design.

That is the definition of the mass media. The media evovled as a method of communication between the government and its constituents. It sparked the

]]> rebellion against Great Britain and became the forum for debate about what form the new nation should take. Newspapers and pamphlets – and later, illustrated periodicals, radio, television, and the Internet – presented news about laws, wars, court cases, scandals, campaigns, the economy, election results, foreign affairs, travel, science, technology, marriages, divorces, and scores of other local and national affairs.

Role of the Media

What role has the media played in the American political process? By examining seven critical periods in the history of politics and the media and looking at primary sources from each, we will learn more about how print media, broadcasting, and the

]]> Internet fit into the larger story of American democracy.

Scope of the Exhibit

This exhibit was created by Sarah Wittmer, a student intern in the 2007 YAIO Internship Program. Its purpose is to make materials from the State Archives easily accessible to the public, specifically middle and high school students. This is not an extensive survey of the media and its place in politics. Rather, this exhibit is an introduction to some of the materials available in the Archives and the North Carolina Newspaper Project.

Click on the arrows or dates on the timeline to navigate the site. Use the thumbnails in each section to view the items in that collection.

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