Voting behaviour and Media Flashcards
Why does the media stay unbiased?
- Broadcast media is bound by law to offer unbiased reporting
- Ofcom regulates TV and radio
- TV leadership debates are overseen by the Electoral Commission
How is the media biased?
- There is no press regulation for political bias
⤷ e.g. The Sun 2017 - ‘vote tory’ on front page - Social media is unregulated
⤷ increasing use to appeal to younger viewers and appear more relatable
⤷ e.g. Farage - 1.2m followers and 21 likes on TikTok with bio saying “join reform for £10 if you are 25 or under” - Report into Russian interference during EU ref and elections indicates that social media provides a platform for political debate
When has the media impacted elections?
1997
- Sun switched to support NL
⤷ could be credited with Blair’s success
2010
- Clegg won the first televised debate
⤷ could have made him seem more competent to Cameron for when the Lib dems were chosen for the coalition
2015
- Miliband fell off the stage and said an over-excited “hell yes I’m tough enough”
- The Sun front page eating a bacon sandwich
⤷ said “Don’t swallow his porkies and keep him OUT”
⤷ arguably why he lost as he seemed less prime ministerial than Cameron
December 2019
- Facebook Ad Library
⤷ Labour - 250 ads
⤷ Cons - 2500 ads
How were the elections not affected?
1997
- Polls suggested that Blair was popular, so the Sun was just following the public to sell more
2010
- the lib dems vote share only increased by 1% and actually lost 5 seats
⤷ indicates that debates have little influence
2015
- Opinion polls already showed that Miliband was not popular so the headlines just supported existing intentions
2019
- lib dems had 3000 Facebook ads
⤷ lost 1 seat
What does the media do between elections?
- Acts as a bridge between electorate and representatives
- Forum for debate and discussion
- Informs the public
- Holds MPs accountable
⤷ 2008 expenses scandal
⤷ 2018 Windrush scandal led to public investigation
⤷ 2022 Partygate led to a criminal enquiry
How has the media’s focus changed?
- More focused on scandal and entertainment
⤷ e.g. PMQs has become a shouting match following John Bercow’s time as Speaker
⤷ e.g. Rayner ‘basic instinct’ to “distract” Johnson - 24hr news cycle means small stories are blew out of proportion
⤷
Why should opinion polls be banned in the run-up to election?
- Can influence voting behaviour
- Often innacurate so mislead parties and public
- Politicians should not change their behaviour
Why shouldn’t opinion polls be banned?
- Infringes freedom of expression
- If banned they could be accessed privately by organisations that could afford to
- Give valuable info about people’s attitudes so they can appropriately campaign
What are the long term factors that affect voting behaviour?
Primary factors
- class
- gender
- age
- region
- ethnicity
How has class voting changed?
Until 1970s
- relied on…
⤷ class alignment from political socialisation
⤷ partisan alignment
- 1964-66,, 64% of C2 and DE voted for labour
- 1964-66,, 62% of C1 and AB voted conservative
After 1970s
- less concerns aboout economic reforms and more on social issues
⤷ led to class dealignment
- 2013 - 29% of people are in manual jobs
⤷ labour lost their main electorate
⤷ led to NL
- embourgeoisement
⤷ w/c believing they are or will be m/c so they vote with that in mind
- more education has led to less focus on tradition
How does gender affect voting behaviour?
Data suggests there is little correlation but since 2010 a higher percentage of women vote for labour than men and a higher percentage of men voted conservative than women
⤷ all within a 7% margin
- 5% more men voted Reform than women
How does age affect voting behaviour?
- For every 10 years older a person is the likelihood they’ll vote tory increases by 9 percent
- 18-24yo lowest turnout
- 65+ highest turnout
- Corbyn effect
⤷ from 2015 to 2017 the 18-24yo group jumped 24% voting labour, 9% less voted cons
⤷ 18-24 turnout increased by 11%
⤷ gains with all groups (65+ increased by 10%) - 2019
⤷ 18-24 - 56% voted labour, 21% tory
⤷ 65+ - 14% labour, 67% tory - Lib dem stays equal across age groups\
Brexit
- 18-24 - 73% remain
- 65+ - 60% leave
Which areas lean left?
Scotland
⤷ traditionally labour but SNP dominates
Wales
⤷ strong support for labour
London
⤷ mainly labour
Northern England
⤷ mainly labour
Labour
- industrial support which appeals to north, south Wales and London
Which areas lean right?
NI
⤷ own system split between unionist and nationalist
Rural England
⤷ overwhelmingly tory
Home Counties
⤷ mainly tory
Cons
- better in white and economically strong areas
How is region becoming dealigned?
- Scottish voters more concerned with devolved issues, so vote SNP instead of labour
- Southeast more divided
⤷ Reform and green reducing support for cons and labour
⤷ Reform - Clacton
⤷ Green - Brighton, Bristol
How does ethnicity effect voting behaviour?
BAME
- 13% of population
- less likely to vote
- more likely to vote labour
⤷ 2 main reasons
⤷ 1. Cons alienates EM
↪ e.g. Enoch Powell’s rivers of blood speech 1968 that criticised immigration anti-discrimination legislation
↪ e.g. fear mongering of black muggers etc
⤷ 2. EM are more likely to be w/c
White
- 87% of population
- more likely to vote
- more likely to vote cons
What are the short term factors that affect voting behaviour?
