Influence of Media on the Political System - Research Paper Example

ID Number: Influence of media on the political system Introduction This research study would be centered towards highlighting the various influential aspects on political system. Media has transformed the dimensions of political system and with the emergence of this new communication tool approach of politicians towards public has drastically changed. It can be stated that media has brought forth more of transparency in the system. This has enabled public engagement in policy development for achieving better results. On the contrary, there is even some negative influence of media on political system. In this study the negative aspects of media will be highlighted along with positive aspects so as to have a clear understanding on the influence of media on political system. The entire research study will be based on secondary research as the analysis will be performed on different views or opinions given by experts. At the end of the study a brief conclusion shall outline the major areas of political system which has been influenced by media. Research aim, objectives and question The major aim of this research study is to analyze the media influence on political system. This study would outline the past as well as current influences which are caused by media on politics. The objectives of the research study are- To draw a relationship between media and politics To analyze the influence of media on political system To determine the various positive impacts on politics caused by different media tools To identify the future scope that media has towards improving political system The research question for the study is – “what is the influence the media had or has on political system?” Research findings will be aligned with this particular research question and aim of the study. Literature Review As per Baumgarten & Voltmer (2010), media effects or media influence are generally used in communication theory, sociology and media studies to refer to appropriate theories highlighting the impact of media culture and mass media on respective audience. The process of agenda setting is an unavoidable component of news that is collected by bigger organizations and it corresponds to maximum percentage of mass media. Media often produces material which is serious and impartial; they are even accorded a greater degree of authority and respect. In real time scenario, the ethics of television and press is related to hegemonic establishment that provides essential support to existing system. “Seeing is Believing” is a famous article of 1991 which was written by Greg Philo and it described the miner’s strike taking place in United Kingdom was strongly correlated with presentation of media about the event. In this article it was highlighted that media was able to grab attention of millions of people located across the globe so as to contribute their opinion towards the violence occurring in the country (Baumgarten & Voltmer 118). According to Comstock & Scharrer (2005), the traditional media such as print media, radio, television, etc., captures the essential content related to a specific event and telecasts it in front of audience. On the other hand, new media is another form of media which has gained its importance in the recent years. The rise of internet has brought forth certain changes in relationship between public opinion and mass media. There are evolving concepts such as blogging which has enabled public engagement to a greater extent (Comstock & Scharrer 97). The hyper reality concept related to media studies state that media cannot only be regarded as a window for the world but it is a vital component of reality which they interpret. Ginsberg, Lowi & Weir (2012) in their works said that there are social scientists who have integrated the mass media study with economic and political developments happening across the globe. It has been observed that there is an increase in living standard, literacy, urbanization and mass media exposure during transition to modern society from traditional one. There is more emphasis given on mass media expansion in certain developing societies while some resistance also needs to be eradicated. Certain groups states that media is used as tool for promoting a political cause. The conservative political groups situated in United States even had demanded to ban obscene albums and certain songs. Political factions majorly utilize media to influence potential members to join their respective groups. Opinions of people are acquired by media but inappropriate discussion on particular topic even results into violence. Hence media violence creates aggression within public. The rate of crime had increased in United States in 1981and people blamed media for this turmoil. However this trend has been observed to decline in later years stating that media was not the factor behind increasing crime rate. With technological advancement, influence of mass media has exponentially grown over 500 years. The degree of influence totally depends on pervasiveness and availability of media (Ginsberg, Lowi & Weir 102). Books, magazines and newspapers are considered to be great influencers as they are close to daily lives. Public opinion is shaped by media in different ways such as raising money for political advertisement or even measuring public opinion polls. Research Methodology The research methodology is a procedure through which the entire study is conducted. There are different forms of research methods and suitability of these methods is highly dependent on nature of the study. For instance, qualitative approach focuses on gaining opinion from experts whereas quantitative approach is obtaining market data and analyzing it using statistical tools. Data collection techniques can be divided into two parts such as secondary and primary data collection technique. In secondary data collection mechanism, information is gathered through secondary sources like journals, articles, magazines, websites, books, etc. However primary data collection technique deals with obtaining raw market data. For this procedure specific tools are utilized such as questionnaire survey, structured interviews, unstructured interviews, focus group study, etc. This research study will be based on qualitative research. A thorough analysis on the research topic can be conducted on basis of opinions given by experts. It would even help to draw in effective conclusions regarding the influence of media on political system (Silverman 56). The study will encompass secondary data collection mechanism as required information shall be available on websites, books, media journals and magazines. Since it is a qualitative research study no statistical tools will be utilized for analyzing the collected data. Findings and Analysis Media is a tool needed to transmit information within a democracy where citizens are responsible for taking informed decisions. In context of communications, media is a transmission and storage tool used to deliver and store information. United States comprise of wide range of communication media like newspapers, magazines, radio, television and Internet. A central method through which media influences the political system of United States is by gatekeeping. This is a process of disseminating and filtering information, be it broadcasting, publication, Internet or other form of communication. In present scenario, Internet has created a platform for media organizations and newspapers to deliver news. However the process of gate keeping is an ideal example of media influence on political system. This eventually occurs at different levels of media structure, starting from reporters deciding on significant sources to be included in a story to editors taking decision on stories to be printed including advertisers and media outlet owners. There are certain pieces of news which are broadcasted via news channel or social networking sites but often some news are edited to prevent any form of violence in the society. It can be stated that political leaders utilize this communication tool to easily connect with citizens. Public use this platform to put across their allegations, and revolt if any wrong decision is taken by the governing authorities. Media has influenced political system positively to a great extent whereby there is transparency within the system. In earlier day’s absence of media deprived individuals from their basic rights of being aware about external environmental crisis. Today people can take sound decisions regarding political leaders since they have all possible information. On a broader context, the growth of media has enabled effective political campaigns in order to persuade individuals to actively participate during elections. The negative influences of media are closely knitted with social media or evolution of digital platform. Though social media has enhanced the transmission rate of information but there is lack of consistency and control over information. This results into media violence where information is misinterpreted by public and it disrupts the entire political framework of a region. Conclusion The research study revealed two important factors regarding media influence – gate keeping and media violence. Both these aspects state the positive and negative influence caused by media on political system. Media has transformed the political system completely since couple of years. The major change brought forth by this communication tool is that it facilitates transparency between public and political leaders. In a democratic environment where individuals can take their own decision, media supports one to opt for the correct decision in context of politics. Through this study it is clearly evident that democracy and media are two inter-related approaches. Though there are certain negative influences caused by media mainly social or digital media. Social media facilitates public engagement in politics but it lacks control over information flow that ultimately results into media violence. Media influence cannot be stated as only transmission of information but is associated with development and managing of information. Works Cited Baumgarten, Sigrid, & Katrin, Voltmer. Public Policy and the Mass Media: The Interplay of Mass Communication and Political Decision Making. New York: Routledge. 2010. Print. Comstock, George, & Erica, Scharrer. The Psychology of Media and Politics. USA: Academic Press. 2005. Print. Ginsberg, Benjamin, Lowi, Theodore, & Margaret, Weir. We the People: An Introduction to American Politics. New York: W. W. Norton. 2012. Print. Silverman, David. Qualitative Research. London: SAGE. 2010. Print. Read More