democracy - influence

Question 1

what are methods used by the media to influence politics?

Answer 1

• targeted ads
• front page headlines
• running debates

Question 2

describe ,in detail, methods used by the media to influence in a democracy

Answer 2

• One method used by themedia to influence is targeted ads.
• this is when new media companies like X, Facebook and Instagram can use the data they learn about you to target you with adverts to make you think a certain way
• For example, younger voters are more often likely to see videos of the youngest SNP MP Mhairi Black while older voters might see videos of conservative party politicians because older people are more likely to support this party
• Another method used by the media is front page headlines
• This is done by the print media, who are allowed to be biased, so it will often use its front covers to express an opinion in a sensationalist way and encourage the reader to join its point of view
• For example, in the run up to the 2021 Scottish election the daily mail ran headlines warning voters of the SNP and supported the conservatives while the national ran headlines making fun of the conservatives and Boris Johnson
• another method used by the media to influence is running debates
• although the broadcasters have to be balanced in their reporting, they will organize leadership debates so that the people at home can hear all the views and be influenced make up their mind
• for example Nicola Sturgeon took part in the leaders debate on BBC, STV and Channel 4 in 2021

Question 3

what are the arguments for the media being influential in our democracy?

Answer 3

• they run debates and this is influencial as debates often show how political leaders do under pressure which helps voters to make up their mind
• they uncover scandal and this is influencial as it forces the government to act
• the media is also influencial as they run their own campaigns

Question 4

explain, in detail, arguments for the media being influential in our democracy

Answer 4

• the first reason the media is influencial is because they run debates
• by putting on leadership debates they allow the public to see how the political leaders do under pressure and this helps voters make up their mind
• for example, recent studies show voters think that tv debates have been the most influential in determining their vote
• another reason why the media is influencial is because they uncover scandal
• often newspapers will look carefully at the Government and try and find a scandal, and this is influential as it forces the government to takw action on recent issues
• another reason why the media is influencial is because they sometimes run their own campaigns
• when media like newspapers support an issue that is really important, they often use their power to run campaigns and question politicians in order to influence public opinion
• for example the Daily Record ran a campaign to decriminalise drugs which the SNP later supported

Question 5

what is a pressure group?

Answer 5

a pressure group is an organised group which does not hold candidates for election, but seeks to influence and change government policy or legislation

Question 6

why might someone join a pressure group?

Answer 6

• they support the aims of the pressure group
• they know that pressure groups are effective
• they are expressing their political right

Question 7

explain, in detail, why someone might join a pressure group

Answer 7

• the first reason why someone might join a pressure group is because they support the aims of the pressure group
• pressure groups can often cause important change, so people might join a group whos main aims are an issue the person is concerned about in order to make a change
• for example people who want clean beaches may choose to join Surfers Against Sewage
• another reason why someone might choose to join a pressure group is because they know pressure groups are effective
• many pressure groups have been successful in persuading the government to change decisions, so someone might join a larger group with proven successes to help a cause
• for example people would look at the TIE (time for inclusive education) campaign and join them because they have been successful
• another reason why someone might join a pressure group is because they want to express their political right
• a key feature of democracy is the right to join a group and protest so people might join groups because they are free to
• for example people may join in with Climate Extinction as a way of expressing their voice and opinion

Question 8

what are ways pressure groups try and influence government?

Answer 8

• protesting and marching
• petitions
• using digital platforms to campaign

Question 9

describe, in detail, ways pressure groups try and influence government

Answer 9

• One way pressure groups try and influence government is by carrying out protests or staging marches
• This will usually involve a large gathering of people in a public place to gain the attention of ordinary citizens and the media. ​Protests will usually occur outside high profile locations, such as The Houses of Parliament or George Square in Glasgow
• for example the Climate Extinction group organised protests to shut down cities and for students to walk out of class
• Another way in which pressure groups can try and influence the government is by submitting or signing petitions. ​
• A petition is something people sign demanding change. It shows the support of the people and therefore is usually successful. This is because, politicians want to make decisions the majority wants in the hope of getting re-elected. ​
• For example, many families signed a petition organized by a local pressure group in Kirkintilloch, S.O.S. (Save our Schools) against the closure of the local primary school
• Lastly, pressure groups use Internet and viral campaigns to influence decision makers.
• Through the use of the internet, they can spread awareness to a wider audience relatively quickly and easily. ​
  Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube are used to convey their message. ​
• For example, Green Peace Scotland launched a viral internet campaign to educate the Scottish government on the use of microbeads. This resulted in mass media attention and as a result our school displayed posters highlighting the issue

Question 10

Describe, in detail, the methods used by pressure groups// Explain, in detail, evidence that pressure groups are effective

Answer 10

Letter writing, this involved getting supporters and the public to write to the government or companies to try to get their support // it can be effective as it shows someone like an MSP how much people support the issue and they might not want to lose followers, the Surfers Against Sewage pressure group organised a letter writing campaign about a bottle deposit scheme which the Scottish Government announced it would support.

Protesting, involves people marching, gathering in large crowds and making their feelings known // sometimes groups break the law and when they do this it can be effective as the media attention attracts can also put pressure on the government to act, after the Climate Extinction group organised protests to shut down cities and for students to walk out of class, the Scottish Government declared a climate emergency and changed some of its policies.

Lobbying, involves meeting directly with decision makers like MSPs to try and persuade them to support the groups cause // it can be effective as it can happen in person and then be shown in the media so MSPs who want to look good to voters have to think carefully before they ignore people lobbying them, the TIE campaign won campaign of the year for their successful efforts to lobby MSPs into supporting Scotland to have the first LGBT+ inclusive education system