voting behaviour and the media Flashcards
what are the main types of media?
newspapers
television
social media
what is the role of newspapers in politics?
most traditional form of media, until recently it was the most important and powerful form of political media
it still remains important because more people read newspapers online
what is the role of television in politics?
dominates political debate with huge coverage during election campaigns as well as regular current affair shows
the 2010 election leaders debate was watched by 10 million viewers
what is the role of social media in politics?
newest and arguable most powerful media platform, it has begun to play a huge role
what are opinion polls?
a way to access the popularity of political parties by asking a sample of people how they intend to vote, they have become an integral part of election campaigns
political parties also conduct their own private polls
what are exit polls?
most accurate form of opinion polls, they ask voters how they voted as they leave the polling station
however doesn’t consider postal votes
John Curtice’s exit polls are legendary in their ability to successfully predict the outcomes of elections
examples of opinion polls inaccuracy?
1992 most failed to predict major’s 21-seat majority, most polls predicted either a narrow labour victory or a hung parliament
what was the impact of the media during the 2017 election?
labour received negative traditional media coverage leading up to the election especially Corbyn
but labour spent more on social media campaign than conservatives, they used social media to build and motivate its voter base, dominated social media with pro-labour memes and slogans, they built a movement
young people turned out in greater numbers than usual and overwhelmingly voted for labour
media bias in newspapers
newspapers are notoriously partisan and alter their allegiance in response to changing circumstances
e.g. the sun supported labour but switched to conservatives mid-1970s when its owner Rupert Murdoch responded to thatchers hard-line approach to trade unions which was in line with his business interests
media bias in television
television is less biased because of strict laws governing political broadcasting on TV to ensure fair representation of all parties
ofcom says coverage of parties during elections period must be fair and appropriate
media bias on social media
one of the biggest platforms for media bias, fake news has become a big issue particularly following US 2016 election but also affects UK media
UK survey 28% of young people cited social media as main news source compared with 24% for TV
how much influence do they media have on the public?
best example of newspapers deciding outcome of elections 1992 the sun ‘if kinnock wins today will the last person who leaves Britain turn out the lights’, after labour lost they claimed ‘its the sun wot won it’
most people read newspapers that reflect their outlook, confirming their views but winning party of all recent elections were supported by majority of the press
62% of respondents said TV is the strongest influence in helping them form an opinion during 2015 election
does the media belong in a democratic society?
free media is a vital feature of healthy democracy and plays an essential roles in holding governments to account
however, newspapers tend to present simplified interpretations of political issues focusing excessively on personality
they are interested in boosting sales and not help to account in the same way as politicians
what is the impact of the emergence of social media?
2015 was first election in which social media played a major role, parties learnt from success of Obama making use of social media in 2012 e.g. 2015 election campaign conservatives spent £100,000 a month on FB advertising
survey said 79% of 18-24 year olds relied almost totally on online sources to inform themselves, but older people more likely to vote and continue to get news from newspapers and television
little evidence that social media played a major role in outcome of 2015 election
evidence of political leaders being more conscious of their image portrayed in the media?
Tony Blair recruited press secretary Alistair Campbell
they developed a ‘grid’ of forthcoming events so news announcements present government in the best light
