“Where in the pre-internet era there had been a large, but finite, public sphere...[but now]...there was a vast universe of publicly available data within easily searchable reach of anyone on the planet with a computer and an internet connection...” (McNair, 2009:221).
Introduction
The advent of the internet has been both a blessing and a curse. The internet has made vast amounts of information on virtually any topic available at the click of a button. However, it is more beneficial for those that know where to look. This essay will first look at the differences in getting information using traditional media and online media. It will then analyse the different ways to get informed online. It will argue that, although the internet is an inexpensive way to get information, can increase citizen participation and leads to information democratisation, it does however have negative outcomes such as fragmentation, and a polarised public, which leads to an increase in the knowledge gap that creates inequality due to the digital divide. These issues are a cause of concern for they way citizens become informed online and for democracy, as the personalisation of the internet has made it so that citizens can get just the information that they want. This can result in some citizens tailoring their online content in such a way that they can focus on a single issue and ignore all the rest, which was harder to do using traditional media outlets.
Traditional versus Online media
The introduction of the internet has changed how people learn about politics, the level of their political participation, and the nature of political discussion (Gaskins and Jerit, 2012:190). This has had an impact on traditional media sources such as newspapers, radi...
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Cary, Mary Kate. "5 Ways New Media Are Changing Politics." 4 Feburary 2010. U.S. News. 14 October 2015
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
In this essay I will critique and analyze the article “The Daily We” by author Cass Sunstein. I will look specifically at Sunstein’s claim that although the internet has been commonly viewed as a blessing to our world and democracy, the joy that the internet has brought democracy must be monitored with a keen eye as the ability to “filter” what we see provides a viable threat as it welcomes more extreme views and group polarization. As I analyze Sunstein’s claim, I will provide a new point of view to reader on how the internet has done much the opposite as it has served as an outlet for limitless sources and a variety of viewpoints through social media in today’s world. I will also add voices of the other critics in which I believe are relevant
When discussing the media, we must search back to its primal state the News Paper. For it was the News paper and its writers that forged ahead and allowed freedoms for today’s journalism on all fronts, from the Twitter accounts to the daily gazettes all must mark a single event in the evolution of media in respects to politics and all things shaping. Moving on in media history, we began to see a rapid expansion around 1990. With more than 50% of all American homes having cable TV access, newspapers in every city and town with major newspaper centers reaching far more than ever before. Then the introduction of the Internet; nothing would ever be the same.
In conclusion, Carr and Gladwell’s essays have proven that the internet positive effects are outweighed by its negative effects. Carr has found he is unable to finish a full text anymore or concentrate. He thinks that the internet has taken our natural intelligence and turned it into artificial intelligence. Gladwell discusses how nowadays, social activism doesn’t have the same risk or impact as former revolutions such as the Civil Rights Movement. The internet is mostly based on weak ties based among people who do not truly know each other and would not risk their lives for their
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...
Riley, M. C. (2013). Anarchy, State, or Utopia?: Checks and Balances in Internet Governance. IEEE Internet Computing, 17(3), 10-17. doi:10.1109/MIC.2013.24
With an entity as vast as the Internet, it is not surprising that a variety of unanswered questions will arise. I’m positive that the Internet will continue to confound scholars as it continues to quickly evolve. By analyzing the views of the celebrants and skeptics, I have been able to understand the potential that the internet has. By using the PEC, I have been able to understand how democracy and capitalism relate to the issues of the Internet. In the future, I hope that society can develop a further understanding of the Internet and move toward the Internet that the celebrants had hoped for.
Walgrave, Peter Van Aelst & Stefaan. 2002. New Media New Movements? The Role of the Internet in Shaping the "Anti-globalization" movement. Belgium : Routledge, 2002.
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
Internet as a medium has been a thoroughly discussed topic, especially in recent years with the rise of the World Wide Web. Analysis of relevant literature in the topic shows that the internet is not a new medium. This argument can be shown by looking more in depth into what defines a medium and what defines the internet. From that analysis by looking from a historical point of view the internet can be seen as an old medium which uses re-mediation to deliver content to users. The connection between internet and its users has helped the internet influence the way media is viewed today. Although the internet is not a new medium the content it presents is new. The advances in technology have helped the use of the internet reach new heights in terms of interest and it's capabilities are now being utilised by the masses. This rise in popularity has given the implication that the internet is new. These points can be analysed in more depth which has led me to take the stance that the internet is not a new medium.
As the times change, so does the latest technology. In the mid-1900's it was the television, before that the radio, and now in the late-20th and 21st century we have the internet. With the coming of every new media outlet audiences and media moguls migrate. Along with the migrations are the politicians who try to use the new form of media to more easily reach the public. It's come to the point where the internet increasingly work with democracy directly; some elections in the United States even going so far as to hold online polling in a general election. "Online voting is increasingly making its way int our political process," writes Vote.com President Dick Morris, "the 2000 Arizona Democratic Primary tallied 39,942 online votes," (Morris 1034). However, should the internet really be used to such degrees in the case of democracy? There is an ongoing debate among scholars on the topic. One thing to consider is whether or not the many accusations stating that the internet is an aid to terrorism outweigh the positive effects of how the internet has strengthened democracy and has had a crucial part in turning oppressed nations into less oppressed, democratic states. On the subject of terrorism being aided by the internet, making it easier for terrorist factions leaders to inform their people, could it not be argued that these factions leaders could use other means of communication, maybe only a little less effectively and therefore nullifying the accusation that the internet is the culprit? After extensive research, it's clear that the internet does not harm democracy; on the contrary, the internet strengthens it in a way that no other form of media has done before.
Thirty years ago, if I told you that the primary means of communicating and disseminating information would be a series of interconnected computer networks you would of thought I was watching Star Trek or reading a science fiction novel. In 2010, the future of mass media is upon us today; the Internet. The Internet is and will only grow in the future as the primary means of delivering news, information and entertainment to the vast majority of Americans. Mass media as we know it today will take new shape and form in the next few years with the convergence and migration of three legacy mediums (Television, Radio, Newspaper) into one that is based on the Internet and will replace these mediums forever changing the face of journalism, media and politics. In this paper I will attempt to explain the transition of print media to one of the internet, how the shift to an internet based media environment will impact journalism and mass media, and how this migration will benefit society and forever change the dynamic of news and politics.
Stewart, William. Key Internet Features - Freedom of Speech. Living Internet. Retrieved 20 April 2004.
The impact of the internet on journalism is one area that continues to attract the attention of media scholars. The technology has brought forth a set of opportunities and challenges for conventional media (Garrison, 1996). The last ten years have seen a lot of inventions which have greatly altered the way people access and consume news. Audiences have also “developed more sophisticated and specific demands and tastes for news delivery, thanks in part to the explosion of social media and mobile technology.” (Kolodzy 2013)