Politics and Media
The media plays a vital role in politics. Politicians use the media as a campaign platform, as a watchdog, as an open forum for debates and discussions and as a public educator (Howard & Jones 2004). The mediums of communication employed in this role include social media, the internet, television, radio and newspapers (Tolbert & McNeal 2003).
In political races, internet news helps candidates spread their messages and keep up to date information of what their political competitors are doing (Gamson et al. 1992). The internet allows this to happen as news can be received or read in all corners of the world where the internet is accessible (Gentzkow et al. 2009). Also, internet news can stay online for a long time and thus one can access information at their convenience.
When it comes to social media, interactivity is the key term which applies in politics (Tsfati 2010). Through this medium, politicians can engage in interactive sessions with voters and get to know their views, opinions and recommendations in an easy and safe manner (Brundidge & Rice 2009). Politicians can also use the platform to motivate voters to be actively involved and to raise money for the campaigns (Agre 2002).
Newspapers are effective in politics as they can be used as reference points and holding politicians responsible for what they said in prior campaigns (Boczkowski 2005). The effectiveness of newspapers can also be established in the sense that they can be reproduced and reprinted thus spreading political messages even further (Reah 2002). For best political exposures, blogs, social media and online newspapers are efficient (Kenski & Stroud 2006).
Google news provides instant and up to date information about politicians and this has an effect on political views (Ulken 2005). For example, a voter can change their perception about someone if they are getting more positive and frequent news about them on Google. Google news also provides quick answers to questions and since the most relevant questions come first, a political view can be affected (Chadwick 2006).
Reference List
Agre, P. E. (2002) Real-time politics: The Internet and the political process, The information
society, 18(5), 311-331.
Boczkowski, P. J. (2005) Digitizing the news: Innovation in online newspapers, The MIT Press.
Brundidge, J., & Rice, R. E. (2009) Political engagement online: Do the information rich get
richer and the like-minded more similar, Routledge handbook of Internet politics, 144-156.
Chadwick, A. (2006) Internet politics: States, citizens, and new communication technologies,
Oxford University Press.
Gamson, W. A., Croteau, D., Hoynes, W., & Sasson, T. (1992) Media images and the social
construction of reality, Annual review of sociology, 373-393.
Gentzkow, M., Shapiro, J. M., & Sinkinson, M. (2009) The effect of newspaper entry and exit on
electoral politics (No. w15544), National Bureau of Economic Research.
Howard, P. N., & Jones, S. (Eds.) (2004) Society online: The Internet in context, : Sage.
Kenski, K., & Stroud, N. J. (2006) Connections between Internet use and political efficacy,
knowledge, and participation, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 50(2), 173-192.
Reah, D. (2002) The language of newspapers, Psychology Press.
Tolbert, C. J., & McNeal, R. S. (2003) Unraveling the effects of the Internet on political
participation?, Political Research Quarterly, 56(2), 175-185.
Tsfati, Y. (2010) Online news exposure and trust in the mainstream media: Exploring possible
associations, American Behavioral Scientist, 54(1), 22-42.
Ulken, E. (2005) A question of balance: Are Google News search results politically biased.
unpublished thesis, USC Annenberg School for Communication.
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