The Advancement of Democracy Through the Media

The Advancement of Democracy through the Media

Ariel Alexander

      El Camino College

                                Author Note

This paper is prepared for Political Science 1, taught by Professor Cranon-Charles

        THE ADVANCEMENT OF DEMOCRACY THROUGH THE MEDIA

Democracy means ‘rule by the people’ and for it to function properly, it is necessary that you have an informed public.  In our society, the most conducive way of acquiring information is through the media. We come into contact with some form of media everyday whether we realize it or not. The media disseminates information to the public and that suggests it can be used as a democratic device. The media informs and empowers citizens, consequently enhancing democracy. Through the media, people's awareness’ are heightened. You can turn on the television and hear about the next Democratic debate or even when its election time or read the newspaper and see how Barack Obama has met with the leader of a foreign country to talk about foreign policies. The media guarantees that citizens will make culpable, reliable choices rather than making choices out of ignorance. It acts as a common ground between the government and citizens, it exposes controversial issues and helps people make un-bias decisions. The media has a compelling role in molding a vigorous democracy. It is a influential tool.

The media gives the government the opportunity to interact and collaborate with citizens. It has shaped how all elections and their politicians are covered. The media plays a crucial part in connecting people to the government. This is how we find out about candidates who are running for offices, different activities that are happening around the world, and all issues around the world. Through the media, we are able to give feedback to our government as well. Alec Ross emphasized, "Connection technologies, including social media, tend to devolve power from the nation state and large institutions to individuals and small institutions. Nothing demonstrated that more than the power to publish and distribute at great scale by historically disempowered individuals with inexpensive devices. If governments are not engaging in social media, they are essentially ceding influence and power” (2011). Also, the media connects citizens to government because without it, we would not be able to make informed opinions about who they are. We would not get to know their personalities and their motives. There has been research that shows people are more likely to vote for a candidate that they see often in the media, such as on television, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as opposed to someone who they just hear about even if they nothing about the candidate. Through the media, the government can actually see what the public likes, dislikes, and get feedback. These examples clearly state why the media acts as a common ground between citizens and the government. 

The media also brings issues to the light. You will hear about any fraud that is reported and any suspicious behavior. For instance, take the Hilary Clinton email scandal. As soon as hit the media, it became top news. That incident may shape how voters view Hilary. They may now view her as shifty and malicious.  Alex Howard gives us another example by stating that “In Washington, and other capitols around the world, legislature and executive offices now operate in a 24 hour stream of live updates and discussions” (2011).  For example, the Congressional transition was actually livestreamed and talked about all over social media including Twitter and Facebook. Also, the White House turned to Twitter to discuss President Barack Obama’s speech on Middle Eastern policy. The option to “share” on social media is the emerging way to distribute news on someone else’s timeline without them actually being tuned in to the actual news. We have news reporters and journalists who are able to capture moments through video footage and photography from different countries. When they upload these images to Instagram or Twitter we have retweet, favorite and share. Alex Howard  declared  it is a  “new, virtual form of word of mouth” (2011).  If you logon to Facebook and search the White House, you will see that is has a million fans and 2 million followers on Twitter. This is definitely an advancement to democracy because you can receive updates directly from the White House. Actually, President Barack Obama, of all 44 presidents, was actually the first in history to announce his candidacy on the Internet. There was a text message sent out to everyone when he choose his vice president pick; Joe Biden. Sarah Palin, then Republican nominee, started the death panel’s round table posting her thoughts of it on her actual Facebook page. Before candidates would actually have to go in front of millions of people, now they can connect faster than ever.

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