The Media's Role In Presidential Elections

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This election cycle has been a wild ride, surprising many observers. This was indeed the year of the anti-establishment candidates. Both Bernie Sanders and Donald J. Trump found success in their campaigns even though they were considered political outsiders. The 2016 election drew to a close on November 8 when Republican candidate Donald J. Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in a landslide victory by winning 290 electoral votes. The Republicans ended up controlling the House and Senate. By taking a look back at the beginning all the way to the present, we shall see how the events during the presidential election contributed to this outcome. The Independent senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, captured the interest of many people when he announced his presidential bid as a Democrat. At that time, Sanders was polling very low in comparison to the front-runner Hillary Clinton. Sanders, relatively unknown, was up against the political establishment, the elite that are continually gaining power in the nation. Sanders ran as a progressive with the message of a Political Revolution and seeking to change the way of …show more content…

Some people are heavily reliant on the media to drive their beliefs for them, which is very concerning. Major news outlets (CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS) all have a liberal bias. The corporate media has a profound influence on the population since the masses tend to absorb information rather than research it. Journalistic integrity is a rarity these days because the corporations’ control of the media allows them to push their own narratives. The opposition of liberal vs. conservative is the most commonly disputed subject in American politics. The media accentuated the division between the two political viewpoints during this election cycle. This division occurred as a result of the stereotypes and truths that soon arose as the general election drew

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