Propoganda/Media Bias
in response to Jonathan, i agree that the propoganda technique i encountered most often when watching the news or reading the paper was the appeal to Fear. It was all over the place, but yes especially on more political (perhaps biased?) news shows like CNN, MSNBC, Foxnews, etc. Conservative shows blast Obama as a socialist/communist/fascist plotting to take over the country any day now, so we must act quickly (and vote Republican next election). Liberal shows attack conservatives in much the same way by appealing to their audiences worst fears. If the conservatives gain anymore power in Congress or are allowed to filibuster the next bill we're trying to pass, all hell will break loose and it'll be complete anarchy.
Exactly! I think it is really kind of ridiculous some of the time. Sometimes I wonder if the things some of these people say are really how they feel or if they are just exaggerated emotions on how they are feeling. And you are right about the local news, although I think that propaganda certainly does exist there, with a limited time frame and so many topics to get to you are allowed a more unbias report of the news.