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C-SPAN founder and moderator Brian Lamb visits the BeyondBooks Cyber Exploration at PoliticalFest 2000 in Philadelphia.

After the Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, and the federal bureaucracy, no institution has an impact on the American government as large as the media. Yet its members are not elected by the people, and its motives are often driven by profit.

By appearing on networks and shows often shunned by presidential candidates -- like MTV and "The Arsenio Hall Show" -- Bill Clinton was able to garner a large majority of the younger vote in the 1992 election.

Since colonial days, newspapers have shaped the views of American citizens of the political leaders and institutions. The twentieth century introduced radio and television as powerful new players in politics. As the millennium came to a close, politicians wrestled with the impact of the newest form of media — the internet.

Few countries around the world allow a free press which can influence the political leaders. Many states completely operate and censor their own media, and use them to promote policies of their leaders' whims. Even democratic states like Great Britain and France have a firmer control of their media, often punishing critical correspondents. The First Amendment freedom of the press has been taken very seriously in the United States.

From his televised "Checkers" speech to his tangle with Woodward and Bernstein in the 1970s, Richard Nixon learned first-hand the effects of the media on politics.

Media producers and editors decide which stories make the headlines, which get buried on page 16, and which receive no mention whatsoever. Given the fiercely competitive capitalist market, irresponsible publishers have often sensationalized news to increase profits. Politicians desperately court media support, recognizing their ability to promote or destroy political reputations.

Members of the media have also acted as watchdogs on private enterprise and public officials. Muckrakers of the early twentieth century drew attention to abuses in the meat-packing industry, the formation of trusts, and the corruption of municipal governments. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post played crucial roles in exposing the White House role in the Watergate coverup.

President Ronald Reagan -- also known as "The Great Communicator" -- steps to the podium to deliver his acceptance speech at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.

Throughout American history, the most successful politicians were those who could manipulate the dominant news medium of their time. Franklin Roosevelt successfully used the radio in his series of Fireside Chats. Dubbed "The Great Communicator," Ronald Reagan made his political career with his television image. Although vilified by many, the American press has asserted itself as a major player in shaping government policies — from the earliest days to the present time.