COM 355 Communications & Media

Influence of Mass Media on Politics
Kelly Shelton
COM 320
Abstract
The role of media in politics is highly attributed by the ability to influence on people’s opinions towards political actors. Mass media is the main source of information to a large population of people in the world and thus is better placed in changing their opinions through coverage of information. Political actors gain their influence over the people by having a close relationship with mass media. Through the mass media, they are able to sway the public opinion towards their policies. The power of mass media in political platform can be used in various forms among them influencing policy change and also in gaining political mileage by political actors.
Introduction
The need to establish the extent of media influence over political outcomes has been a pressing issue for a long period of time. There is a general census among many researchers that mass media is a powerful tool that determines political outcomes all over the world (Riffe, Lacy, S, & Fico, 2005). Some claim mass media is a basic tool often used by the elites in society to influence political outcomes in their favor (Andersen, 2008). Mass media has a great influence over people globally since it is the major source of information to the people and can easily determine their reaction towards any raised issues (Walgrave & Aelst, 2004). Political |information forms a basic part of news coverage by the use of media, including the social media where political information is transmitted as people interact. This paper seeks to look at the influence of mass media on political outcomes in regard to shaping public policies, swaying public opinions as well as determining the outcomes of political elections.
Power of mass media
Mass media has the ability to affect people’s perception of social norms. On the other hand, Mass media plays a major role in forming and directing people’s behavior (Gamble, 2004). Coverage of information by the mass media influences people’s reaction towards that particular information. Mass media provides coverage of information that few people directly experience and makes happenings from around the world observable and meaningful to the public. The influence of mass media on political outcomes is basically a result of its power to public platform. Mass media has become a basic part of life to many individuals all over the world. Media access has increased especially due to the fact that mass media exists in various forms, which include print media like newspapers and magazines, Internet, cable television and portable devices such as smart phones or tablets with Internet access among others. (Gamble, 2004). Media is the main source of information for the majority of people and it being used to educate people through online tutorial. The power of media is its ability to influence human thinking and change their perception on how they relate among the members of the general public. The media’s ability to associate with powerful personalities as well as big companies demonstrates that it is viewed as a powerful tool in communication. Other aspects are demonstrated when religious leaders, politicians and other individuals seeking public attention pass their message via media so as to drive their own opinions to the public (Meyer & Hinchman, 2002).
There are various factors that have contributed to the power of mass media in recent times, among them innovation in technology and democracy presenting fewer restrictions to access information. Technological advancements have brought new revolutions in mass media, which has made the world seem like a tiny village when sharing and spreading information. News from around the world can now be easily transmitted and accessed globally particularly through the use of Internet. Dissimilar from the past when information was confined in a specific locality, technology has made it possible for global access of information through different forms of technology like satellites and Wi-Fi. Democracy has allowed for easy access to information and more involvement of mass media in political affairs (Meyer & Hinchman, 2002).
Influence of mass media on public policies
Understanding the political environment from where mass media operates helps to understand the power of mass media in controlling the members of public. For instance the recent gun debate has drawn a true line between gun activists and opposition based upon the recent tragedies of school and mall shootings. The political issues have always been there, it’s only now that the topic is so hot that is causes mass media to talk about it in an emphasized manner since politicians have started using media as the engine to spread their policies. The environment for mass media is particularly different between democratic and un-democratic governments. For example, democracy has made it possible for people to be engaged in government business by informing, educating as well mobilizing the public via media. This in turn explains the difference public awareness between the two forms of government and also the nature of political activities in both situations (Sagepub, 2002). In un-democratic states, mass media is highly controlled by the government for instance the African countries, and is mainly used as a tool for propaganda. This makes the information from the media to be pro government policies Walgrave & Aelst (2004).
Different from undemocratic societies, democratic societies’ mass media is free of government control and this makes them to provide information with varying opinions, this includes critics on government policies. The influence of mass media in setting public policies can be illustrated with the difference of reactions between citizens in democratic states, and citizens in un-democratic states like the United States. Media creates awareness in democratic countries, which leads to a response from the public either in support or condemnation of government policy. This can be seen through political activities that may take place in objection to government policies such as demonstrations like occupy Wall Street. In un-democratic countries, the government controls mass media to ensure citizens are not sensitized about critical issues affecting their lives, restricting them from government policies since they are not aware of their effects (Walgrave & Aelst, 2004).
Mass media has been on the forefront when it comes to setting any agenda when it comes to political issues for a long period of time. When mass media emphasizes a particular topic, the public gets actively involved in the topic (Meyer & Hinchman, 2002) for example the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and the opposition’s recent call for banned firearms. Citizens consider the topics emphasized by mass media to be important therefore, set priorities for those issues, such as attending a protest or a rally that supports their view. Agenda setting is an important aspect for actors who have high political opinions and who are usually trying to persuade prevailing issues affecting the public, such as the economy or military issues. Political actors can ignore issues affecting the public if awareness is not created by mass media. Issues that do not affect the public directly can go unnoticed without the involvement of media, such as the economic downfall of Greece. The media enables the public to be aware of various issues, which are not directly impacting on them. Coverage of information generates public debate, which prompts political actors to respond (Meyer, & Hinchman, 2002).
Agenda setting by mass contributor media has been experienced on many occasions and have often led to policy change or a policy initiation in response to the prevailing issues by the government. In the United States, mass media has been a major contributor towards foreign policies. Most of the foreign policies towards humanitarian aid to poor countries and places hit by disasters like the tsunami in Indonesia are driven by the continuous emphasis of the issues by mass media.
Media relations are vital factors in creating public awareness about certain issues. Various advocates for public issues use their relationship with mass media to influence public opinion, which in turn influences action by government. Advocates for social welfare on issues such as refugees and hunger, rely on the media to create awareness and lay a basic foundation for the government to act. To achieve this, they create a close relationship with media in which the information gathered is channeled to the public. The relationship created will enable the concerns raised by social advocates to get to the attention of policy makers due to public interest (Meyer & Hinchman, 2002).
The influence of mass media over political outcomes is not necessarily meant for public interest. The power of mass media has been used by political actors in gaining leverage and by wealthy personalities in retaining their social hierarchy in the society. Media relations are a common factor with the political elites who dominate over others by influencing the public. This has been the ...