Political Influence On Television

( The political impact on television)

* Since television began it's intertwined with political processes of every type from coverage of major political events and institutions to effects on campaigns and elections. In 1950's television had supplanted the radio and then newpapers to become the biggest source of public information about politics in the 1960's. Television influence happened fast and gave people the chance to see major political events live and with little delay. Observers have said coverage of the famous 1954 Mc Arthur Day parade in Chicage had more excitement to television viewers than to people participating in the live event. Television lends drama and intimacy to political events. Through television Americans have been eyewitness

These social media tools allow politicians to speak directly to voters without spending a dime. It keeps them from reaching voters through paid advertising or earned media. It's also become very common for political campaigns to produce commercials and publish them for free on you tube instead of or in addition to paying for time on television or the radio. Alot of times journalists covering campaigns will write about those you tube ads, essentially broadcasting their message to a wider audience at no cost to the politicians. Twitter and facebook have become instrumental in organizing campaigns. They allow voters and activists to easily share news and information such as campaign events with each other. This is what the share function on facebook and retweet feature of twitter are for. Political campaigns can tap into alot of information or analytics about the people who are following them on social media, and customize their messages based on selected demographics. So a campaign can find one message good for voters under 30 but it wont be as effective for those over 60 years old. Direct access to voters also has its down sides. Handlers and public relations professionals manage a candidates image for a good reason. Allowing a politician to send out unfiltered tweets or facebook posts has embarassed candidates in certain situations. Politicians and campaign do nothing without first knowing how their policy statement or moves will play among the electorate, and twitter and facebook both allow them to gauge how the public is responding to an issue or controversy. Politicians can then adjust their campaigns accordingly in real time without the use of high priced consultants or expensive polling. Twitter and facebook have energized younger voters, which has had a impact on elections. President