MEDIA AND POLITICAL PROCESS

INFLUENCE OF MEDIA ON POLITICAL PROCESS

Influence of Media on Political Process

Introduction

Influence of media is very significant in influencing the audience perception towards particular concept, group, or entity. Media effect has been a prime concern in different study domains to determine its impact in broad range of dimensions. The relationship between media and politics has always been crucial and rather undeniable. Media helps in connecting the individuals to world and represents the identity of society.

Critics have argued that an inverse relation exist between the impact of media on political progress (Voltmer 2006, 49). This paper examines the different aspects of media impact on political process to determine whether relatively negative relation between media and political process is applied in all contexts or not. This paper aims at examining the different methods that the media has used to alter public opinion, believes about political issues and public figures. Mainly, I am concerned with examining the relationship between media, politics, politicians, and the political progress. In addition to this, comparison between precedent and contemporary situations will also be explored before the intrusion of media in changing political process.

Influence of media on political process is dependent on numerous factors. Changes in the factor dimensions determine whether media has influenced political process positively or negatively. These factorial dimensions include background of situation, political status, religion, and traditions in a country. These dimensions also affect the way things are prevailing and accepted in a society. For example, countries like United Kingdom and North America tend to have a stronger relationship with the media (Meyer 2002, 61). Media is considered as a significant medium of interaction with general public and stakeholders of government and expressing their opinions to authoritative figures. Contrastingly, countries having monarchy system and conservative way of thinking perceive everything as acceptable and true whatever media represents (Meyer 2002, 75). This is due to the fact that media holds strong influential power to direct the actions of public and their opinions. Due to strong adherence to media as sole information providing medium, people tend to be obstruct in limiting their decisions and believes to the perceptive level of selective thinking created by media as external influencer. However, differences in media approach to influence outcomes and outcomes that arise somehow created a conflict in terms of determining the authenticity of material that is present on media.

Media and Political Concerns

The main concern that surrounds the media and politics is the authenticity of information that is communicated through media channel. In many instances, this leads to creating a situation of mistrust between general public and politicians of the state. However, in many situations media played an effective role in providing the real picture of politicians and their fundamental approaches that have no concern for public to the society. Media is perceived to create biased beliefs towards selective issues. Biased believes have also conveyed some sort of offensive images about different countries and religions through media (Woodier 2008, ...