Depending on the resources at their disposal and the power and influence they are able to wield there are varying degrees constraints encountered by political actors as well as promising opportunities to assert authority1. The post-Cold War dynamic has paved the way for a diverse array of politically activated groups, which have broken away from the tradition political units, such as the nation state, and created a new idea of what constitutes a ‘political actor’ 2. Therefore the term ‘political actor’ is in need of definition, and specification, in order to clarify what groups can be classed as political actors as well as which groups will be considered in this essay. In general terms political actors can be thought of as individuals or groups of people who react to pressures within a society and drive for change or attempt to prevent change in order to uphold the views of those they represent3. These individuals or groups fall into many categories in the contemporary political arena where decreased transactions costs make communication far quicker and cheaper than ever before and the ease with which people can travel allows the constant exchange of ideas and action.
Assess the role of media in politics What is the actual role of the media? Television, newspapers, radio and internet are all forms of media that are used by politicians to put news and views across. The question that is raised however is, what is the media’s role within the political field which leads onto a question of influence. The Sun ran the headline "If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights" (1992, p1), two day later it ran the headline ‘It’s The Sun wot won it’ (1992, p1). This then makes us think that maybe the media and politicians see each other’s roles differently.
In addition, it is a measure of responsibility and accountability for the freedom of press that is able to give counterarguments and provide a space for counterarguments regarding issues that are controversial and require a public debate so that the viewing and listening public can get a full knowledge of the issues being presented on both sides. It has always been a key rule of journalism (1), but the success is less clear, and the Fairness Doctrine has many pros and cons to this rule, and that is something that should be touched on. Another issue that will be talked about is if the Fairness Doctrine should be reintroduced or if it’s a good thing that this law doesn’t exists to the United States anymore. When the question came about to discuss the pros and con of the fairness doctrine I feel as though there was plenty of answers for this issue since I can oppose to both. I want to start off with discussing some pro arguments about the Fairness Doctrine.
In the text “Pictures in Our Heads” Anthony Partkanis and Elliot Aronson both address the influence mass media has on society and how they view the world. They also state that the media sets the standard of what people believe is important. That the media is constantly persuading society to believe a certain truth when in reality there is much more to it. How people will not practice their own knowledge into how the media should present important topics to society. It was in interesting way of putting in perspective the way the media can influence are thoughts.
The sociological impact that research within the area of intelligence has had on political decisions was illustrated to show how the media can influence the impressionable public opinion, which might inhibit or derail further research. The conclusion was that intelligence, measured as IQ, is malleable. It is important, though, to understand the conditions under which progress
this makes us question how trustable are news media really if all they want is ad money? Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel worry that “the public sphere” has become an arena solely for polarized debate, not for compromise, consensus and solution” Stewart - problem solving is harder because of news media influence Culture and the Evolution of Mass Communication Culture can be viewed more broadly as the ways in which people live and represent themselves at particular historical times Communication: the creation and use of symbol systems that convey information and meaning Culture: the symbols of expression that individuals, groups, and societies use to make sense of daily life and to articulate their values a process that delivers the values of a society through products or other meaning-making forms rugged individualism Mass Media: cultural industries - the channels of communication - that produce and distribute songs, novels, tv shows, news papers, movies, video games, internet services, and other cultural products to a large number of people Convergence: several overlapping phases or eras in which newer forms of technology disrupted and modified older forms Eras of convergence: oral, written, print, electronic, and digital Oral and Written refer to the communication of tribal or feudal communities and
In this essay I will be discussing some of these threats, risks, crises and uncertainties that are currently in the public domain, some of which seem to stem from globalization. I will be then looking to see if these uncertainties have been exaggerated and if any of these issues can be interpreted as giving people greater opportunities and choices. In the conclusion of the essay I will make a decision based on the evidence offered throughout DD100 on whether or not the essay question generally reflects society today. One of the major threats that many of us are deeply concerned about in today’s society is that of unemployment. Book 4 of DD100 centres around globalization and Book 3 looks at the flexibility of the labour market.
As such, it is important to stop the negative influences from the media, whilst harnessing its positive aspects for the greater good. Such results can be achieved through a mix of governmental policies, as well as parental guidance and education. The media deserves to be checked/should assume greater responsibility due to its potential adverse effects on society, especially the youths. The media brings with it many bad influences, such as increased exposure to vice and violence, and is a potential tool for the spread of negative ideas such as terrorism. For example, the game
Popular American Culture In today’s world culture has played a major role in how individuals percieve issues and how their personal decisions are made. Furthermore, popular cultures play a more important role because individuals tend to let popular cultures affect their decision making. Today popular American cultures are big not only in American, but in other countries too! In order to understand how popular American culture affects personal decision making one should know the differences between culture and popular culture, major popular American culture trends and how those trends influence decision making. Culture can be defined in many different ways; however, culture is mainly defined as patterns of behaviors, interactions, cognitive constructions and learning through a process of socialization (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, 2010).
Political bias has been a feature of the mass media since its birth following the invention of the printing press. Historians have found that publishers often served the interests of powerful social groups. Like newspapers, the broadcast media—radio and television—have been used as a mechanism for propaganda from their earliest days. Media bias is studied at schools of journalism, university departments (including Media studies, Cultural studies and Peace studies) and by independent watchdog groups from various parts of the political spectrum. The most commonly discussed forms of bias occur when the media support or attack a particular political party, candidate, or ideology; however, other common forms of bias exist, including advertising bias, corporate bias, sensationalism.