Should Voting Be An Informed Voter?

News organizations that report on stories in a fair, balanced and ethical manner are essential to the functionality of this nation. A citizen’s ability to make well-informed decisions hinges on a news organization’s ability to relay the most accurate information regarding the state of the nation, the changing condition of communities, and adjustments in the government. Journalism is no longer a one-sided conversation. Journalism is an interactive process that allows for readers and viewers to create a dialogue with journalists by utilizing mediums such as social networking sites and comment sections. Audiences have a say in what stories get reported and how news stories are presented to the masses. When news organizations fail to cover all

A very controversial topic in the United States is whether or not Americans should be required to vote. Voting is a very essential piece to democracy, but many Americans today are not attending their voting location and supporting the candidate they feel is best. In recent elections, just 60% of registered voters casted their vote for a candidate. This is an issue that many people are not happy about, but whether or not there is reason to fix it is the other side to the case. Voter participation is an issue that has been going on for years, and no laws are in place currently to bring it up. Americans have been proud to live in a “free country”, and a law forcing citizens to vote may be against America’s principles. Compulsory voting should

Voting is the foremost way to exhibit good citizenship and civil responsibility. People should get involved in elections and educated in all political measures. By this they become good and responsible participatory citizens. It should always be remembered that some people sacrifice their lives to preserve the freedom and voting opportunity as a sacred right. True democracy demands the involvement of the people otherwise in absence of that there is no democracy(Akande, 2011).

One reason why Americans shouldn’t be required to vote is because voting without background information might lead to wrong decisions. Evidence supporting this reason is, in document G (New York Times) (Randy Cohen) states that people that are uninformed, will end up voting for something that doesn’t endorse their interests. This evidence helps explain

Consequently, the political sphere is now being colonised by the media, and politics has begun re-orientating itself to satisfy the logic of media organisations (Meyer, 2002, p. 71). Therefore, the media are active participants in the policymaking process and the ability to stimulate change or maintain the status quo depends on their choice of subject or policy issue and how they frame it. Active investigative reporting attempts to shape policy outcomes, but this does not necessarily mean that it always represents the most successful approach for gaining policy changes (Spitzer, 1993, p. 7). In fact, sometimes passive, straight reporting can have a greater influence on policy choices. When this occurs, media independence is largely bypassed, as the news generated depends solely on the information released (as public relations material) from legitimate news sources. For example, in the United States, White House staff routinely make ‘leaks’ - expressively to influence policy decisions (Davis, 1992, p. 143; Robinson, 2001, p. 948). Robinson noted that journalists regard “leaks… as indispensable to their work” and that they are aware of their use by officials in return for scoops (2001, p. 949).

I believe that American citizens should be required to vote in national elections. Jury duty is mandatory so why isn't voting? (“Telling Americans to vote, or else”1).

Becoming an Informed voter, according to Stephen Whitham (Becoming an Informed Voter, 2014), means doing research on the candidates running for office. Looking at their voting record along with their philosophy will provide a good idea of how the candidates will vote on the issues presented to them. The State of Connecticut is considered a liberal state and has consistently voted Democrats into Congress during the last 3 elections. Taking a look at their voting records and how they voted gives the voters a good idea on how their elected officials will vote in the years to come. Voter should not just listen to what a candidate says, but also look at how the candidate votes to see what they really think and believe.

The hallmark of American democracy is the nation’s vigilant press. However, intense rhetoric against Journalists saw an increase during the recent

America’s most recent debate focuses on mandatory voting and if it should be enforced in The Unites States. Of course many people have their doubts about this subject while others have already picked a side. Compulsory voting or “mandatory voting” is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines or community service. But surely this subject is much more than just receiving votes for future elections; just like any other subject it must have its pros and its cons.

One of these responsibilities is voting. Voting is an important tool that Americans use to choose their leaders and how they run the country, especially with the upcoming presidential election. Citizens should vote for the candidate they believe is best for them and for the nation. This goes hand in hand with our Freedom of Speech; if no Americans spoke out for what they believed to be true or voted for the candidate they wanted, and no one else did either, our country’s political system would collapse. Voting gives Americans the power to lead our nation to a better future than it’s current state. Sadly, many citizens do not vote due to lack of knowledge or, frankly, lack of likability of the political system in America. In the modern world that we live in, lack of knowledge is not a plausible excuse for not voting. There are many ways to find information about the candidates, and the media blasts stories about the candidates almost nonstop.

On the third, Trump tweeted “The rigged Dem Primary, one of the biggest political stories in years, got ZERO coverage on Fake News Network TV last night. Disgraceful!”. Trump attempts to show the extent of bias in the media exposing that they didn’t report a major event. This tweet has bias towards Trump’s personal agenda against the media. Additionally, Trump exposes the strength of the media’s gatekeepers and how greatly they can impact which issues are talked about.

The media has been adversely affected by the explosion of information sources. It has become a tedious and cumbersome endeavor to accurately locate information sources that can stand to even the slightest bit of scrutinizing. For those who attempt to report the truth, they continue to find it

Until the 1980s, the control of the media was in the hands of the national government. From then, the control shifted to private outlets and by the 1990’s, there were more than fifty multinational companies who controlled it (“Mass Media”). Today, only about six major companies control the larger fraction of media in America (Williams, Par. 1). Norman Solomon wrote in the New Political Science Journal that most reporters and editors work for just a few huge companies. These journalists and editors are on the payroll for “mega-media institutions”, of which, only about six exist (Solomon 297). How much will the public learn if these companies generally control the output of information?

Nowadays journalists have the responsibility to report facts as accurately, objectively, and disinterestedly as is humanly possible. ‘’The, honest, self-disciplined, well-trained reporter seeks to be a propagandist for nothing but the truth’’ (Casey, 1944b).

Voting is an act of expression that holds the United States together as a whole. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting." Our government may not infringe on the people's right to vote, however the people themselves may neglect those rights by not exercising their right to vote. Americans live with the protections and rights that are documented in our Constitution and amendments. Freedom in a democracy is what empowers citizens to voice their opinions. The right to vote that activists fought and died for has given every day citizens the power to directly impact an election and the laws that govern us. Voting should not be mandatory because, it would take-away the history behind activist fighting for the right to vote, and will further diminish voters choice to not exercise their voting right.