There is no question about it, much more plays into media than what meets the eye. Upon first glance, one might feel that media is just a place for the youth to post their selfies, for families to post their vacation pictures, and for parents to share unflattering pictures of their children to distant relatives. However, media provides so much more that allows for societies and the population to post openly and freely whatever they would like. They are able to share their thoughts and opinions on things as small as football game outcomes, to as large as criticizing the government and politicians. That being said, this often goes unnoticed or unappreciated especially for people living in America; however, this is certainly not the case for other countries and cultures throughout the world. The ability to post whatever, whenever and however on social media is considered to be directly linked to a state's level of democracy as it speaks highly to their freedom of speech and freedom of press. This week, we will be discussing the role media has in democracies and how it plays into the political ideologies and behaviors of a state.
When taking a look at how a democracy is ran, the media's job is to educate, inform and entertain, through the use of, "news, opinions, analysis, satire, and drama," (Farrell). Open media directly correlates to the ability to share one's thoughts, opinions, and views of the government and politicians with others. This ability allows for conversations to take place and possible collective action to be taken. Authoritarian regimes often regulate and restrict media in order to stop the spread of information that looks down on what they are doing. By restricting their public, they are allowed to regulate all the information on the media in order to sway in their direction and to only post and share false information that makes them look good. Restricting the people also restricts their ability to talk online and to be able to gather to fight against restrictions and unfair practices.
Media provides a, "key route," for the public to hear, "about politics," which, "plays an important role in shaping the public agenda and forming public opinion," (Farrell). This is extremely important as being able to access honest and truthful information regarding the government and political actions allows for people to form their own opinion and judgement on what is taking place around them. Media provides a space for everyone to have an equal playing field to find information and to spread information, increasing the chances of more people learning about what is taking place around them. Media also holds a space for accountability as people are able to speak openly and freely against the actions the government and politicians are taking. It is also a space that allows for politicians to communicate directly with the public, which provides a closer relationship. Overall, media provides ample opportunities to increase and practice democracy throughout a state and plays a crucial role in the overall democratic behavior and practices of a state.
Farrell, C., & James, L. (2024, January). UCL. The Constitution Unit. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/sites/constitution_unit/files/the_role_of_the_media_in_democracies.pdf
Hi Sarah Grace! I really like how you look at how the media operates in the United States and then how it differs in authoritarian regimes. You are exactly right that authoritarian governments will often sensor media so that they still have their reach and influence. The main reason for this is also tied to political legitimacy because media has created a space for new ideas to be introduced that contradict an authoritarian style. The media has become a huge flux of information, so this is a challenge for these corrupt countries, but there are pros to this as well. Many of the authoritarian regimes utilize the media to put their own message on screens. I did a little research on it and China uses a system called the Great Fire Wall that limits access to Western-based websites. I could not imagine having that sort of blockade on our media or living under an authoritarian regime!
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