Departmental Papers (ASC)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
5-1-2004
Publication Source
American Behavioral Scientist
Volume
47
Issue
9
Start Page
1208
Last Page
1230
DOI
10.1177/0002764203262344
Abstract
This article argues that by providing virtually unlimited sources of political information, the new media environment undermines the idea that there are discrete gates through which political information passes: If there are no gates, there can be no gatekeepers. The difficulty of elites (political and media both) and academics in understanding the Lewinsky scandal stems from their failure to recognize the increasingly limited ability of journalists to act as gatekeepers. The disjuncture between elite attempts to both control and understand the scandal on one hand and the conclusions the public drew about this political spectacle on other hand speaks to some fundamental changes that have occurred in the role of the press in American society in the late 20th century.
Copyright/Permission Statement
The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, The American Behavioral Scientist, vol 47, no. 9, 2004, © SAGE Publications, Inc. at The American Behavioral Scientist page: http://abs.sagepub.com/ On SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/
Keywords
gatekeeping, political scandal, Clinton-Lewinsky, new media
Recommended Citation
Delli Carpini, M. X. (2004). Monica and Bill All the Time and Everywhere. American Behavioral Scientist, 47 (9), 1208-1230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764203262344
Date Posted: 21 November 2013