The Media

Question 1

What forms of media can influence elections? - The Media

Answer 1

Broadcast media, print media, radio, leaflets, pamphlets, posters, party political broadcasts, social media etc.

Question 2

How can newspapers be said to influence the electorate? - The Media

Answer 2

All newspapers take a distinct political position, with this communicated to their readers. There is no legislation preventing papers from taking a political stance.

Question 3

What stances do particular newspapers take politically? - The Media

Answer 3

The Sun - Right Wing (Conservative)
The Times - Right Wing (Conservative)
The Telegraph - Right Wing (Conservative)
The Guardian - Left Wing (Labour)
The Mirror - Left Wing (Labour)

Question 4

What argument is there that newspapers have little influence on voter choices? - The Media

Answer 4

Most paper readers subscribe to the distinct ideology of that paper, arguing that this merely results in voters surrounding themselves with opinions that they already believe in. This is known as a CONFIRMATION BIAS.

Question 5

How do broadcasters and broadcast media impact voting choices? - The Media

Answer 5

Broadcast media reports the majority of political events and news to the public, meaning that if this is not done in an objective way, it can influence the opinion of the electorate on aspects of parties, such as their policies or their leaders.

Question 6

What regulation is there of broadcasters to limit the extent to which they influence voting choices? - The Media

Answer 6

Broadcasters in the UK are bound by law to remain politically impartial, meaning that they should not influence political opinion and should report objectively. This includes the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Question 7

What criticisms have been made of broadcast media in their requirement to remain politically impartial? - The Media

Answer 7

Different sides of the political spectrum consistently accuse broadcast media, in particular the BBC (as the national broadcaster), of favouring one side of the political argument over theirs. This ranges from not reporting certain stories or publicising them to a desired level or accusations of subjective reporting.

Question 8

When has it been claimed by a Newspaper that their support was crucial in a political victory? - The Media

Answer 8

Following the 1992 General Election, The Sun claimed that ‘It’s the Sun Wot Won It’ for the Conservative Party after it had been expected that they would lose to Neil Kinnock’s Labour. This was after The Sun had run a campaign against Kinnock and Labour.

Question 9

When did the Sun switch political allegiance to major effect? - The Media

Answer 9

The Sun supported Tony Blair’s ‘New Labour’ from 1997 until it switched to the Conservatives in 2010, with this due to Blair cultivating a relationship between himself and its owner Rupert Murdoch. This was seen as a decisive shift and may have led to many previously non-Labour supporters backing the party, generating the 1997 landslide.

Question 10

How can social media be said to influence voting choices? - The Media

Answer 10

Social media can lead to the spread of alternative political opinions to people, often leading to the radicalisation or changing of beliefs.

Question 11

When has social media been seen to influence political choices in recent years? - The Media

Answer 11

Social media was crucial in 2016 for the Brexit Referendum, with the company Cambridge Analytica used to target advertising at a particular type of voter who may have previously been disaffected from traditional Westminster politics.

Question 12

How are opinion polls seemingly important in influencing voting choices? - The Media

Answer 12

Opinion polls display the supposed voting intentions of an electorate, with this potentially bolstering a party if they are decisively in their favour and leading to this party becoming increasingly supported by the electorate.

Question 13

Which newspaper is the most influential on readers’ opinions on parties? Which newspapers follow this? - The Media

Answer 13

The Daily Mail is the most influential newspaper on readers’ opinions on parties, with the Guardian and Times following these.

Question 14

How many newspapers were in daily circulation in 2011? How many circulated in 2016? What does this indicate? - The Media

Answer 14

14 million newspapers were in circulation daily in 2011, down to 11 million in 2016. This indicates a decline in the significance of print media and an increase in online media’s importance.

Question 15

What % of Daily Mail readers support its preferred party? How does this compare to the Times’ readership? - The Media

Answer 15

74% of Daily Mail readers support the Conservative Party, it’s preferred party. 58% of Times readers support its main party, the Conservative Party.

Question 16

Between which years have the Sun backed the winning party at General Elections? What does this indicate? - The Media

Answer 16

Between 1979 and 2019, the Sun has backed the winning party at General Elections. This indicates that the paper either supports already victorious parties or has major influence on its readers’ voting habits.

Question 17

What % of the UK electorate approved of Boris Johnson and his government in December 2021? - The Media

Answer 17

Only 20% of the UK electorate approved of Boris Johnson and his government in December 2021.