Evaluate the view that the media is more significant than other factors in determining the outcome of elections. Flashcards
Introduction - Themes
- Party Leader
- Voting Models
- Personal Qualities
Introduction - Argument
Other factors play a role in leading to certain groups to have preconceived opinions on topics, however, it is the media that reinforces and strengthens these ideas which ultimately have much greater affect in determining the outcome of elections
Party Leader - Other Influence - Point
At a general election the voters are choosing a future prime minister as well as a ruling party. Therefore, the image and qualities of party leaders are crucial in determining outcomes
Party Leader - Other Influences - Examples
- In 2010, Nick Clegg performed well in television debates - this helped the Lib Dems be in the position to enter a coalition with the Conservatives
- Boris Johnson helped the Conservatives in 2019 by delivering the clear message of ‘Get Brexit Done’
Party Leader - Media - Point
The most important thing to consider is where people get their perceptions of party leaders from - the media
Party Leader - Media - Examples
- Ed Miliban’s election campaign in 2015 after the media tore his apart for eating a bacon sandwhich made him seem incompetent and he lost this election
- The only newspaper to publically endorse Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 general election was The Mirror, and he lost the election
Voting Models - Other Factors - Point
There are individual voting models which can explain why people vote certain ways. These are often uninfluenced by the media and are up to individual choice
Voting Models - Other Factors - Examples
- Rational Choice voting is a theory that suggests people vote based on what they consider to be thier own best interests
- Issue Voting suggests that voters will decide whom to vote for based on a single issue. After the terrorist attack in Manchester in 2017, Corbyn’s support for unilateral disarmament meant that many voters shied away from Labour
Voting Models - Media - Point
It is often that the media perpetuate the idea of which party would be the rational choice or is best for addressing a certain issue
Voting Models - Media - Examples
- The Times and The Telegraph are newspapers which endorse the Conservatives, therefore they would perpetuate the ideas that Conservative policy would best suit you
- Brexit has been a key issue for the three most recent elections - the media has played an important role in promoting politician’s views
Personal Qualities - Other Influences - Point
One of the biggest decisions on how people vote is their own personal qualities. Characteristics such as age and class background can have a big influence on how people vote
Personal Qualities - Other Influences - Examples
- There is a very strong pattern when it comes to how age will affect voting - the younger you are the more likely you are to vote Labour. This likelihood for voting Conservatives increases 10% every 10 years
- In 2019 the Conservatives won all class categories, however, the gap between those voting Labour and Conservative in the AB class was 15% while it was only 2% in the DE class
Personal Qualities - Media - Point
The media is very important in reinforcing how a person will vote, although personal qualities can often be used to predict how someone will vote, this is not always the case
Personal Qualities - Media - Examples
- The Conservatives did so well in 2019 becuase they were able to win the Labour ‘Red Wall’ seats - this meant they won voters from working class individuals who would normally vote Labour
- Labour can rely pretty well on the 18-24 age group; however, this did not stop Corbyn launching a successful social media campaign in the 2017 general election
