Current essay deals with a critical problem of media role in politics. By using Al Gore’s book ‘The assault on reason’ as a launching pad for our argumentation we propose to critically evaluate the role of media in politics.
The main thesis which is defended is that mass communication plays a crucial rule in modern politics since it considerably affects the flow of information and frames people’s perception of political affairs. Current essay does not consider media to be something inherently objective and independent but rather recognizes their role as political actor in society having considerable power capabilities. Using Al Gore account and critiques of Bush administration internal and external policies we will try to insert these visions into the wider fabric of media-political axis analysis thereby integrating Gore’s text with our own argumentation defending the abovementioned thesis. Current essay uses Toulmin argumentation style in defending our thesis.
Gore’s ‘Assault on Reason’
Gore’s book though mainly presents the critiques of Bush administration policies provides us with some valuable account of media important role in shaping these policies. According to Gore Bush administration ignored the ‘clear warnings’ relating to terrorists threats of 9/11 and ‘stirred up a hornets nest’ in Iraq.
Besides this it used mass media to disseminate ‘the language and politics of fear’ and tried to “drive the public agenda without regard to the evidence, the facts or the public interest” through media outlets and column articles in leading American newspapers which referring to some secret security information promoted the interests of Bush administration.
So, probably as these facts show media played significant role in discursively framing American policy which partly proves our initial thesis of critical role of media in politics.
Besides this Gore puts forward some facts claiming that pro-Bush media dominated national discussion on such issues as war in Iraq, national security, terrorism and other important issues, bypassed reason, silenced dissent and oppositional points of view.
This point of view seems grounded to us since the majority of media notwithstanding massive opposition of American populace to Iraqi war supported it through mass propaganda campaigns and disinformation materials on WMD, role of Iraq in 9/11, its sponsoring terrorism and other issues that went in line with dominant American political discourse. Whose interests do these informational campaigns serve? Who are you ‘We are the People…’? (Leahey, 2004).
Current media campaign against Iran can also be described as supportive of war. This can be backed by pro-Bush media repeating the same mantra about Ahmadinejad’s malicious ambitions to make a new nuclear Holocaust against Israel based on his alleged utterance in which he called for destroying Israel (in fact these words were wrongly translated), disseminating false information of Iran’s sponsorship of terrorists in Northern Iraq and other disinformation.
The visit of Iran’s president to the United States recently this year also proves one-sided representation of those politicians who oppose American agenda in blackish light. Mainstream media extensively supported ban from Ahmadinejad visit of Ground Zero in New York and other humiliating actions of American authority. Hence, ones again the abovementioned facts make us ask – whose freedom of speech do mainstream American TV channels and newspapers promote? Why do people hear the same uncritical apologetics of Bush administration political agenda and its aggressive policies in Middle East and elsewhere? The examples of media informational campaigns in support of wars in Iraq and Iran are crucial in understanding the role of media in modern politics unless these facts are not false or another product of propaganda. If this is not true, probably our argumentation proves to be justified.
Al Gore extend his critique of Bush administration on internal policy which justifies blatant violations of constitutional rights of America citizens for free speech, private life and free correspondence by initiating ‘security’ legislation as for instance is presented in Patriot Act and ‘enemy combatant’ clauses which prohibit people from utilization of ‘habeas corpus’ right.
According to Al Gore factual argumentation these leads to a complete demise of Constitutional checks and balances and poses significant threat to the mere existence of American democracy. These arguments seem to us to be properly backed by factual information and existing Constitution which proves illegal nature of Bush new legislation. In line with the purpose of current essay it should be noted that American media plays an important rule in pursuing these policies.
First of all, it spins the hysteria and rhetoric of ‘threats to national security’ making people believe that they are in permanent danger and instability and sanctioning American state to implement even more harsh legislative acts to suppress any dissent and opposition. By disseminating these messages through its channels Mass media thus engages consciously or not in the Bush administration police agenda in internal policy. By scandalizing every event that happens and interpreting it as inevitable threat to personal and national security it creates atmosphere of media horror that is transmitted to every member of American society. Doing this Media becomes increasingly politicized and not objective.
Al Gore poses another difficult problem which concerns the role of media in deteriorating quality of American democracy which is particularly important in terms of arguments we ground here. Media transmits cynical and deceiving promises of candidates which are not kept and does not provide citizens with adequate information and analysis of election campaigns and candidates’ political platforms as well well-ground critiques. Not surprisingly yet as Media gets huge monies for political marketing and advertising campaigns of candidates. But unfortunately these results in ill-informed electorate, who does not know whom to vote for or can’t rationally evaluate what voting priority will be the most effective for his future. During elections TV is dominated 30-second advertisements which are repeated ad nauseam.
All this contributes to the negative impact of media on widening the scope of citizens’ participation in public affairs and to significant deterioration of democracy resulting in its increasing formalization. Instead of informing citizens on relevant societal problems and proposing solutions, media reproduces dominant political consensus leaving no space for oppositions as it is by large controlled by large media conglomerates and represents elitist views. This as Al Gore notes leads to “unprecedented and sustained campaign of mass deception”.
To sum it up as this essay shows media plays an important role in modern politics as Al Gore reveals. Integrating its arguments with our own understanding of this problem current essay showed that media increasingly becomes politicized and dependent on existing political conjuncture which results in undermining its democratic purposes.
References
- Gore, Al. The Assault on Reason. Penguin Press, HC, 2007
- Leahey, Christopher R. “Examining Media Coverage: A Classroom Study of Iraq War News.” Social Education 68.4 (2004): 280-302.