The Relationship between the Media and the Conduct of Politics - Essay Example

Running head: The Relationship between the Media and Politics Topic: Media Relations and Modern Politics Written in APA style Full Introduction In a monumental study of the impact of the contemporary information and technology regime, Stone (2001) asserted that progressively culture irrespective of their boarders have become strongly influenced by the presence and operation of the media and its institutions. It is even more glaring in the global west, where the media plays a central role in the propagation of what constitutes western culture and its values (Kellner, 1995). In tandem to this, a renowned scholar was quoted as saying that “politics that does not exist in the media….simply does not exist in today’s democratic politics” (Castells, 1999). It is therefore in the light of this that this essay will be looking at the interrelationship between the relationship between politics and the media coupled with how the technological age is overtly or covertly facilitating the developments being witnessed today. In doing this, the essay will assess ongoing trends in the media industry with the view of using them as the basis to make deductive analysis leading to inferential conclusions about what that holds for global politics. The twenty first century has ushered humankind into a dispensation of unbridled technology driven developments that was hitherto highly unthinkable in our annals. Kellner (2002), cites the advent of the computer that ushered in the radical information technology dispensation, the usage of multimedia technologies and a host of others as the brainchild behind the evolution of the so-called rise in the “information society” which in the view of some observers is very synonymous with the rising trend in globalization (Castells, 1996). Still within this context, Best & Kellner, (2001), studied the trend in media development in the twenty first century then came out with compelling truisms that alludes to the fact that among other things, the new dispensation has created the platform to overcome major unconstructive differences, facilitation of dialogue that have also seen the renewed participation and integration of the traditional global south into the mainstream of the international political economic environment. It is also worth stating that thanks to the wind of liberalization blowing through the so-called “information society” the former crude structures that defined the establishment of social organizations and the conduct of political activities have steadily crumbled giving way to a refreshing move towards modernization. Evidently, today’s landscape can be described in all certainty as an innovative hybrid of the obsolete structures that regulated the organization of modern societies (Kellner 1989, 2000). The Role of the Media in the Conduct of Contemporary Politics The media has always had a striking relationship with political institutions especially with the advent of western capitalist democracy. In this context, the United States provides a shining example of this relationship has been functioning. The vibrant media institutions across the world are the cross bridges that links the political machinery with the populace. They are the most credible sources of information about all that is taking place within the pinnacle of political establishments. In other words, save for the role of media institutions all that takes place in the political citadel of most democracies will be concealed in frightening mysteries. This section will therefore give a detailed critique of how the media an as an institution functions within the framework of statutory provisions of free expression and its related absolute press freedom. First and foremost, it is widely accepted particularly in vibrant democratic states that media institutions and for that matter the press have always being at the forefront of bring public attention to all matters of national concern. In this regard, the media can therefore be said to be playing a prompting role. The media usually set the tone for the deliberation or debate of all national policies. The press also plays a vital role in forming public opinion on very sensitive matters. Take for instance, should there ever be any rumor of scandalous nature that implicates a public figure or a political institution, the media can be trusted through their myriad investigative journalists to get to the bottom of such a case in order to prompt public response. A good case in point is the famous amorous sexual scandal involving former President Bill Clinton and White House aide Miss Monica Lewinsky. Details of the relationship were first brought to public attention through the press, who never stopped there but rather pursued the case to its conclusion. Much of the public outrage about the gross misconduct of such a senior statesman was wrought by what the media presented to them. In addition to the foregoing, it is also true that the media also serve as an important channel through which political institutions and politicians are able to appropriately communicate with the citizenry. It is therefore very common to find press men flood national capital cities in order to have direct contact with the brokers of power. It is what the politicians say through the media that determines the level of public approval or disgust with whatever policies they espouse. The recent US elections witnessed a wild rush for media attention by both Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama and his opponent Senator John McCain Republican presidential nominee. The media created the platform for each of them to make their policies known to the electorate. Most significantly is the debate sessions that witnessed the two candidates take each other on for their policies. It was through these forums that the American electorate became convinced that an Obama administration have the capacity to navigate America from its economic and security wilderness. It is this conviction that culminated into an overwhelming resounding victory for Senator Obama on November 4, 2008. Next in the line is watchdog role that the media have being entrusted by society. With the right to information Act being practiced in most countries, the media have championed the cause of ensuring the implementation and commitment to acceptable standards of all forms, be it financial, administrative or discretionary. The allegations of corruption and embezzlement brought against former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma provides another illustration of media watchfulness. Similar watchfulness on the part of the media is even more encouraging in the developing world where constitutional democracy is still at the budding stage. The Republic of Ghana for example is a third world country with an infant democracy, yet the media there have played very crucial roles in blowing up allegations of embarrassing acts of grand corruption against political figures. The allegations were properly investigated leading to the institution of criminal charges against the affected politicians and eventual conviction. Owing to this, the credibility of the media as a watchdog institution is not in doubt in that fledging democracy. Irrespective of the political party or group in office, the media is always described as an advocate of public good. The Influence of Media-driven Technology on Politics The dawn of the twenty first century opened the floodgates for media spectacles to ascend unprecedented heights, largely due to the impetus of technology. Today, the rippling effects can be felt everywhere in society. The least said about the level of media proliferation and the kind of cultural revolution that has evolved as a consequence the better—an entirely new generation of multimedia gadgets that has being able to make a coherent fusion of the traditional broadcast systems of radio, television and film to form a united front of technoculture (Trend, 2001). Due to the increase in consciousness about the pivotal role technology plays in the modern world, it has become a common spectacle to blend the two forms into a pattern for political intervention. The newness of the technology society is a direct reference to a set of defined configuration of attitudes with respect to the political realities of the day. It has nothing to do with a definite reference to a point in human history but has everything to do with the challenges of today and how to surmount them. Interestingly, it is not farfetched to argue that the rapid changes in technology coupled with the choice of its application are contingent with a number of disproportionate mappings on factors such as demographic, gender and class. Suffice to cite the inequality in the adoption and usage of media technologies between developed and developing countries as a case in point. Recently, the United States government commissioned and sponsored a study on media technology usage, and the study revealed that almost 90% young Americans who are aged between 5 and 17 have access to both a computer and an internet service. This figure which represents 48 million people is exclusively without consideration for race, income status or educational level (National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 2002). Wells & Lewis (2006) also report that a striking figure of 100% of all public schools in the United States are fully connected to the internet, meanwhile Lenhart et la (2003) presents a deeper assessment of the case because internet access and usage still remains highly stratified along demographic and social indicators. Having said this, how does it impact the current world of politics? Indeed, there is growing evidence that the internet has become one of the leading mass media outlets for many people. It has even become so serious with the mention of internet blogs. Dautrich & Barnes (2005a, 2005b) studied this rising trend and thus came out with the startling revelation that a large number of media practitioners are regular consumers of sensational blogs with political undertones. In their work, they surveyed a total of 300 television and media journalists. The findings are as follows: A total of 83% of the respondents admitted using internet political blogs. Only 7% of the general public has used internet political blogs. Also 41% of the responding media men stated that they visited internet political blogs at least once weekly. Out of this 55% of them reportedly referred to these blogs as part of the process of carrying out their professional responsibilities. Inferring from the increase in the proliferation of political blogs by renowned newspapers is credible evidence of the significant role they play on the political landscape. Most of the leading newspapers have created continue to run their own blogs adding to the increasing importance associated with blogs. A likely question therefore is why all the sudden attention on blogs? Obviously, blogs do not provide very authentic news, then why would media men spend time accessing them? In answering these questions, the issue of speed of feedbacks and the generation of network ties are among the most convincing motivations for blogging. The ties generated, over time builds confidence based on the understanding that every threat of potential exploitation will be minimized (Granovetter, 1985; Akerlof 1970; Greif 1993). It should also be noted that most of the pioneering political bloggers had ties and relationships at different levels with a number of respected journalists in the leading press houses. These relationships according to Smolkin (2004) did enhance their trustworthiness or credibility when it came to the discussion of topical issues. Bloggers also have the added advantage of sparking a discussion that can eventually pull different people along. They can also respond to other bloggers with a considerable speed that mainstream media outlets do not have. Naturally, the low cost factor gives them this unprecedented advantage over the conventional media outlets. Besides, these factors can provide a useful clue as to the possible direction of any issue that is being debated on the public domain. Both Nelson et la (1997) and Fan et al (1998) agree that the media can carve the framework of a discussions that defines the ultimate direction of public opinion on any political discourse. The media generally work assiduously to reduce the complex elements of national policies for the comprehension of the ordinary citizen. In the same way, internet blogging also creates the platform for journalists to get acquainted with the complex issues before coming public. It is in the light of this that Thomas Edsall, a former journalist with the Washington Post was quoted as saying “we in journalism, there is an orthodoxy to our thinking. Blogs can . . . break the ice and make it clear that there is something pretty strange or pretty unique or pretty interesting or pretty awful about something . . .. They . . . open up a lot of doors” (Rosen, 2004). Conclusion There is an unprecedented increase in not just the usage of computers but also the ownership. People are becoming informed about the vast potential and possibilities that these devices offer. The question thus generated is what this trend holds for our contemporary political and democratic dispensation. In addition, is there any possibility either covertly or overtly that these new modern media technologies could be used to enhance democracy, inspire public awareness, foster greater interest and participation in national policies? In answering these questions, this essay among other things identified the internet as the most impressive technologies of our day and age, which means there is an implicit connection between this new invention and the conduct of modern day politics. There is strong evidence to prove that notwithstanding the positive elements of the practice of western representative democracy, a significant chunk of people are disillusioned with the process of administering today’s democracy. To this end, the challenges to addressed includes 1) creating a system that will raise the level of awareness of citizens regarding the political process, 2) the inclusion of public input into the political process 3) creating an opportunity for the political leadership to be connected to the citizens at all levels. It is in this vein that the media is seen as a credible facilitator of this process; moreover with the increase in the level of IT skills among media personnel, media technology will steadily become the main pivot that the political machinery will revolve on. References Akerlof, G. (1970). The market for “lemons”: quality uncertainty and the market mechanism. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 84, 488–500. Best, S. & Kellner, D. (2001) The Postmodern Adventure: science, technology, and cultural studies at the third millennium. New York: Guilford Press. Castells, M. (1996) The Information Age: economy, society and culture. Vol. 1. The Rise of the Network Society. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell. Castells, M. (1999) Flows, Networks, Identities: a critical theory of the information society, in M. Castells Darder, A. (2002) Reinventing Paulo Freire: a pedagogy of love. Boulder: Westview Press. Dautrich, K., & Barnes, C. (2005a). Freedom of the press survey: general population 2005. Storrs, CT, University of Connecticut, Department of Public Policy. Retrieved on November 5, 2008 from http://importance.corante.com/archives/UCONN_DPP_Survey_GenPop.pdf. Dautrich, K., & Barnes, C. (2005b). Freedom of the press survey: journalists 2005. Storrs, CT, University of Connecticut, Department of Public Policy. Retrieved on November 6, 2008 from http://importance.corante.com/archives/UCONN_DPP_Survey_Journalists.pdf Fan, D. P., Jasperson, A., Shah, D. V., Watts, M., & Faber, R. (1998). Framing and the public agenda: media effects on the importance of the federal budget deficit. Political Communication, 15, 205–224 Granovetter, M. (1985). Economic action and social structure: the problem of embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91, 481–510. Greif, A. (1993). Contract enforceability and economic institutions in early trade: theMaghribi traders’ coalition. American Economic Review, 83, 525–548. Henning, J. (2003). The blogging iceberg. Perseus Development Corporation. Retrieved on November 7, 2008 from http://www.perseus.com/blogsurvey/thebloggingiceberg.html Kahn, R. & Kellner, D. (2003) Internet Subcultures and Oppositional Politics, in D. Muggleton (Ed.) The Postsubcultures Reader. London: Berg. Kahn, R. & Kellner, D. (2005) Oppositional Politics and the Internet: a critical/reconstructive approach, Cultural Politics, 1(1), 75-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/174321905778054926 Kellner, D. (1989) Critical Theory, Marxism and Modernity. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Kellner, D. (1995) Media Culture: identity and politics between the modern and the postmodern. New York: Routledge Kellner, D. (2000) Globalization and New Social Movements: lessons for critical theory and pedagogy, in N. Burbules & C.A. Torres (Eds) Globalization and Education: critical perspectives. New York: Routledge. Kellner, D. (2002) Theorizing Globalization, Sociological Theory, 20(3), 285-305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0735-2751.00165 Kellner, D. (2003a) Media Spectacle. London and New York: Routledge. Kellner, D. (2003b) From 9/11 to Terror War: the dangers of the Bush legacy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Kurtz, H. (2003). Bill Keller’s changing times. Washington Post, 24 November, p. C1. Lenhart, A., Horrigan, J., Rainie, L., Allen, K., Boyce, A., Madden, M. & O’Grady, E. (2003) The Ever-shifting Internet Population: a new look at Internet access and the digital divide. The Pew Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved on November 7, 2008 from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Shifting_Net_Pop_Report.pdf Nelson, T., Clawson, R., & Oxley, Z. (1997). Media framing of a civil liberties conflict and its effect on tolerance. American Political Science Review, 91, 567–583. Packer, G. (2004). The revolution will not be blogged. Mother Jones (May/June). Reynolds, G. (2003). Earlier I mentioned this post. Instapundit.com, October 1st. Retrieved on November 5, 2008 from http://instapundit.com/archives/011775.php. Rosen, J. (2004). Interview with Thomas Edsall. Retrieved on November 5, 2008 from http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/journal/audio/edsallblogsone.mp3. Schelling, T. (1960). The strategy of conflict. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Smolkin, R. (2004). The expanding blogosphere. American Journalism Review, 14, 100 111 Stone, A.R. (2001) Will the Real Body Please Stand Up? Boundary Stories about Virtual Cultures, in D. Trend (Ed.) Reading Digital Culture. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell. Wells, J. & Lewis, L. (2006) Internet Access in US Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2005 (NCES 2007-020). US Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics Read More