Newspapers,television,and radio are the three most important nondigital sources of information for Americans attempting to learn about politics.Write an essay that evaluates these three news sources in contemporary American politics.What are some of the distinct characteristics of each medium? How do the sources differ from each other in terms of the ways in which they disseminate news as well as the audiences they reach?

There are three components to this question.
a.Print media: Newspapers are the oldest medium for the dissemination of the news.Beginning in the early twentieth century,newspapers developed standardized reporting and writing practices that emphasized "objectivity" in political news coverage.Though no longer the primary news source for most Americans,print newspapers remain important because they are influential among the political elite.The print media may have a smaller audience than their newer cousins in broadcasting and digital media,but they have an especially influential audience because they help set the political agenda for the nation.Most print newspapers now have a significant online presence (although the revenue from this digital content has not been enough to replace old revenue streams).
b.Television: Television news reaches more Americans than any other single news source.More than 95 percent of Americans have a television,and tens of millions of people watch national and local news programs every day.Television news generally covers relatively few topics and provides little depth of coverage.It serves the important function of alerting viewers to issues and events via brief quotes and short characterizations of the day's events.Furthermore,broadcast media do very little of their own reporting,instead relying on leading newspapers or digital media to set their news agenda.
c.Radio: In recent years,radio news listening has experienced significant growth; in 1990,there were 400 radio stations,a number that has grown to more than 2,000 today.Conservative radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have huge audiences and have helped to mobilize support for conservative political causes and candidates.In the political center or center left,National Public Radio (NPR)is a coveted source for in-depth political reporting.