Politics Involving the Media, And Reasons the Media Is Used as a Prime Outlet for Reaching the Public And How It Works - Essay Example

Politics and the media Introduction Mass media has been an important tool of influence that many people have been using in the process of getting information from various parts of the world. The mass media has been instrumental in the process of facilitating information transfer and sharing among different people in the world (Street 36). Advancements in information and technology has been effective in this process of knowledge transfer, making it easy for the mass media to develop and share various contents with people across the world. By definition, mass media can be described as a group of highly diversified media technologies, which are aimed at reaching large audiences through mass communication. The types of technologies that are facilitate this communication processes differ significantly from one group of people to another. Broadcast media like television, film and radio transmit their content electronically. One the other hand, the print media relies on physical objects like comics, books and newspapers in the process of distribution their information. Outdoor media, which is also used in the process of relying information, is a special category of mass media. It often comprises of placards and signs located strategically on buildings and road junctions, billboards among others. This paper examines how mass media is often used in advancing political interest in how it reaches the public in various places. How the media articulates Political Issues In the contemporary world, a significant expansion in media effects research has been expanding significantly, something that has seen relatively a small attention being given on the way news is framed. It is important to point out that in this development, little content has been developed on the political outcomes resulting from the media frames. Information and news does not always have significant intrinsic value unless it is effectively embedded in a certain context though to be meaningful. It includes factual elements and information that carries implicit messages. Medium refers to the eventual message that is made available in the process of news coverage. The experience that the media bring can be described as being kaleidoscopic, meaning that it is always unrepeatable and unique at all times. Until items are grouped depending on the similarity and importance, it is impossible to set up any kinds of expectations. Additionally it is impossible to make any predictions about the importance of the media in addressing some of the political, social and economic issues. At present, what we can focus on is how to address the issues that make the media ineffective in addressing the various In identifying frames, the information in the news reports is sometimes less significant compared to the various interpretive commentary that focuses on it. While this can be held to be true to some extent as far as general journalism is concerned, it is very evident especially when it comes to news in television. This news are sometimes designed in a way that is often replete with catchphrases, metaphors as well as various symbolic devices that offers a shorthand approach to suggesting an underlying storyline. The devices are critical in the provision of a rhetorical bridge through which discrete bits of data are provided in a special context and association to each other. In this case, the case becomes instrumental in the process of advancing various political agenda across the political divide. Media and Civic literacy In many countries, journalists play a central role in influencing people’s decisions in the voting process (Schultz 26). In several instances, journalists have made a big contribution towards anger and alienation among the electorate in many countries during the voting process. Many people make their decision depending on the information relayed in the various media; this can be associated to politics, social and the economic dimension. If it happens that a single theme that overrides all the others is created in the media then it becomes the subject of debate among the electorate. This is the reason why campaigns seem to be distant from the various concerns that the electorate often has. In this case, a disconnection seems to have been developing between the people and their respective leaders (Dahlberg 36). The media, instead of acting as the important bridge to this development, it has seemed to create and maintain it in the way it makes the reporting of the various issues in its news. As far as political campaigns are concerned the kind of approach and strategy used by the media has heavily been criticized. The media has been seen to give emphasis on the political strategies and advertising instead of emphasizing on developmental issues and other matters of substance. Additionally, the media has been blamed for its tendency towards the production demands for television and related media in the manner in which issues and political candidates are discussed during the political periods. To this effect, the media is supposed to know that during such times, people’s expectations are always high. Therefore, the news they develop and show during these times is essential in managing these expectations. People sometimes make irrational decisions depending on what is reported in the media as opposed to their won thinking and analysis of the political candidates and their civic future. In this understanding, the media has a duty to conduct proper civic education so that people can learn how to make proper decision and choices that are not influenced by external sources but by their freedom of thinking and effective analysis. The behavior and actions of the electorate can be said to be playing a part in a country’s democratic process. From the foregone discussion it is evident that the breakdown in public confidence as far as media reportage is concerned is the result of the manner in which campaigns are often framed. Political consequences of the news media In many instances, little has been made on the various political consequences of the way the media makes its reporting of political activities during the campaign process. The failure that has been seen in the process of illustrating the media as an essential democratic process as opposed to it being an end to it can perhaps be seen as being symptomatic of the kind of gulf between the public and the press (Rozell 53). Analysis of the present research on some of the effects of political activities on mass media, politics can be described as being essential as far as political actions and behaviors have significant consequences. Sociologists are expected to know that this is often the case that has to happen at certain points in time (Iyengar and Jennifer 51). However, in the course of studying politics, in most cases, they assiduously put aside their focus on consequences that arise from these activities. Generally, politics is often described as the activities that involve elections, campaigns as well as the overall issues and affairs of governments in the process of performing their functions. Few sources have been exceedingly referring to the role of the media in the process of facilitating issues involving public politics. Democracy should be taken to mean the active involvement of all people in the in governance process of the country. The media, in this understanding, is supposed to effectively reflect this role and help people in their participation in governance issues in the country. Functions of the media in influencing democracy Democracy, for it to be effective, requires that people engage in public debate over various issues of social, political and economic events. in this case, it does not really depend on mere information, which the media often provides. Unless information is provided by a sustained public debate, then most of it would seem to be quite irrelevant, worse still is that it can sometimes be manipulative in various ways (Hassan 63). Much of the media, in its functions, is sometimes very eager towards providing information to the public. It can be said that in this function, the media has been a conduit attracting the equivalence of junk mails. However, critics to this view hold that people are always at liberty when it comes to determining their agenda. In as much as the media offers important analysis and substance, it does not often offer citizens that ability to make their choices and actions about various decisions in the social, political and economic dimension. The process of working together requires that an important dialogue be created between the media, public and the political class. Citizens are passive recipients for the information that the media offers. Many of the documentaries displayed in the media can be described as thoughtful presentations, which leave people highly informed and being healthily curious. In this analysis, it is evident that they do not accept and often refute some of the stereotyped contention, which the television and other forms of media have assisted in the creation of a reflective society, having shorter kinds of attention spans. While being a mere general proposition, they often do not oblige intellectual choices and moral choices on people. In this case, they always leave people being unchallenged and informed. The media has a duty to ensure that develops content that is highly objective so that people can benefit from it by making their own interpretations and choices for its implementation. The media has an understanding that people are the most important consumers of information in the media. Therefore, they often develop content that can suit their interests and those of people that give it revenues by airing their agenda. In this case, they often do not put major emphasis on encouraging communication and other forms of information sharing. Additionally, they are least concerned with strengthening public dialogue or facilitating the process of formulating common decisions. This can be achieved if the media can decide to be objective in the process of framing their news and other episodic events. in as much as the functions of the media remains to be education, the public will always remain to be perceived as passive participants and active consumers of the news and other kinds of information from the media Conclusion It is evident that the media is an important tool by which people often get information that enhances their decision-making skills. The media plays a big role in the process of creating and sustaining the democratic process in countries. By providing this information, people can make their decisions concerning various political agenda. Politics are an important aspect of governance in the growth of the democratic processes in countries. The media has a role to play as far as creating and reporting on the issues and political agenda. The media is supposed to report on important issues that are of significance to people instead of focusing on political strategies intended to publicize the agenda of public candidates. By doing this, the media can be an effective tool in the process of growing democracy and other forms of proper and effective governance. Works Cited Dahlberg, Lincoln. Discourse Theory and Critical Media Politics. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print. Hassan, Robert. Media, Politics and the Network Society. Maidenhead: Open UP, 2004. Print. Iyengar, Shanto, and Jennifer McGrady. Media Politics: A Citizens Guide. New York: W.W. Norton, 2007. Print. Rozell, Mark. Media Power, Media Politics. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. Print. Schultz, David. Its Show Time!: Media, Politics, and Popular Culture. New York: P. Lang, 2000. Print. Street, John. Mass Media, Politics and Democracy. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave, 2001. Print. Read More