COM 300 (Influence of mass media on politics)

Influence of mass media on politics
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Abstract
The role of media in politics is highly attributed by the ability to influence on peoples 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 though 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 plat form can be used in various forms among them being 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 that mass media is a basic tool that is often used by the elites in the society to influence the political outcomes in their favor (Swanson, 1996). Mass media has a great influence over the people in the whole world since it is the major source of information to the people and can easily determine their reaction towards certain 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
A major distinction of mass media is the ability to affect people’s perceptions of social norms. Mass media plays a major role in forming and directing people’s behavior. Coverage of information by the mass media influences on 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 as a result of its power in 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, internet, cable television and potable devices with internet among others. Media is the main source of information for the majority of people and it being used to educate people. The power of media is in its ability to influence human thinking and change their perception on how they relate among the members of the public. Media capability to associate with powerful p...