The political landscape has tremendously changed in the last decades. This transformation has been due mainly to the media and the wide range of people it can reach. Media has a positive impact when it comes to citizens being informed about the politics occurring in their country. Many forms of media platforms have given candidates a way to get their messages across. With the rise in media, everyday people are now informed, in seconds even, after something revolving around politics occurs. Essentially, with media citizens now have a choice of what news they want to stay updated on and what political candidates they want to learn more about. Additionally, candidates can advertise their campaign through media with little to no cost and can generate …show more content…
The ability to have a post sponsored can be used by anyone with a credit/debit card and a social media account. In recent political campaigns “It has become fairly common for political campaigns to produce commercials and publish them for free on YouTube instead of, or in addition to, paying for time on television or the radio.” (Murse) Having the ability to promote their messages across multiple forms of media has allowed for candidates to reach a wider audience of people. Therefore, informing many more potential voters to go out and do their part. Media has allowed for political candidates to make themselves known in a manner that catches the attention of everyone viewing their political ads. Although, many may argue political candidates should not need to constantly argue and pushing their ads on people is not correct, the media has played a role in ensuring people have all the information that is necessary to vote for political candidates. Advertising also allows for candidates to use the act of targeting which “ is used throughout the advertising industry to make sure that ads and messages reach the right audience” (Satterfield) In essence, “If a candidate wants to address the concerns of women, college students, retired people, Latinos or any other group of voters, they can now tailor their messages. Just as advertisers on Facebook are able to use analytics and targeted advertising, so can candidates and politicians. Thus, if you notice that political messages seem to be talking to you personally, this is no accident.” (Satterfield) Which would lead to many stating and invasion of privacy is on the verge due to the amount of information given to candidates about their potential viewers. Moreover, when a political candidate, have this type of information through advertising, potential voters are notified more easily about issues that pertain to them. For example, a
In this article Mary Kate Cary opens up with the supreme court decision to not restrict the use of corporate funds in political advertising so that she can make her point that big money ads are not the most effective way for candidates to reach American constituents. She argues that social media is a new way for politicians to connect with citizens. Her five claim are that Americans can now, choose the media they wish to consume, share the media they choose the share, like posts they agree with and dislike posts they do not agree with, connect with others on social media, and donate to candidate campaigns online. With these claims she comes to the conclusion that politicians want to go around mainstream media so that they can connect directly with the voters.
Voters’ pick as to who they feel is the best candidate leans heavily towards the candidate whose face they have seen most often on television. Politician commercials are created solely to get the candidate’s face out to the public. Commercials are also geared towards making the voter feel valuable. Influenced by capitalism,
Have you ever turned on the TV to watch the news during election year? News programs constantly bombard the public with campaign coverage that negatively affects the way people vote. The most noticeable effect the TV news media causes is a decrease in voter attendance at the ballot boxes. News coverage of political campaigns reduces voter turnout because of the negative campaign tactics used by candidates and their parties; exit polls that predict the outcome of an election; and the public's perception that the media can be bought to influence people to vote for a certain issue or candidate.
Believe it or not, there was a time in history where it was unnecessary for candidates to campaign. The tiresome job of campaigning was left to the political parties and their staffs. As time has passed, it appears that the candidates themselves have taken charge of the campaigns. Presidential candidates need to appeal to the public in order to gain support. In this day and age, mass media is the most efficient way to do it. The careful sculpting of the candidate’s images have taken a very important role in presidential campaigns. The use of the “idiot box” has prioritized images above issues and transformed how we view and elect our nation’s leaders.
There is no contestation to the idea that the overall use of new media technologies is going up. It is widely acknowledged that the use of both traditional and new media in Canada is exceedingly high; 95% of Canadians watch TV, 86% listen to the radio, 78% read newspapers, and 94% use the internet in some form. However, there is some contestation to the direct impact of the Canadian media on politics in Canada given the platforms they currently hold; it is argued as a chicken or egg scenario. Some analysts argue that increased contact with political material is likely to result in an increased level of political engagement, but others argue that those whom are already politically engaged will look to obtain additional political material. There is also some question as to whether or not the Canadian media does have a direct impact on Can...
of a political campaign, to hit hardest at those who are in power or running
With the advent of television becoming a norm in any American homes, it was decided that the first televised presidential debate would take place in front of the American public through the airwaves. Since 1960, televised presidential debates have been the norm in politics all over the world an hold a great influence over the American public. Television has positive effect on presidential elections as seen by a wide-audience and opinion but is refuted by trust. Television has a positive effect on the presidential elections because of the large audience that they attract. A wider audience equals higher viewership.
The airing of presidential debates on television is another very crucial part of the election process today. They are a chance for the public to see the candidates speak about vital current issues and their stance on political subjects. They are also a major deciding factor for voters. For example we can contrast the election between Kennedy and Nixon in 1960 and the election between Gore and Bus...
The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets. Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States.
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 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.
In the US, mass media plays a significant role in politics. One of the key roles mass media plays in politics includes the airing of the platforms of various politicians. The media influences the view of people on politics and politicians. As the opinion of individuals is affected, the results of the votes are consequently changed (Holden, 2016).
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." This quote by A.J. Liebling illustrates the reality of where the media stands in today's society. Over the past twenty years there has been an increase in power throughout the media with regard to politics. The media's original purpose was to inform the public of the relevant events that occurred around the world. The job of the media is to search out the truth and relay that news to the people. The media has the power to inform the people but often times the stories given to the public are distorted for one reason or another. Using slant and sensationalism, the media has begun to shape our views in society and the process by which we choose our leaders. There was once a time when the government used the media as a medium to influence voters, committees, communities etc. Recently, it has been the presidents of major media outlets that have not only exercised power over the public but also made their presences felt in government and in the halls of congress. When the word democracy is thrown about it usually has to do with the rights or original intentions for a group or organization. The first group intended to be influenced by the media was the informed voter. Political parties along with the government used a variety of media resources to persuade the voter or in effect receive a vote for their cause. Returning to the thought of ?democracy? the question is, what was the original intention of the media with relation to the theme of democracy and the informed voter? To analyze this thought thoroughly one must first grasp an understanding of the basic definition of democracy.
Social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Flicker, internet websites, and blogs are becoming mainstream attracting a younger more technology savvy voter. Many candidates in the last elections learned to use these mediums so not to overlook tech savvy voters and learned how to use these to their advantage. Candidates took to the internet to raise awareness, state views, and even successfully raised donations. Social media was able to provide instant feedback on the standing of a candidate often days or weeks sooner than a more traditional poll.
As Americans we take pride in our liberating government. But, it is essential to ask how much we, the general public, know about our democracy. Because of the representative structure of our government, it is in our best interest to remain as knowledgeable as possible about political affairs so that we can play an active role in our democracy by voting for candidates and issues. The media, which includes print, television, and the internet, is our primary link to political events and issues. (For the purposes of this essay only print and television will be considered.) Therefore, in order to assess the success of our democracy it is necessary to assess the soundness of our media. We are lucky enough to have a media, in theory, free from government influences because of our rights to freedom of press and freedom of speech, but we are still subject to the media’s interpretation and presentation of politics, as is the danger when depending on any source for information. So, we must address how the media informs us; how successful it is at doing so; and how we should respond to it.
The current role of mass media in politics has definitely played a significant role in how view and react to certain events and issues of the nation. Newspapers, magazines, television and radio are some of the ways information is passed onto many of the citizens. The World Wide Web is also an information superhighway, but not all of the sources on the Internet are credible. Therefore, I will only focus on the main three types of media: written, viewed, and audible, and how they affect whether or not democracy is being upheld in the land of the free. The media includes several different outlets through which people can receive information on politics, such as radio, television, advertising and mailings. When campaigning, politicians spend large quantities of money on media to reach voters, concentrating on voters who are undecided. Politicians may use television commercials, advertisements or mailings to point out potentially negative qualities in their opponents while extolling their own virtues. The media can also influence politics by deciding what news the public needs to hear. Often, there are more potential news stories available to the media than time or space to devote to them, so the media chooses the stories that are the most important and the most sensational for the public to hear. This choice can often be shaped,