Media_on_Politics

Media’s Influence on Politics The media has severely influenced politics, and how candidates are elected into political offices. The media has also mad candidates concentrate on improving their image, rather than improving the nation’s problems. For example, John F. Kennedy was elected because his image on television was “crisp” and Richard Nixon, his opponent, was “fuzzed’, according to Source C. Ronald Reagan, who ran for office in 1981, was a former actor. He knew the media, and was experienced with it; therefore he could manipulate it to his benefit. Because of television, the people are not judging the political candidates based on their experience and knowledge of the profession, but rather on their celebrity status. Source B states, “… Presidents are losing their distinctiveness as social actors… judged by standards formerly used to assess rock singers and movie stars.” In today’s society, people do not vote for the issues, but for the people themselves. Television has also restored the feeling of unity between the American people. Source A, “’Television, with its penetration, its wide geographic distribution and impact, provides a new direct and sensitive link between Washington and the people’” Technology has restored the feeling of direct contact, that was once lost. The people now feel that they have more of a say in who is elected into political offices. Even though television has restored some unity in the United States, the people are also “being cheated by the omission of some relevant test, some necessary submission to mass scrutiny”, as stated by Source C. In the 1960 election between Kennedy and Nixon, Kennedy won due to his appearance on television. People who had listened to the debates on the radio, voted for either candidate. The ones who watched the debates on the television, mostly voted for Kennedy. “In 1960 television had won the nation away from sound to images, and that was that.” Nixon was not appealing to the eyes of the voters, with his light colored suit, wrong makeup, and poor posture; as opposed to John Kennedy, whom the voters adored. “Our national politics has become a competition for images or between images, rather than between ideals.” In conclusion, the media has had a substantial impact on the politics of today’s society. The candidates are more focused on their image rather than the nation, and the American people vote for the candidates and their images.