Introduction
The relationship between media and politics has been the subject of numerous studies over the last few decades. Before the advent of modern media, politics was the confine of a few individuals and families. Media is currently a great source of political manipulation and a key determinant of any political environment. It has become the most important constituent in politics. Yang and Liu confirm that whoever is able to run the media platform controls the politics of an area (701). If information is power, media qualifies as the tool that is used to deliver the power.
Any leader who intends to control masses has to run the media as a tool that is effective in changing any regime. Currently, no boundaries have been set for areas that can be reached by the media. The internet, which is the latest addition to the many different forms of media, came into being in the last century. Capitalist economies and democracies where the freedom of expression is safeguarded have contributed towards the flourishing of different forms of media. The United States is one of these nations. The influence of the media on politics is very evident. This research paper investigates the relationship between media and politics in the US. Besides, it provides details of how political issues are mediated through media filters.
Literature Review
As previously stated, several researches investigate the relationship between media and politics in different areas of the world, particularly in the US. This section investigates these sources in an effort to get a clear picture of what they have concluded in terms of media and politics. An example of a study on the relationship between media and politics in the US is the research by Andrea Hickerson on “Media Use and Transnational Political and Civic Participation: A Case Study of Mexicans in the USA” (1). In this research, the researcher explores the use of communication through media platforms to foster transnational activity in the USA (Hickerson 143). The study investigates the participation of transnational communities in politics through the contribution of media activities. The researcher suggested that media has a significant effect on the political and civic participation for these communities, specifically the Mexicans in the country (Hickerson 144).
Hickerson’s main aim was to investigate the relationship between media and political participation of transnational parties in the country that they currently live in and their country of origin (145). He begins by revealing few studies that address the relationship between the two entities. The only available research suggests that media weight on politics is influenced by the attitude of the concerned individuals and the media type among other factors (Hickerson 143). The researcher chose a valid population group on which to base his research since Mexicans constitute one of the largest immigrant societies in the US.
Hickerson concludes that there is potential significant influence of media on politics between the two nations (141). The Mexican population in the US barely participates in the election of its politicians even after their home country allows them to participate in the same event (Hickerson 143). However, the various media campaigns are significant in ensuring that the country manages to woo as many voters as possible in the election.
In the second study, the researcher begins by acknowledging that the institutional system in the US allows separation of powers and multiple vetting points. These characteristics require consensus and compromise (Levendusky 611). In a study titled ‘Why Do Partisan Media Polarize Viewers?’, Levendusky claims that the partisan media in the US has some contribution to the political conditions in the country (611). The effect of such a move to polarize the nation means that the public is affected by the decisions that the politicians make. The results of this particular research indicate that the partisan media is a significant source of polarization and influence on people in the way they react and respond to political issues (Levendusky 611).
Levendusky observes that the American “constitutional system rests on compromise, too much gridlock, and debate makes governing extremely difficult” (620). The partisan media in the nation offers strong political influence on the elected leaders on political issues. An example provided by the researcher is the political opposition that is availed to the healthcare reform legislation that president Obama wanted to introduce (Levendusky 620). The republicans provided the opposition to this legislation. The driving force was the partisan media that had characteristically taken the antireform side (Levendusky 620). The author states the example of Rush Limbaugh. According to this researcher, politicians had a hard time making a compromise because they were forced to choose what their supposed population wanted them to engage in.
The other example that is stated in the research is the flu vaccine. Levendusky explores the effects that partisan media in the country has on the daily politics (620). The result is that media influence on politics in the country creates a situation where the country’s politicians have to deal with issues that are not important to the country, despite them being politically expedient (Levendusky 620). The partisan media is not implicated in causing these effects alone. However, it accelerates the same effects. Levendusky concludes in this research that the overall results of the effects of the partisan media on the political decisions in the US are largely negative (621).
The third research that this research looks at is the influence of media on politics and/or how it manifests in other nations. The research by Rasa Balockaite examines the effects that media has on politics in Lithuania, especially by looking at the lower class in that nation. In this research, Balockaite asserts that the poor class in society has traditionally not had its own intellectuals (20). Over the last century and since the origin of postindustrial capitalism, the researcher also states that new elites have emerged to dominate the public discourse (Balockaite 20). The researcher recognizes language and culture as some of the two central influences of the modern political systems. Balockaite states that media is a significant part of the popular culture since it has a significant influence on social systems in different parts of the world (20).
In the above research, poor individuals who have little influence on media are recognized as having minor effects on the politics of the country. The poor class is portrayed as weak and unable to influence decision making in the country since it is not part of the political systems in this nation (Balockaite 21). For instance, poor citizens in Lithuania are unable to lift one of their own into political influence without lifting the individual out of poverty and hence the reason why they are inadequately represented (Balockaite 21). Therefore, media in this nation has been a significant source of alienation for this part of the society.
The largest group in this nation comprises the poor individuals. However, their voice in national politics is not significant. Balockaite states that media plays to the tune of the rich by only influencing the political systems in the way that the rich people desire (21). The observation means that the media platform in this nation is a significant source of political influence based on the effects that poor people have been subjected to because of lack of media representation. This situation has led researcher to conclude that the influence of media on politics is global and may be a significant source of alienation of the poor. The study also concludes, “Lithuania’s poor class constitutes the latest version of authorized Otherness as they enter the public sphere as exotic exhibits that are exposed for public curiosity and entertainment” (Balockaite 21).
The three articles demonstrate an interrelationship between political systems not only in the US but also in other parts of the world. However, elites control media platforms in these nations, including the US. Results show that they are able to manipulate the political systems to their advantage. Losers in this form of manipulation include the public that is meant to benefit from political matters of their regions. The literature also demonstrates an existing gap on the interrelationship between media and politics in the USA.
Research Method
The first method that was used in the study involved the selection of appropriate studies for review on the relationship between media and politics. These studies were selected based on their weight on the overall topic of media and politics. The analysis of these studies, including those discussed in the literature review, provided a link between political decisions in the past and media influence. The main finding was that few studies focused on the relationship between media and politics in the USA. Hence, they are insufficient for an article review form of study. Therefore, the primary approach to the study was selected.
Research on media influence required the selection of an appropriate sample that could represent the population. In this research, the methodology constituted random participants in the US. The sample was randomly selected where the community from different areas participated in the study. Qualitative methodology was used. Questionnaires were developed with questions on how media influenced political decisions in the last general election in the United States. Questionnaires that were used in the survey constituted several questions, including the provision of an appropriate bio-data for the participants. These questionnaires were sent to the respondents via emails, with those who agreed to participate returning the answered questionnaires.
The results of the survey were then analyzed, with the appropriate methods of data presentation being used. The results were later used to arrive at the conclusions that were part of the study. The issues discussed in the questionnaires provided significant results that could help one link media with political changes in different parts of the world. According to Kakachia, Pataraia, and Cecire, the most appropriate and effective method of gauging the effects that media has on politics is to capture the opinions of individuals who are directly involved in these political issues (255). Therefore, the random sample of participants in this study was selected as a representative sample of the general population.
Results
During this research, 621 questionnaires were sent to the participants who were required to fill and submit them before the end of the stipulated deadline. Out of the 621 questionnaires, 412 were filled. This figure was a response rate of 66.34%. This response was adequate for the formulation of adequate conclusions. The number of male participants was 287, representing 69.66% of the respondents. The rest of the participants were females who constituted 30.33% (125) of the participants.
The main question that the participants were required to answer is whether media stakeholders had any influence on the way they casted their votes in the last general election. According to Cull, direct and indirect influences of media on political decisions in any democracy may be demonstrated by the exhibited voting patterns (143). A significant majority of the participants (78%) responded in a positive way to this question, thus indicating that media stakeholders had an influence on the way they voted.
The questionnaires also investigated the different influences that media had on different aspects of the political systems (Öztürk 47). According to Gerber, Gimpel, Green, and Shaw, media has particular effects on each of the different political systems in a region or country (141). The areas of influence that were investigated in the study included the choice of presidency, the option of political party, choice of governors, and the preference of local leaders. The most significant influence that media had on decision-making in politics was on the choice of the presidency (88%), followed by the chosen party (76%). A minor influence of media was evident based on the way the public voted in the local elections (64%) and the voting for governors (58%).
The other aspect that the paper investigated in relation to the link between politics and media is how much the participants trusted media as a source of political information. There was significant support for media in terms of influencing political decisions in the country. Majority of participants concurred that media is an important source of political information and advice. According to Lashley, the media platform wins the hearts of people through the influence and control of information that is available to the masses (373). The percentage of participants who agreed that media is an important point of political information was significantly high (72%).
The findings are similar to Lashley’s conclusion of a significantly high number of people who agree that the media is a significant source of political information and influence (373). This inference means that political decisions that are reached in this political system depend on the information that is available to the media platform where individuals are in control of the information systems (Lashley 373). Over the last several decades, the growth of the internet has affected political systems in different parts of the world such as the US. Politicians are able to manipulate the mass by establishing control of all sources of their daily information (Lashley 373).
Discussion and Conclusions
Media is stated as an important influence on political systems and decisions in different parts of the world, especially in the US. The hypothesis is that there is a big relationship between politics and media in the USA. The findings support the hypothesis that media is a point of influence not only to the local politics but also to the national politics in the USA. Most of the respondents in the study demonstrate the importance of the media tool as a point of information and mass manipulation.
According to Gonzalez, the United States is one of the nations that gain in terms of the freedom of expression (572). However, this situation has come at the expense of sound political information sharing. Individuals who control the media platform are easily able to influence the decisions made on the political arena. Politicians have to go by media policies to ensure that they respect the opinion of the different media sources in the country. This particular research demonstrates that there are different levels of interaction, despite the large influence of political systems by media.
The strongest office in the USA and possibly the world is surprisingly affected most by media. Decisions of the electorate depend on the information available on media about these leaders (Gonzalez 572). If the results of the last general election are anything to go by, media is a strong influence on the existing political systems in the US and the current administration. This observation is not limited to the current administration since media had even governed most of the past governments (Gonzalez 572).
The relationship between media and politics is not just one-way. Hence, politicians also influence media operators to gain ground in their political careers and ambitions (Gonzalez 571). Gonzalez states that individuals who control the media platform also manage power (574). Over the past few decades, political leaders in the USA have engaged on a competition for the local and national media, with the target being to please media with the aim of influencing the general population. The research supports the general hypothesis that media is a central influence on the political decisions made in the USA. This strategy is not just a short-term measure.
The implications of these findings include that the future political decisions will not be based on the interest of the masses. Rather, they will be based on what the media platform determines as important to the nation. This plan has a negative effect on the relationship between media and politics. However, there is a good outcome from this relationship since politicians are likely to influence the positive political changes through the media base. Media can play a bigger role in terms of changing the existing political systems in the US to bring a positive change in the country.
In conclusion, the United States is one of the nations that have a vibrant media that forms a central part of governance. The influence of this country’s media runs through the different political levels. However, the relationship between media and politics in this nation is two-way since politicians are able to manipulate the media platform for political gains. There is a need for future interactions between media and politics to be centered on genuine needs of the general population. The limitations of the study include the restricted number of studies on the topic and the time taken in the study.
Works Cited
Balockaite, Rasa. “Can You Hear Us?: The Lower Class in Lithuanian Media and Politics.” Problems Of Post-Communism 56.1 (2009): 12-22. Print.
Cull, Nicholas. “The Long Road To Public Diplomacy 2.0: The Internet In US Public Diplomacy.” International Studies Review 15.1 (2013): 123-139. Print.
Gerber, Alan, James Gimpel, Donald Green, and Daron Shaw. “How Large and Long-Lasting Are the Persuasive Effects of Televised Campaign Ads?” American Political Science Review 105 (2011): 135–50. Print.
Gonzalez, Michelle. “Religion And The Us Presidency: Politics, The Media, And Religious Identity.” Political Theology 13.5 (2012): 568-585. Print.
Hickerson, Andrea. “Media Use And Transnational Political And Civic Participation: A Case Study Of Mexicans In The USA.” Global Networks 13.2 (2013): 143-163. Print.
Kakachia, Kornely, Tamara Pataraia, and Michael Cecire. “Networked Apathy: Georgian Party Politics And The Role Of Social Media.” Demokratizatsiya 2 (2014): 255. Print.
Lashley, Marilyn. “The Politics Of Cognitive Dissonance: Spin, The Media, And Race (And Ethnicity) In The 2008 US Presidential Election.” American Review Of Canadian Studies 39.4 (2009): 364-377. Print.
Levendusky, Matthew. “Why Do Partisan Media Polarize Viewers?” American Journal Of Political Science 57.3 (2013): 611-623. Print.
Öztürk, Ahmet. “International Politics And The Media: The Case Of The Press/Media In The War On Terror.” Alternatives: Turkish Journal Of International Relations 8.3 (2009): 42-72. Print.
Yang, Edward, and Xinsheng Liu. “The ‘China Threat’ Through The Lens Of US Print Media: 1992–2006.” Journal Of Contemporary China 21.76 (2012): 695-711. Print.