Influence of the Media in American Politics - Essay Example

Influence of the Media in American Politics The mass media of the United States, television, newspapers, have a considerable influence upon United States politics. The influence is not necessarily controlling; largely it may be considered perpetuating of the popular opinion. On the other hand, there is ample evidence that the mass media of the United States has no interest in providing a broad, balanced perspective of US politics. This renunciation of such principles of journalism may determine that the mass media has a controlling influence on US politics; it is unclear to what extent. A medium is “an intervening substance through which something else is transmitted”1. The media is today used to refer to various means of mass communication that are used in the modern world. These include newspapers, magazines, newsletters, advertising, websites; radio and television broadcasting. A survey of news channels and programs that feature political discussions; of the coverage of politics by American newspapers and internet sites; of radio shows reveals the wealth of information in circulation about American politics. The question is to what extent are people exposed to this information; to what extent do they absorb it. In 1987 Americans spent $6 billion for their weekday papers and nearly $1.4 billion on Sunday newspapers2. In 2001, there were approximately 248 million television sets in the United States and 1,669 hours, the equivalent of 70 days, was the projected time that adults in the United States would watch television in 20043. There is both a wealth of information about American politics and a high degree of public exposure to it. On the other hand, this does not determine that the media coverage or the public’s perception of it is in any way slanted to the promotion of a particular political view. One of the most interesting means of measuring the degree to which media is reflective of the public opinion on American politics is to compare and analyse news coverage alongside reviews of public opinion. Several key issues warrant consideration. The war in Iraq and the present state of the US economy are two decidedly “hot topics” in the news today. Other interesting comparisons can be drawn with issues such as the war in Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s, and perhaps the US policy against Communism until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. The most accessible political issues for analysis in this context are the war in Iraq and the US economy as a means of monitoring the political spectrum relating to the approval of the presidency of George W. Bush at this time. One of the most controversial times in recent history for the mass media was the 2001 election; this event also warrants analysis as a means of demonstrating the kind of influence that the media appears to have upon US politics. An important view is expressed by Entman regarding the workings of the mass media and its relationship to politics within the United States. Entman describes the political and the economic as the two “real” marketplaces within the United States. He also states that “in ideal vision”, the competition between these two marketplaces is considered to driver journalistic excellence. The reality, he concludes, is very different from the idea4. Entman states that, in practice, the competition between the economic and the political markets in the United States “prevent journalists from supplying the kind of news that would allow the average American to practice sophisticated citizenship”5. The ultimate conclusion offered is that the America public know and care very little about the government and so do not seek or understand “high-quality political reporting and analysis”, holding either the government or journalists accountable in any respect6. Certainly Entman’s opinion requires the support of evidence; there is ample supply. In Remote & Controlled: Media Politics in a Cynical Age7, the opening chapter explores the type of information that is widely reported about government personnel, in this case, the President. Kerbel recounts how, in 1994, an MTV reporter asked President Clinton, “Is it boxers or briefs?”8. The answer given was broadcast on the MTV Channel, and subsequently reported on other channels and in newspapers around the country. Kerbel offers the estimate that several million American had the opportunity, and probably did, become privy to the information. Another point that Kerbel makes about this, which is particularly important in the context of Entman’s conclusion that most people are unaware or do not care about high-quality political reporting, is that the broadcasting of the information about a president’s underwear, did not strike the general public, the general audience for mass media, as unusual information to be privy to. The exchange between President Clinton and the MTV representative did not seem remarkable9. Sensationalism is clearly an important element of media coverage at this time. Referring back to Entman’s discussion of the problem of competition10 between the political and economic markets, it is clear that the audience has considerable influence in determining that there is a relatively large amount of sensationalism in the local and national media coverage of American politics. News organizations compete for both audiences and advertising revenue. For newspapers particularly, advertising revenue is an extremely important requirement to stay in business11. In a survey of the advertising pressures on newspapers12 it is categorically stated, citing Steinmann, that newsmagazines use ‘soft’ cover stories “to sell ads, confuse readers with ‘advertorials’, and occasionally self-censor on subjects known to be a problem with advertisers”13. The problem created by the influence of advertising, not only in print, but on television and even, to an increasing extent, on the internet, is that there is an increasing need, at least, a perceived need, to use ‘soft’ cover stories to sell the product: to secure readers, subscribers, and audiences. Steinmann cites an instance in which advertising had a marked response to a particular direction of news coverage that is worth considering in the larger context of political coverage and advertising. Ms. Magazine conflicted with advertisers Bristol-Meyers, who “withdrew ads for Clairol after Ms. printed a brief report on a congressional hearing into hair dyes that are absorbed through the skin and may be carcinogenic”14. The so-called ‘soft’ covers stories are a form of censorship on a lot of subjects that cause controversy. Considering the coverage of the war in Iraq and the Bush presidency, for example, it is very apparent that, at least until recently, the media has dodged analyzing and criticizing the war in Iraq and the Bush presidency. One study examining the media coverage of the war in March, 2003, indicates a number of points about the type of coverage that was prominent in the mass media. For example, Leahey indicates that to fully appreciate the complexity of the situation in Iraq, students had to be exposed to a very large amount of media coverage (2004). The mass media, the most popular and most accessible news channels, all offered sensationalist slogan headlines, and incorporated devices to fabricate or heighten both the drama of the situation for the audience and the urgency of it. As Leahey points out, days before the United States launched its attack on Baghdad, MSNBC started and “electronic ticker counting down the hours Saddam Hussein had to comply with…the ultimatum to leave Iraq” (2004), entitled ‘Countdown: Iraq’. CNN used the slogan, ‘Showdown: Iraq’ to precede, almost every half segment of the twenty-four hour coverage of the conflict’s escalation. NBC ran the slogan ‘Target Iraq’; CBS ran ‘America at War’; ABC ran ‘War in Iraq’ (Leahey, 2004). Leahey’s conclusion aptly expresses the way that the media influences American politics overall: “The media neatly packaged the war as a commodity to be consumed rather than a complex historical event to be studied, reflected upon, and actively scrutinized” (2004, p. 1). The media influences America politics by turning it into a commodity to be consumed; by simplifying the issues, or completely overlooking the complex issues, such as the state of the economy. The second problem is to distinguish to what extent the media influences America politics; there is no precise means of measuring this. Part of the reason why the media’s influence upon politics in America should be considered dangerous is that the influence cannot be directly proved. Simply because millions of Americans were exposed to the ‘countdown’ to Iraq, that was both sensational and overly dramatized, does not absolutely determine that they millions of viewers were impacted by it. There is enough evidence to consider that they were heavily impacted, but it is circumstantial. Perhaps one of the most secure means of estimating the influence of the media on American politics is to look to the coverage of the previous two elections. The majority of votes by which President Bush allegedly won both elections were certainly the narrowest in recent memory. One of the particularly controversial issues was the media coverage of the vote counting. For example, most evidence suggested that the Democratic candidate, Al Gore, had the highest vote count. The Fox New Channel appeared to be the exception, providing coverage that suggested Bush was leading the vote count15. At 2.16am, the Fox New Channel, which is both heavily conservative and generally Republican in its advocacy and content, announced “George W. Bush the winner in Florida and thus it appears the winner of the presidency of the United States”16. Most disturbing is the report that after the Fox New announcement, an NBC newsman, who had been comparing calculations with the Voter News Service [VNS], ended the phone call and instructed the NBC network to follow suit, declaring Bush to be the winner of the election. Whether or not the decision of the Fox and NBC news networks was calculated and deliberate is irrelevant. What is significant, however, is that the media, in the 2000 election, ultimately determined the outcome of the election. Newspapers and magazines, print media, clearly does not have the same immediacy or even the same sized and range of audience as the television-based media. On the other hand, newspapers such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal have considerable weight due to their long-established presence as forms of media and due to the lasting reputation that they have secured as leading newspapers. To a considerable extent, newspapers and magazines have the potential to censure television media coverage of American politics. To cite one example, the Wall Street Journal was, of course, a leading investigative force in the Watergate Scandal during the Nixon presidency. Regardless, it appears that the various forms of media are no longer checking one another. Newspaper coverage of issues, such as the war in Iraq, tends to advocate the ‘soft’ opinions and views, or sensationalism and drama offered by the television-based media. The principle reason for this advocacy appears to be, referring once again to the conclusions of Entman, an issue of money, “economic incentives”17. As Entman indicates, even if there were no incentive provided by advertising revenue for the media to offer ‘soft’ news or sensationalism, “the media would have reasons to please audiences and use elites. Making audiences happy, for example, yields prestige, influence, and a sense of serving the public’s interests. The point is not that economics alone causes the dilemma of interdependence, but that economic pressures strengthen it and weaken journalism's ability to achieve free press ideals”18. A conclusion can be drawn hypothetically about the degree to which the media influences American politics. On the one hand, it has to be appreciated that the media offers information on a voluntary basis. It is an exercise is free will to choose a particular news channel and to watch it; it is free will to choose a particular newspaper to read. On the other hand, there is substantial evidence of the use of sophisticated techniques to target readerships and audiences. For example, advertising and ‘soft’ cover stories, as mentioned above, have the ability to target particular groups. Sensationalism and drama, such as the countdown slogans employed by CNN and Fox News, are also examples of devices used to hook audiences and readers. It also appears that the media is largely interested in reporting the view points of its readership and audience. In other words, many television and newspapers work to publish as news the viewpoints that their readership and audience want to read and hear. The media does not directly control American politics but it does influence it by offering a limited perspective of the relevant issues and trends. When the general public become receptive to balanced and analytical journalism again, then the influence of the media on politics will change dramatically. Until that time, politicians have little reason to fear the media, or expend great energy on courting its approval. The influence of the media is arguable benign at this time. What is more damaging is the public’s ambivalence about serious political issues. Works Cited. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. (2000). Medium. Houghton Mifflin Company. Craig, R. L., & Soley, L. C. (1992). Advertising Pressures on Newspapers: A Survey. Journal of Advertising, 21(4). Entman, R. F. (1989). Democracy without Citizens: Media and the Decay of American Politics. New York: Oxford University Press. Kerbel, M. R. (1999). Remote & Controlled: Media Politics in a Cynical Age. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Leahey, C. R. (2004) Examining Media Coverage: A Classroom Study of Iraq War News. Social Education, 68(4). Press and Public: Who Reads What, When, Where, and Why in American Newspapers. (1989). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Steinem, G. (1990). Sex, Lies & Advertising. Ms. (July/August), p.18-28. US Census Bureau Press Releases. (2004 March 11). 50th Anniversary of ‘Wonderful World of Color’ TV. Retrieved December 6th, 2005, from http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/001702.html. Washington Post. (2001). Deadlock: The Inside Story of America's Closest Election. New York: Public Affairs. Read More