Effectiveness of Media in Pursuing Political Agendas
With Media Coverage and Persuasion for All
When it comes to swaying the public’s opinion, it is most important for political leaders. They must win the votes of the people, sometimes at any means necessary. While it may sound like it is alluding to violence, it is actually making reference to the techniques this fourth branch of the media uses. These techniques give the media the ability to set the political agenda and force political leaders to pay attention. They also make the public open their eyes to the platforms being presented. Newsmaking, agenda setting, interpreting, socializing, and persuading all give the media power. Hern P. Zenarosa states, “The fact is, the media is widely recognized to be the vital link between the government and the people it serves…” (Dealing with the media). This should not be surprising, due to the general purpose of the media. The purpose of the media is to link different principles to the public. The media usually consists of television, radio, internet, and magazines. It has grown to include blogs and video blogs. These mediums all use the previously stated five functions. To begin with, newsmaking is used by the media determining what will be news. This allows them to attach importance to certain events and people. For example, every press release that is pitched is not picked up because it is irrelevant to the media outlet. Undercover journalism can create a threat to politicians and bureaucrats, revealing a scandal or ineffectiveness. Such was the case with The Washington Post covering the Watergate story. The story appealed to two Washington Post reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward who were assigned the Watergate story. In an article the Washington Post posted online regarding its coverage of the Watergate scandal, it informed:
As the two reporters pursued the story, Woodward relied on Mark Felt, a high ranking official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as a confidential source. With
When it comes to swaying the public’s opinion, it is most important for political leaders. They must win the votes of the people, sometimes at any means necessary. While it may sound like it is alluding to violence, it is actually making reference to the techniques this fourth branch of the media uses. These techniques give the media the ability to set the political agenda and force political leaders to pay attention. They also make the public open their eyes to the platforms being presented. Newsmaking, agenda setting, interpreting, socializing, and persuading all give the media power. Hern P. Zenarosa states, “The fact is, the media is widely recognized to be the vital link between the government and the people it serves…” (Dealing with the media). This should not be surprising, due to the general purpose of the media. The purpose of the media is to link different principles to the public. The media usually consists of television, radio, internet, and magazines. It has grown to include blogs and video blogs. These mediums all use the previously stated five functions. To begin with, newsmaking is used by the media determining what will be news. This allows them to attach importance to certain events and people. For example, every press release that is pitched is not picked up because it is irrelevant to the media outlet. Undercover journalism can create a threat to politicians and bureaucrats, revealing a scandal or ineffectiveness. Such was the case with The Washington Post covering the Watergate story. The story appealed to two Washington Post reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward who were assigned the Watergate story. In an article the Washington Post posted online regarding its coverage of the Watergate scandal, it informed:
As the two reporters pursued the story, Woodward relied on Mark Felt, a high ranking official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as a confidential source. With
Cited: Barack Obama Ad - "Mother" Perf. President Barack Obama. 21 Sept. 2007. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aR3Gpsn4v4>. Kress, Adam. "McDonald 's May Get Sued over Happy Meal Toys | Phoenix Business Journal." Business News | The Business Journals. 22 June 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. <http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/business/2010/06/mcdonalds_may_get_sued_over_happy_meal_toys.html#ixzz17VPsYkwO>. "SplitScreen Compare: Biden Interview with McCain 's." YouTube. User: Neutralpundit, 28 Oct. 2008. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stYXztV0UAQ>. "The Watergate Story | The Post Investigates (washingtonpost.com)." Washington Post - Politics, National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - Washingtonpost.com. 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/part1.html>. Zenarosa, Hern P. "Dealing with the Media | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online." Mb.com.ph | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online. 07 July 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. <http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/265670/dealing-with-media>.