How influential is the media?

photo by Karly DeWees
 

The polarization of American politics is on the rise and it is happening alongside and via major media outlets. It is no secret that CNN and FoxNews tend to be on opposite sides of the political spectrum and as more and more consumers are drawn to their respective partisan outlets, the more partisan the outlets become. This is one of the many, and key ways, media has invaded the way they influence elections. While these pundits may not be outright telling their voters who to vote for, they are further reaffirming what their viewers come to these channels to see. On a similar vein, the increased accessibility to the news via quick and short social media platforms has brought the news to the fingertips of voters like never before. While the news is heavily filtered to the consumers preference, learning and forming opinions and knowledge of elections and the candidates is - seemingly - easier than it ever has been. Speaking from experience, it is much easier to gauge a candidates personality and policy on their social media profile than it is on their campaign website. The more social media presence, the more voters feel like they have a relationship with the candidate even if it is a superficial and unrealistic one. The media has long been a key driver of political information and now more than ever has it been apparent. 

Six ways the media influence elections

Comments

  1. Women in Media and PoliticsSeptember 3, 2021 at 12:32 PM

    It's interesting that you pointed out gauging a politician's personality based on their online presence. It has become commonplace for politicians to have social media accounts, whereas 20+ years ago it would've been unprofessional or not possible. I think this goes along with younger generations not having very long attention spans, so politicians have followed their audience.

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