Effects of Television on Coverage People say television has increased people's awareness of politics to make elections more fair and accessible. However, I think TV has had a negative impact because it promotes a superficial image and provides content that will give the TV station good ratings.
Television promotes the candidates’ image over their policies. Instead of the candidates discussing what they are going to do for the country, they simply argue why they are better than each other. The candidates being televised gives the audience a sense of knowing them, which causes them to “no longer feel the need for party guidance”(Source B). In other words, the audience no longer feels the need of the politician's policies due to basing their judgments on the superficial characteristics. In a recent political debate, candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton argued that their images weren’t very presidential. It started off with Trump saying Clinton didn’t have the looks and the stigma of a president and she quickly fired back that Trump didn’t have the temperament. Instead of discussing how they were going to run the country they just bickered about appearance. The
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Over time, TV lost its viewers and ratings because people turned away from politics. In order for the television stations to gain back viewers and ratings, the stations “dumbed down the issues by forcing the candidates to respond instantaneously” (Source C). This made the debates more interesting, boosting ratings and viewers. This also provided less information about the politicians. Dumbing down the information has turned the debate into game making it less about the politicians content and more about arguing over pointless things and ratings. However this has furthermore decreased the interest in politics. Even the stations that dumb down content “are failing, more often than not, to get good ratings”(Source
Tvs regularly broadcast information and short clips or even live interviews of the candidates, giving people more and more useful information about who their possible new president could be. It gives you their ideas and goals for the future and their view on the current standing of the nation. It also gives you an understanding of who the person really is. Source B provides information of how Bill Clinton spoke openly about his underwear. His objective was not to let everyone know he wears boxers, but to give them a general idea of himself and personality. Although it is important to understand what the candidates have planned for the future, it is also important to understand who the person is. Tvs do that all the time by broadcasting a variety of things said and done by the
Since 1952, television has played a major role in presidential elections. Television allows candidates to reach a broad number of people, and personalities, to help push along their campaigns. Campaigns help the candidates just as much as the voters. The candidates get to be identified, and known to the voters, and the voters get to hear and see how a specific candidate identifies with their needs and wants. The best way to get this information out there is through the most used form of media, television.
Postman says “Television as I have implied earlier, serves us most usefully when presenting junk-entertainment; … news, politics, science, education, commerce, religion — and turns them into entertainment packages.” (Postman 159) This election year people are making fun of the candidates running for president. Many of these people don’t even seem concerned because television has turned politics into entertainment.
The political debates amongst Nixon and Kennedy assume a gigantic part in TV history, and the historical backdrop of America. It formed the way that we run our political races today. The politics debate being aired on television enabled individuals to see the character and activities of both candidates. During these televised debates, various viewers saw Kennedy's self assurance and how well put together he was. But then on the other hand, Nixon had a harder time and gave off a frightful vibe to the viewers who were watching the debated. Individuals who watched it on TV felt Kennedy won the debate, while the individuals who tuned in to the radio felt Nixon won. This point is important, essential, and identified with television
I do believe that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections. In modern times there is a need for television for these types of events. The authors mentioned agreed with the fact that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections. One source, Source D, is a chart of the ratings for presidential debates. I believe that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections because the world has changed in recent years, the people have changed, there is a trust in the people who are on television, and there is a more honest aspect when someone sees it themselves.
In fact, television makes impossible the determination of who is better than whom…” p.133. Postman continues, arguing that television does not allow us to choose the “best man” who is, “more capable in negotiation, more imaginative in executive skill, more knowledgeable about international affairs…” p.134. He talks about how the candidates try to change their image to the image of the leader we need, even if they are not actually that person. I completely disagree with this argument. One reason why I disagree is because the politicians running for president are constantly fundraising and speaking in front of crowds and even if they are pretending to be someone they are not, how could they do that for years and years without anyone finding out? I truly believe that television does help a lot when it comes to learning about politicians because every single person is so opinionated and when you hear many different opinions about a person it starts making you think more and more about what is true and what is not, causing you to do more research and be more careful. The presidential debates also really help when it comes to choosing our presidents. During the debates the candidates are asked so many questions and asked to respond so quickly that they do not really have much time to think about what they should and should not say. Those are the times
As the United States continues forth as a democratic state, the question remains over how important are televised presidential debates, especially when they no longer foster a productive learning environment for viewers. The positive effects of televised presidential debates as in close running with the negative effects of televised presidential debates. Gathering up all the data from the different sources and interpreting what it could mean is not extremely strenuous. Knowing that voters are affected by the debates in different manners, breaking down voters into groups to analyze the direction each group is going in can help ascertain how televised presidential debates will affect future outcomes. Voters who are politically active are polarized by the presidential debates, especially when the debates are watched on split screen coverage. Because split screen coverage is a relatively new way for networks to broadcast the presidential debates, it is easy to assert that voters will only become more polarized as this trend continues.
These debates stand out in history as the moments that changed the nation’s politics. This is due to two facts. The debates propelled an otherwise unlikely candidate into the spot of the presidency, and it turned television into an easily accessible medium during the electoral process. In the nineteenth-century, the people of the United States of America would commute to presidential candidate’s houses to inquire about problems with America and how he would remedy them. This was no longer necessary, and lead Charles Kuralt of CBS News to declare that Kennedy’s presence on television changed this medium into the nation’s new “front
Television is an important educational tool in society, however, it does not have a place in presidential elections, due to the inequality and lack of substantive discussion in televised debates, as well as irrelevant physical standards being placed upon presidential candidates. Journalists agree that political debates are an ineffective method for deciding the leader of the country, and they are not worth the use of television resources. Should the decision of who is in charge of a massive country be made based on physical appearances, such as height, hairstyle and other superficial traits? Using these methods of deduction to decide an elected official is extremely unintelligent and ineffective compared to the alternative, an intelligent interview printed in an article or magazine. Citizens of a society are incredibly resistant to change, but examining journalists’ opinions and articles proves that a significant change must be made.
Political impact of television, In 1960 Presidential Debate between Republican Vice President Richard Nixon and Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy was the first to be televised. “Television gave elected officials and candidates for office and unprecedented way to speak directly to millions, face-to-face”. The increasingly negative tone of ads and political commentary has driven many to abandon interest in politics. Television lets the viewers see what is going on in a political race, debate, and the polls as it is happening, and the viewers will make their minds up by what they see and hear. This is more expensive for the candidates, because they have to pay for air-time. The TV networks usually let you see what they want you to see, during a broadcast, especially when they cut to a commercial often.
The date was September 26 1960, at exactly 7:30 p.m., somewhat an unfamiliar young and Catholic Senator from Massachusetts was about to change the world. One of the most unusual points on the timeline of history where things changed very drastically all in a single night, was about to change the political domain and of course the world. Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon was about to partake on an adventure that was ordinary. On that night, one of the most legendary moments transpired. This moment increased the power of television and benefited electioneering since the political button on a shirt. The Nixon-Kennedy encounter had all interest, with the nation watching the first televised presidential debate.
The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets. Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States.
The invention of the television has had an impact on all aspects of American's lives. It has affected how we work, interact with others, and our foreign relations. One part of American society that it has especially affected is presidential elections. Television has impacted who is elected and why they were elected. Since the 1960's television has served as a link between the American public and presidential elections that allows the candidate to appear more human and accountable for their actions; consequently this has made television a positive influence on presidential elections. But it has also had a negative affect on elections, making presidential candidates seem like celebrities at times and making it easier to publicize mistakes
How has media influenced public perception of political figures, issues, and institutions? Through agenda setting and framing, media has the power to set the agenda for political discussion by providing public attention to political figures, issues, and institutions. In addition, the media can frame political agendas by influencing public perception and interpretation. (Ginsberg, Lowi & Weir, 1999)
Ever since we were small we saw the campaign commercials on television, the newspaper running the promises of every presidential hopeful. News anchors going back and forth over who said what the night before during the presidential debate. All of this millions of dollars spent but why? To educate us on our options to convince us that at least one of the options are good enough to run this great nation of ours, good enough for our votes. This method has proven effective time and time again. Regardless people are no longer rushing the poles and it isn 't a coincidence.