The media in modern day society is an invaluable tool for politicians to broadcast and sell their beliefs, goals, and plans to the nation. Having a strong connection with the media is as important as an experienced campaign advisor. With so many Americans tuning in to watch CNN, FOXNEWS, or even Oprah, the road to the white house runs through the national media.
In his article, “Latter-Day Republicans vs. the Church of Oprah,” Frank Rich addresses the issue of media in connection with the 2008 presidential election and religion. Rich comments on the apparent impact of Oprah on Obama’s campaign. Simply having her endorsement is beneficial for Obama as Rich notes, “at a time when evening news anchors no longer have the reach of Walter Cronkite — and when Letterman, Leno, Conan, Stewart and Colbert are in strike-mandated reruns — she rules in the cultural marketplace more powerfully than ever.” But then later he dismisses the “megacelebrity” as an irrelevant contribution in the big picture, hinting that she does nothing more than reassure already pro-Obama voters—an irrelevant pat-on-the-back. On her involvement, Rich notes “Many [votes] were already in the bag. Mr. Obama was drawing huge crowds before she bumped them up further.” So what does this really say about the media’s involvement and role in modern politics? How is it possible that the most influent daytime personality no longer has any pull over her massive audience?
In his book, God and Race in American Politics, Mark Noll comments on the profound impact of the media on American society since the late 1950’s. Noll states, “television has made a dramatic difference in the outworking of American electoral politics. Nor does anyone seriously doubt that, in the religious sphere, mastery of the airwaves has provided some leaders…with unusual national visibility and, in some cases, substantial political clout.” Noll mentions that the media’s portrayal of JFK in the 1960 presidential election was key to his victory over Nixon. If the media was central to American society in the mid to late 20th century, how can the media’s influence have waned when media itself has expanded infinitely? Is Frank Rich’s assessment suggestive of a recent trend away from mainstream media in such areas as politics?
Although few can argue the media’s presence in modern society, has it’s impact truly withered as Rich implies? I don’t believe so. As Rich himself points out, “In New Hampshire, the Rasmussen poll after Oprah’s visit found that the Clinton lead among women had fallen from 14 to 4 percent in just two weeks.” If one media figure can cause a ten-point shift in two weeks, it’s safe to say that the media is as strong today as ever. The precedent set in the late 1950’s is too strong for Americans to diverge from. Our leaders and heroes today use the media to connect with us. The real question becomes, could we survive without the mainstream media dictating our lives?
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3 comments:
I agree with Rahul in saying that the media's effect on modern society has not diminished over the past few years. Ever since campaigning became a part of the election process with Martin van Buren and Andrew Jackson, the media has played a role, which I believe has expanded and continues to expand. I think it's possible, however, that it may not necessarily be the media alone that has influenced politics. Take the music industry, for instance. The song "Lolli Lolli" by Three Six Mafia has a line "like Barack Obama said yeah it's time for a change." True it's just a brief mention of his campaign slogan, but still, there it is in the middle of a song people play at parties and on the radio. The election is becoming more and more of a social issue, rather than a political one. I think it's safe to say that the media has guided this shift, but is not fully responsible. Rahul raises an interesting point though, when he asks "could we survive without the mainstream media dictating our lives?" I think we as individuals could survive, but the connected-ness of the U.S. would be destroyed. The media has become the tie that binds everything together, and without it, I think everything would fall apart. People like to hear other people's opinions, and the media offers a great place for that. I don't think it could ever lose it's place in American society now that it's been established. It's influence can only grow.
I think Rahul definitely has a point when he says that the media remains to be a huge factor in influencing Americans today. Even though the impact may not be a deciding force in things such as the 2008 election, I believe that the influence is inevitable. Considering the international fame of most American musicians and actors, one must believe that their opinions hold some weight with the public masses. The question of media dictatorship seems slightly extreme, however, because there are so many other factors that influence Americans today.
I agree with Rahul’s point that the media continues to be a significant source of influence. In some ways, I think it is important that it maintains its presence, especially with the news media. How well the news media has been doing its job is debatable, but it has an indispensable role of keeping the government in check and under public scrutiny, as well as ensuring that the citizens are properly informed.
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