With media such as the news, social media, and anything on screen has completely changed the game on presidential campaigns and elections. I learned from the documentary that we have watched in class, presidents have to be ready for anything. This can range from looking presentable to answering questions on the spot. With media, the whole nation is able to see the capabilities of the candidates.
I think there is a lot of positives with media on presidential elections. One, a lot of people can learn a lot about the candidate as everything can be found on the media. Also, with debates being live, one can see if the candidate has enough knowledge about certain topics and issues. Whatever goes on the debate can have a large impact on the candidate as they can either grab more people towards their side or push them away.
As there are positives by the media, I think there are negatives as well. For starters, everything is being recorded and posted. I think this causes a lot of tension for the candidates of what they say and how they react to certain questions or actions. I feel that they aren't able to show their true selves because it can go against them. Also, people can be insulted from what they might say even though it might be true and they are just trying to acknowledge the issue. This large tension creates what we like to call somebody "fake" since we don't really understand them. Also, they don't sound authentic but instead scripted since they have to be careful. What are your opinions on how media has effected elections?
I think that media has put a lot more pressure on candidates to be consistent with their narratives. I think that in the past, before the age of the internet and television, candidates did not have to be as strict on what they said. In some ways I think that it is a good thing, as it is harder for them to lie. But Trump has seemingly skated away from this rule, as he constantly lies and gets away with it despite him being called out by the media. I think that the media has contributed to his rise by causing distrust in them, and allowing people like Trump to gain power. I think its a give and take, but right now we are seeing the negative effects of it mostly.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this increased/elevated presence of the media has put candidates in a place of pressure because everything they say or do can come back to bite them. I think the media is becoming more dangerous when they analyze elections or different candidates because the news outlet has the power to spin the story in any way that they choose. They can either choose to support or destroy different candidates, making the election process a dirty game. With the rise of the media's presence, the American public has to be more wary about the news that is released from these outlets because not everything can be taken as a fact.
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