Use this American Government by the People video entitled The Media and American Politics to understand how government works and to study how the news media include newspapers, magazines, radio, television, films, recordings, books, and electronic communications, in all their forms, and how these means of communication have been called "the other government" and "the fourth branch of government." Discover how the news media are a pervasive feature of American politics and generally help to define our culture and how the rise of new communications technologies has made the media more influential throughout American society. The news media provide a "linking" function between politicians and government officials and the public.