The Impact of Mass Media Influence on Politics Essay

The Impact of Mass Media Influence on Politics What impact do the mass media have on modern government and politics? The mass media is now a global phenomenon and has revolutionized the way individuals communicate with each other and receive information. In this essay I will examine the three forms of mass media - newspaper, radio and television - and the way they have evolved. I will explain the three main theories relating to the impact of mass media on the public. I will then discuss how media has altered the emphasis of government at election time and on a day-to-day basis. The term mass media embraces all kinds of information sources, such as books, pamphlets, mail circulars and films. The three principle sources of†¦show more content†¦Hitler was the first politician to exploit the potential of radio. In the United States and Great Britain, Roosevelt and Baldwin introduced the medium in a more gentle fashion. Radio was the much-used medium during the war with things such as Churchills speeches. Television begun to make an appearance during the war, used to show films reinforcing patr iotism and resistance. After the war, television took over as the main medium. Nixon’s Checkers speech in 1952 is seen as the beginning of the television revolution. Ironically, television was Nixon’s downfall in 1960 in the first televised debate; it showed that appearance on television is as important as the message. There are three broad arguments concerning the effects of the mass media on the public and therefore government and politics - opinion forming, opinion reinforcing, and no effects. The opinion forming argument believes that the media shape opinions held by the viewer, since the media chooses the agenda, it also shapes what issues are thought about. This view depicts the viewer as having no or few opinions before media exposure and then accepts the arguments and opinions put forward. The opinion reinforcing argument believes that the viewer will be more likely to accept opinions similar to their own, than to change their opinion as a result of the exposur e to the media. Persuasive communication functions far more frequently as an agent of reinforcement than asShow MoreRelatedEssay on Mass Medias Political Power967 Words   |  4 PagesMass Medias Political Power There are two main issues regarding media influence in politics 1. Does presentation and coverage affect voting behaviour and choices? 2. Do media have an impact on political struggle and decide nature of debates? Definitions of mass media Mass media are channels of communication through which messages flow, produced by a few for consumption by many people. 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