The Power of the Media in Politics The mass media possesses a great deal of influence in society and politics in the United States. Newspapers, radio, magazines and television are able to use their own judgment when reporting current events. The power of the mass media is an asset to the government in some instances and a stumbling block in others. Recent technology and regulations related to the media have improved the means by which the public can get information. The final say in what goes into a story, however, belongs to the reporter alone.
Moreover, the media can help set the political agenda by focusing on specific issues and influencing what issues the public and government should be concerned with. The media, can occasionally persuade what matters voters should care about in elections, as well as what criterion the public should evaluate candidates by. Since the media is the public’s main source of information, it can significantly affect a candidates campaign by how it chooses to cover them. The media has the discretion to cover the candidates whom it feels are legitimate and have a possible chance of winning. The media accordingly acts as a sift, narrowing down candid... ... middle of paper ... ... outlets should also be required to cover all candidates towards the beginning of an election for equal time in order to forge the fairest chance of election for all candidates as possible.
To win votes, a politician needs to make sure the citizen is very clear with their manifestos and how they will benefit them. Even a single vote would change the election’s result. This is where the media plays their roles. Media acts as eyes and ears to the citizen so they would cover more information about the election as the citizen are eager to obtain more information about the candidates to help them making the right decision. Moreover, politicians are the one who will determine the country direction in future.
Lastly the issues the media deem important help set the national agenda. The most basic way the media influence public opinion is by offering knowledge about government decisions and access to government information. Daily the press deliver the raw information to the nation, whom in turn form into opinions. Without the media it would take the public longer to become educated about governmental proceedings. The media send messages across the nation.
In conclusion I have noted several methods of news media that the public has access to. Many personalities have different methods of getting their opinion to the public and some try to stick with one or two at the most. All of these methods greatly influence public opinion concerning politics and politicians. In this country, public opinion is incredibly important to the success of politicians or movements. If you don’t carry a significant number of people in this country your success as a politician is not going to happen.
How Media Influences Public Opinion In our democratic society, mass media is the driving force of public opinion. Media sources such as Internet, newspaper, news-broadcasts, etc, play significant roles in shaping a person’s understanding and perception about the events occurred in our daily lives. But how much influence does the mass media poses on our opinion? Guaranteed by the First Amendment in American Constitution, the media will always be there to inform us about the different events or issues they feel are important for the public. The media constantly bombards us with news, advertisements, etc, wher... ... middle of paper ... ...r attention on selected issues on which the public will form opinions on (McCombs).
America is always changing and in order to keep citizens out of uncertainty, there is journalism. The main point of journalism is to keep society operating properly by providing information that is reliable to the people and undoubtedly correct (Curtis). In other words, journalism acts as a way to keep the public informed (Magar). A journalist gives citizens news and information that doesn’t just serve a small group of people, but serves the community as an entirety (Holman). The people in a democracy get informed on news that ranges from small importance, to extremely important information.
Examining these undecided voters is extremely important in light of their potential impact on American politics. In conclusion, the media’s role in the presidential election process is basically to communicate reasonable information both through reporting and paid advertising. This is crucial to the voters because the majority of them receive their information via the media, so in the overall picture, the media can greatly influence the outcome of an election.Bibliography 1.USIA Worldnet. Robert Fullerton, staff writer. http://www.usis-israel.org11/pubhsh/elections/wimedia.ntm 2.USIA Worldnet.
Government and politics are greatly affected by many different aspects such as the public, the media, and much more. These aspects affect decisions that may be put into laws or the political opponents and their views. The public and media have major influence over the government and its politics. Public is one of the main things that influence today’s government. The public is important, especially in things like elections and new laws.
Is it a news program or a gossip market? Today most news shows do just that. While reporting up to date occurrences, it’s the media attention which they crave most. It’s not that they invent news, but it is moreover taken to a higher level. Through opinions of various journalists, as well as a bit of twisted factual evidence, journalists have the power to influence most viewers who tune in nightly, for the most part to catch up on current events.