When it comes to politics, the way the media frames current issues has the ability to have a strong effect on the way people’s political opinions are influenced. Tactics such as agenda setting, the use of opinion leaders, and the spiral of silence can be utilized by political figures in order to sway public opinion in their favor. Additionally, opinion leaders play a big role in how the general public reacts to current events both politically and socially. Through the research we have done for this blog, we have discovered the importance of media literacy, as explained by Vivian,when interacting with today’s political issues in the media.
Cable News and TV/ Film
When we first started out with this project, we were under the impression that the media affects the public opinions immensely. While this is true, our research has led to findings that the media and certain news outlets that cover politics are so opinionated in how they portray certain events. The lack of objective news reporting severely weakens the credibility of most political resources.
While the news coverage varies in the way information is presented, TV and film allow for political topics to be viewed in a different, less serious light. Often, fictional shows have a much easier time integrating politics into their messages because they are not considered a credible source of information. Since TV shows are not deemed credible political sources but are highly valued in culture, they are able to practice framing, or telling the audience what to think about.
That being said, framing does not tell audiences what to believe or influence them in that way. The two shows analyzed were Parks and Rec and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Both of these present issues in a casual way in regards to the characters’ day to day lives, rather than outrightly speaking of current political discourse. Also, most times that a point of political tension is mentioned, it only lasts for one episode. So if some of the audience may have been against the stance the show seemed to be taking, they could just tune in next week. Since these shows have the characters reacting to politics and even stating their opinions, they can be seen as opinion leaders, despite being fictional.
News Sites/ Social Media
The importance of media literacy has been particularly highlighted with the recent spotlight on “fake news”. We often see the current president talk about fake news, and how this has an effect on the way the public thinks about current political issues. It is presented so often on news sites and social media. The nature of social media and its increasing use in this generation makes the production of fake news very easy. Social media platforms, such as Instagram or Twitter make it possible for information to be instantly posted and shared. Therefore, fake news can be rapidly spread throughout social media platforms. These fake news stories can even make their way to popular news sites such as CNN, Fox News, and more when they get enough public attention through social media. Considering the growing prevalence of fake news, it is becoming more and more important for people to be media literate and aware of what is real in the news and what could be a possible hoax. Individuals must be able to critically evaluate the stories they see, in order to decide if they are accurate or not.
Satire
As the world evolves into a more technological environment, we find ourselves not paying attention to some major political events. This is why Satire in Media has become a crucial component for reaching audience members and informing them on certain political events, that will more than likely contain a twist of comic relief. Through these productions of late night television shows audience members are subject to demassification because it is reaching more of the population than the original airing of the political event. A lot of what has been pointed out in our blogs of Cable News and TV/Film apply to this section of blogs as well when it comes to incorporating politics in media, the main difference is that Satire makes fun of any political event possible. Since this is the shows entire purpose they often also fill time with celebrity and musical guests, which also bring in larger audiences than if they were to solely rely on political comedy. It may not be the ideal situation for politics to reach the public, but as long as producers and writers of these late night shows are able to find content from politics it will reach the audience and bring it to their attention.
Sources:
Media Literacy
Framing
Opinion Leaders (Two-Step-Flow)
Demassification
Politics in Mass Media 