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How Media Influence On Public Opinion
How Media Influence On Public Opinion
How the media influences opinion
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Introduction
This paper is going to explore the topic of e-democracy. As our society becomes more enthralled with technology and communication via the Web, it is important to consider what kind of methods and tools we use to communicate about issues that vastly affect everyone. Although some believe that there are positives and negatives regarding e-democracy, every subject is going to have pros and cons. Throughout this paper, I am going to explore what the “mainstream” media has written about e-democracy and both the positives and negatives of it as well. By using previous research, I would like to express why I think e-democracy’s positives outweigh the negatives and how society can benefit from such a technological breakthrough.
Popular Belief/Concerns about E-Democracy
In today’s world, the media almost dominates society. No matter a station’s political affiliation or the conglomerates’ beliefs, a vast variety of topics are covered almost daily. Whether it’s breaking news, feature stories, or heart-warming cartoons, the audience is almost certain to tune into any news station and learn about what is going on in the world, and e-democracy falls under that category. When it comes to anything that concerns the government, there is going to be media coverage, especially if it involves scandal or court cases. Stories vary in importance and depth, but overall they give us insight into certain topics. CNN’s Dan Caterinicchia offered the people a look at what E-Democracy is and how a man from Minnesota lobbied to make e-democracy easier by using an e-mailing list as well as an online public forum. According to Caterinicchia (1999), Minnesota e-democracy Chairman, Steven Clift, believes that such a practice would make E-Democracy an...
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...s: Not now .. not likely?. Information Polity: The International Journal Of Government & Democracy In The Information Age, 18(3), 201-216. doi:10.3233/IP-130312
Parvez, Z. (2006). Informatization of local democracy: A structuration perspective. Information Polity: The International Journal Of Government & Democracy In The Information Age, 11(1), 67-83.
Revkin, A. (2008, April 25). Climate and the Web: 'Electronic Democracy on Steroids'. Dot Earth Climate and the Web Electronic Democracy on Steroids Comments. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/climate-and-the-web-electronic-democracy-on-steroids/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
Thomas, J., & Streib, G. (2005). E-DEMOCRAC, E-COMMERCE, AND E-RESEARCH: Examining the Electronic Ties Between Citizens and Governments. Administration & Society, 37(3), 259-280. doi:10.1177/0095399704273212
In this article Mary Kate Cary opens up with the supreme court decision to not restrict the use of corporate funds in political advertising so that she can make her point that big money ads are not the most effective way for candidates to reach American constituents. She argues that social media is a new way for politicians to connect with citizens. Her five claim are that Americans can now, choose the media they wish to consume, share the media they choose the share, like posts they agree with and dislike posts they do not agree with, connect with others on social media, and donate to candidate campaigns online. With these claims she comes to the conclusion that politicians want to go around mainstream media so that they can connect directly with the voters.
The effects of new digital technologies and their policy implications result in a complex issue that is always evolving. The “Change of State: Information, Policy, and Power” by Sandra Braman presents a breakdown of policy development for the constant evolution of the technological world and how it affects the state and society. She theorizes that the ‘information state’ is in the process of replacing the welfare state, to the detriment of the citizen and the democratic process. Braman “looks at the ways in which governments are deliberate, explicit, and consistent in their use of information policy to exercise power, exploring not only such familiar topics as intellectual property rights and privacy but also areas in which policy is highly effective but little understood,” (The MIT Press 2014). She argues that development of information policy causes transformation in the nature of governance, making the state more powerful and the citizens lose their rights, freedom and identity.
The author is this article is Kalev Leetaru, he is known as an American internet entrepreneur and academic. He is also a contributor to Foreign Policy, where he discusses current political events worldwide. He was appointed adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown university which is ranked #6 internationally and is an extremely well respected university in Washington DC.
Digital democracy is closely linked with e-democracy, which is the idea of allowing people to use digital devices in order to cast their vote, which is said to have the potential to greatly increase electoral turnout by allowing some voters to vote using digital devices, which they wouldn’t have otherwise done with a traditional electoral system. However, it is important to understand that there is a severe danger of some sort of manipulations being done in order to influence the potential result of an election, through hacking or some sort of fraud. Overall, the idea of digital democracy will likely gain popularity with time as the ability of governments to provide secure ways of such e-voting to be
Howard, P. N., & Hussain, M. M. (2011). The role of digital media. Journal of Democracy, 22(3), 35-
As this critical juncture begins to take place, there has been much debate between scholars as to whether we should be enthusiastic or wary of these new changes. In Digital Disconnect and in his lectures, McChesney observes both views in an attempt to advance the discussion. On one side, the celebrants are embracing the Internet as a medium that will change society for the better. In Digital Disconnect, McChesney says, “In sum, the celebrants reaffirm one of the most important original arguments from the 1990s, that the Internet will be a force for democracy and good worldwide, ending monopolies of information and centralized control over communication” (McChesney 8). In my opinion, this celebrant view should only be regarded as a best-case scenario because of the unexpected obstacles for society that can...
In the January 18th, 2012 New York Times article “The False Ideals of the Web”, Jaron Lanier attempts to take a very difficult issue – one that many view in terms of black or white – and find some middle ground. Unfortunately, what he ends up doing in the article is create an either/or situation, rather than find any middle ground. In the end we are left in the same situation that we started with.
Zakaria, F. (2007). The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad (Revised Edition). New York: W. W. Norton.
Electoral systems are important because they affect all areas of municipal government by establishing the rules for electing representatives and the role of the executive. The system can also affect the representation of different groups, whether that be ideological, geographical, or demographics, as well as the outcome of the election. There are five cross-cutting concepts that define the debate over the structure of municipal electoral systems which include, local democracy, representation, engagement, intelligibility, and accountability. Local democracy is important because the electoral system should allow for community representation as well as interest, and the system should provide easy access to elected officials because these officials
Thirty years ago, if I told you that the primary means of communicating and disseminating information would be a series of interconnected computer networks you would of thought I was watching Star Trek or reading a science fiction novel. In 2010, the future of mass media is upon us today; the Internet. The Internet is and will only grow in the future as the primary means of delivering news, information and entertainment to the vast majority of Americans. Mass media as we know it today will take new shape and form in the next few years with the convergence and migration of three legacy mediums (Television, Radio, Newspaper) into one that is based on the Internet and will replace these mediums forever changing the face of journalism, media and politics. In this paper I will attempt to explain the transition of print media to one of the internet, how the shift to an internet based media environment will impact journalism and mass media, and how this migration will benefit society and forever change the dynamic of news and politics.
Living in the digital age has changed the way many Americans view politics. The internet has made it possible to connect to local and national politics without leaving the comfort of our homes. Surveys and questionnaires are answered through email and ballots are filled out online in a process known as digital democracy. Technology has raised the question of whether or not political representatives are even still necessary in our government. There are many advantages and disadvantages to digital democracy. Digital democracy would be advantageous because it is simpler, less expensive, and caters to younger citizens; but it is disadvantageous because it is potentially dangerous, may not reach all citizens, and creates skepticism among many voters.
This paper is a short theoretical approach of electronic voting. It explains types of electronic voting such as online and offline electronic voting that are used nowadays and procedures followed by the voters in this process. By explaining step by step the process of the electronic voting, this paper aims to poin out how secure is electronic voting. What are the advantages of electronic voting and why should we use it ?
As Americans we take pride in our liberating government. But, it is essential to ask how much we, the general public, know about our democracy. Because of the representative structure of our government, it is in our best interest to remain as knowledgeable as possible about political affairs so that we can play an active role in our democracy by voting for candidates and issues. The media, which includes print, television, and the internet, is our primary link to political events and issues. (For the purposes of this essay only print and television will be considered.) Therefore, in order to assess the success of our democracy it is necessary to assess the soundness of our media. We are lucky enough to have a media, in theory, free from government influences because of our rights to freedom of press and freedom of speech, but we are still subject to the media’s interpretation and presentation of politics, as is the danger when depending on any source for information. So, we must address how the media informs us; how successful it is at doing so; and how we should respond to it.
Internet has been acknowledged as one of the most efficient way to collect and reflect public opinions, for that people with different classes and races can express their opinions with no obstacles in virtual network spaces. People can speak out whatever they want just by typing on the keyboard within a second. Dr. Heather Savigny mentions in her article “Public Opinion, Political Communication and the Internet” that “The expansion of the internet as a new method of communication provides a potential challenge to the primacy of the traditional media and political parties as formers of public opinion” (1). People realized that the power of internet public opinion in the focus on social issues can be used as a weapon to affect government decision-makings. However, does public opinion only brings positive effects?
Web. The Web. The Web. 12 Nov. 2011. http://www.i-policy.org/2011/01/democracy-index-2010.html>.