Voting Behaviour & The Media - Media Influence

Question 1

Role of social media

Answer 1

• important role
• party advitises on platforms such as facebook, instagram, TikTok, Snapchat
• 2017 - conservatives spent over 2 mill on Facebook advertising
• labour had snapchat Filters that were viewed over 9 million times

Question 2

Role of the interent

Answer 2

• important roll
• over 80% of voters have internet access - online media & newspapers
• MPs and political parties have used the internet more to connect with voters

Question 3

Role of television

Answer 3

• important for providing information & news to voters, with the televised election debates in 2017 watched by millions

Question 4

Role of newspapers

Answer 4

• important in shaping public opinions many use these as their main news source
• daily telegraph - conservatives
• guardian - labour
• need to keep a positive image - eg Tony Blair hired a press secretary (Alastair Campbell) to ensure him & labour were portrayed is the nest way possible

Question 5

Role of opinion polls

Answer 5

• opinion polls look to determine how citizen will vote in elections
• important in UK elections, with parties valuing their findings & conducting their own opinion polls
• exit polls askers ask who they’ve voted for after leaving the polling station & is released on night of election results

Question 6

Accuracy of opinion polls

Answer 6

• have been inaccurate in past general election
• 2015 - failed to predict conservatives would win overall majority
• in recent years exit polls have been ore accurate
• exit polls include - Survation and YouGov

Question 7

Media persuasion - television

Answer 7

• can have an implant role in influencing peoples impression & opinions of party leaders
• eg Nick Clegg 2010
• however to rarely changes the political attitudes of voters & is more likely to reinforce their views as people watch information which aligns with their own views

Question 8

Media bias - newspapers

Answer 8

• some newspapers will support parties & critique others
• may chnage depending on circumstances
• eg the sun supported conservatives in 2010 but Blair in 1997 & thatcher in 1979

Question 9

Media bias - television

Answer 9

• more neutral coverage hen newspapers
• parties are given agreed amounts of time for televised election broadcasts
• most to channels are committed to being politically neutral