The Role of the Media in Influencing Political Attitudes in a Democracy
Introduction
The public gets political information on their preferred candidates or parties from different people and through the media. In today’s world, social media has also been one of main platforms that shape the public opinion. However, engaging in discussion with other members has proven more informative and persuasive than other methods including social media. Mass media is critical in forming the opinions of the members, and they use the discussions and insights they gather from the media to generate their own ideas and viewpoints (Zaller, 55). The media has experts’ analyses who give opinions based on facts and experience on the matters facing the political parties or members of a given party. There is also an expert breakdown of the different policies to help the public understand the advantages and disadvantages on a given policy to be implemented by the political parties.
Thesis statement: the media plays a pivotal role in influencing political decisions and attitudes in a democracy by changing people’s opinions and understanding negatively.
This paper looks at the different theoretical arguments and analyzes them with the available evidence to form a conclusive opinion on the media and political influence. There are people who argue that the media influences people’s opinion while making political decisions, whereas others believe that the media plays no role in politics. This paper considers both perspectives from the theoretical point of view and the evidence in support or critical claims of a given argument. This will be done through examining the theories by different theorists and critically examining their viability.
Zaller’s argum...
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...politically unaware and there is no engagement whatsoever. This means that the media influences the people’s decisions negatively since they form the wrong opinions from information that is either manipulated or insubstantial to make conclusive choices.
Works cited
Mutz, Diana C., and Paul S. Martin. 2001. "Facilitating Communication across Lines of Political Difference: The Role of Mass Media." American Political Science Review 95 (1) 97-114.
Prior, Markus. 2005. “News vs. Entertainment: How Increasing Media Choice Widens Gaps in Political Knowledge and Turnout” American Journal of Political Science 49 (3): 577-592.
Putnam, Robert D. 2000. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster. Chapter 14.
Zaller, John. 1992. The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion. Cambridge University Press. Chapter 10.
Puntam, Robert D. (1995) Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community Simon & Schuster ISBN: 0684832836
Media finds its central role in the democratic debate in providing information, analysis, and a diversity of perspectives to the public. In recent years, with what is known as a media revolution, the amount of telecommunication outlets has increased dramatically. Often called “a product of healthy market competition,” the media revolution has theoretically expanded the public’s access to a multitude of facts, opinions, and general information (Miroff, et al. 2015). However, with a
Putnam, Robert D. 1995. Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital. Journal of Democracy 6 (1): 65-78.
Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000
...ation and framing issues in a certain manner; the media may certainly effect the opinion of the American people; thus effecting the lens of which is given to the people and not allowing them to see the true issues that arises within the government. The news media constantly want to create controversy, and create a frenzy; this interludes how the people may elect public officials which in turn help create public policy; and public policy contributes to the United States Democracy.
398).It is also stated that news divisions reduced their costs, and raised the entertainment factor of the broadcasts put on air. (p. 400). Secondly, the media determines its sources for stories by putting the best journalists on the case and assign them to areas where news worthy stories just emanates. (p.400). Third, the media decides how to present the news by taking the most controversial or relevant events and compressing them into 30 second sound-bites. (p.402). finally, the authors also explain how the media affects the general public. The authors’ state “The effect of one news story on public opinion may be trivial but the cumulative effect of dozens of news stories may be important. This shows a direct correlation between public opinions and what the media may find “relevant”. (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry, 2015, p.
This simply means that media is structured in a way that it operates functioning from top to bottom. This is also identical to the hierarchical nature of the human body, in that from the commands of the brain transferred through the central nervous system, the body responds accordingly. In order for the U.S. government to control and determine the public’s perception of reality, the government must shape and oversee the information that the media reports to the existing populous. This particular process of democracy is known and referred to by political scientists as cognitive socialization. However, many of us, who do not adhere to the cushioning of political correctness, refer to it as the propaganda machine.
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.
The main aim of this report is to analyze the impacts of changes in the media concerning the societal and individual view of politics and politicians. The report also describes significant milestones in mass media since the year 1960 and examines the impact of mass media on how people think politically. The report then considers the effect of technological advancements in mass media and the effect on the results of elections. The use of mass media has increased over the last fifty years in that it is a primary medium through which supporters of various campaigners share their ideas and views concerning politicians and different political parties. Through social media, behaviors and performance of several activists have brought
"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.
The media presents "one minded" views that have the ability to reflect societies moods and influence the balance of power.
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,
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...
People are more influenced by mass media than they think. What evidence is there to support this statement? By Mass Media I mean the whole body of media reaching large numbers of the public, the major ones being newspapers, television and the Internet. The main purposes of mass media are to provide information, entertainment and advertising. In this essay I will discuss the influence that Mass Media has on the general public and give the evidence to support the statement "People are more influenced by mass media than they think." ".
Basically, the media performs three functions to inform, to influence and to entertain. But effects of these functions are multidimensional in modern times. It has provided awareness about the whole world. In twenty-first century, media has a tendency to shape political, economical and social values of an individual. Moreover, media has eliminated the boundaries of information, so that a person can become an active citizen of the global economy. Hence, it is logical to state the media has become a basic need of human civic life.