Political socialization is a very important process that creates and Essay

Political socialization is a very important process that creates and conveys the political culture of a society. Examine one of - Essay Example The primary source of that information comes from the media. While the media in most western countries runs independently from government regulation within boundaries, it increasingly seems that they are not communicating all sides of any given story. When it comes to politics, the media becomes critical. Messages and information are disseminated through various media outlets including the television, Internet, and newspapers. Consumers, or private citizens, depend on this information since it allows them to formulate important decisions about who they feel should best govern the nation. As such, in recent years it appears that media has been more and more important to the political landscape of a country. They can shape policy and see to it that certain people are elected to office. It is indeed a big task, and media companies need to realize their responsibility to balanced and fair reporting of all of the facts, not just those that they feel will shape the course of the country in the direction they want to head. The media should provide reliable information, faithful reporting, and neutral guidance through the television, Internet, and newspapers because it is important that they convey positive information and do not misguide or leave out important information that the population needs to hear. The Influence of Television Since the days of black and white television, the media has had a profound impact on the political life in society. Television was the format where politicians were able to speak to the country. In fact, it was back in 1960 that America had its first Presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Millions of people tuned in to hear what each candidate had to say. The impact should be obvious. In countries as populated at the United States, or as spread out geographically as Canada, people running for political office depend on the television to get their message out to the masses quickly. In addition, political parties and action groups depend on television advertising to point out their particular policies and why they feel the public should support their agenda. Another way that television impacts the political socialization of a country is through the actual political news that they choose to report and the spin that they put on certain topics. All three of these aspects combine to dictate the shape of politics, to a large degree, throughout much of the world. Let us analyze that first presidential debate. Many considered Richard Nixon a near certainty to win the election, but Kennedy dominated the series of debates broadcast on television. In addition, his campaign instituted a series of catchy jingles that caught the nation’s attention from coast to coast. Television enabled the charisma that was Kennedy to be displayed to the entire nation, rather then simply being delegated to a series of political rallies in select locations. At the same time, Nixon could not do the same. Television di d not display him well, he underperformed in the debates, and his campaign never seemed to generate the same media attention that Kennedy’s did. In this manner, the media, in the form of television, almost single handedly delivered the election to Kennedy. He did not win a landslide victory, to be certain, but the amount of victory can largely be attributed to the influence of television (Mayer, 2007, p. 32). It is not only individual