Place and role of the media in the political life of society. The reasons for the growing role of the media in political life

Today, information enjoys unprecedented success, it raises high, and without the least mercy kills, and the owner of it has the whole world. In recent years, the role of the media in political life has grown immeasurably, the impact on public life on this side is absolutely different from what existed in all past centuries.

A responsibility

The society is imposed not only those or other opinions, but also models of behavior that violate all seemingly unshakable principles. Television, radio, magazines, newspapers are now at war, and this information war is much more bloody than any atomic war, because it directly affects the human consciousness, masterfully operating with half-truth, untruth and outright lies. In the Soviet era, a certain role of the media in political life was also noticeable, when all the facts were carefully checked, they were skillfully manipulated. To recall the examples with the excrement of the activity of almost all the generalaries who left their post.

A huge mass of untruth was exaggerated about institutions such as SMERSH, GULAG, and also about the personalities of Stalin and Beria. There were public debunkings and smaller, there were exposures of illegal activity of officials and politicians, artists and writers. Such information has always been a huge success for readers and was truly disastrous for the heroes of these publications. And on the contrary, laudatory essays and broadcasts made every possible activists and front-rank workers literally stars of different levels, down to the state level. Therefore, the role of the media in political life is difficult to exaggerate. And of course, for the information provided to everyone, everyone should be responsible.

Functions of the media in political activities

In public life, the media perform a variety of functions and literally in all areas and institutions. This is information about various events in the world and in the country, in almost all areas - politics, health, socialization, education and so on. This is advertising in all its hypostases. And the impact of information on society can not be overemphasized, because it is done in every way, and especially the role of the media in political life, since all instruments of influence on the implementation of the political process are in the hands of those who own information and can manipulate it.

Modern political science does not detract from this role at all, giving the media such high-sounding titles as "fourth power", "great arbitrator" and so on, placing the mass media on a par with judicial, executive and even legislative power. However, political scientists are not so wrong, the media really became almost omnipotent. Controlling television - control the country. No politician can do without a press, he needs all of its types - print, radio, and television. And those grandiose changes that are now observed all over the world, this redistribution of spheres of influence, is the result of the fact that their role of the media in the political life of the society is played with inspiration.

A story full of tragedy

Especially dangerous is the mass media outrage when there are no opposition parties, significant alliances or organizations that do not allow the totalitarian system to develop. In these circumstances, the role of the media in the political life of the society is simply irreplaceable. Examples right before your eyes. How did this happen at the end of the immemorial 80s in the Soviet Union, where the population still had a relaxed belief in everything, regardless of what the media broadcast?

Indeed, at that time it was much more interesting to read than to actually live. The people are not accustomed to scandals and such mass accusations that suddenly sprang from everywhere on the perplexed and terrifying population. It was the information war unleashed in those years by the media that organized and stimulated forces that quickly destroyed and then plundered the richest country, it was she who contributed to the defeat of the entire political system that operated in the country for seventy years. The growing role of the media in the political life of society occurs precisely when control of information falls into the hands of unscrupulous people who, through manipulation, create a public opinion that is advantageous to them.

Meanwhile in America

In the United States, the role of the media in the political life of the community began to be closely studied and analyzed in the very beginning of the 1960s. What can lead to uncontrolled direct communication with the public, without the participation of institutions such as schools, church, family, party organizations and so on? And what happens if this process is put under control? This is an indispensable tool in the mass support of a certain program. As long as the media did not get television and radio into their arsenal, only printing authorities did, everything was not so scary, although many newspapers and magazines were originally opened as organs of certain political parties and very few of them remained outside the political process.

The main tool of any publication is the multidimensionality of information. Even newspapers tied to a certain political platform always submitted neutral materials, entertaining or news, that is, people from the very beginning were taught to see themselves as part of the wider world and in a certain way react to events in it. But when television came ... The first coverage of the election campaign in the United States dates back to 1952. Since then, entire schools have been set up, teaching journalists to influence the masses in the way that is beneficial. In the 80's, television became truly dominant among all media.

Debate

The growing role of the media in the political life of the society is due to the fact that it became possible to influence them and even model political behavior among the masses, which has been verified repeatedly by examples of voting in the United States after the televised debates between presidential candidates. So Kennedy won after a television meeting with political opponent - Nixon, and numerous voter polls confirmed that it was this debate that influenced their choice.

In the same way, after the television program, Reagan managed not only to remove the four percent gap between him and Carter, but also to earn another five percent of the vote with the help of televised debates. This also happened in pairs Reagan-Mondale, Bush-Dukakis, Bush-Clinton. So gradually the TV debates between the rivals on the presidential chair became an effective tool in almost all countries, including Russia. The place and role of the media in political life become the most important and leading. And television in this bouquet of funds is a huge opportunity to influence and manipulate the public consciousness. It is used less and less for prompt or objective information, for education, for education. Much more often there are manipulations in the interests of certain groups.

Image

Nevertheless, the reasons for the growing role of the media in political life are not entirely unambiguous, this multifaceted and complex institution can not be assessed one-sidedly. Many of its bodies and elements realize tasks too diverse even for simply informing people about events and phenomena that occur everywhere - from regional to world. This is the collection of information, and its distribution through vigilant observation of the world, this selection and comments, that is, editing the information received, and then the goal of forming public opinion is pursued. The possibilities of human communication are growing - this is the main reason for the growing role of the media.

The society is extremely politicized, and the press, radio, television contribute to this enlightenment in the broadest layers of the world's population. Therefore, the role of the media in modern political life is stronger than ever. They pretend to be a watchdog for public interests, the eyes and ears of the whole society: they warn about economic downturns, the growth of drug addiction or other crime, they talk about corruption in power structures. However, for this role, the media should not depend entirely on anyone, politically or economically. But this does not happen.

Profession

In industrially developed countries , the mass media are a private entrepreneurial institution or branch of the economy, which employs hundreds of thousands of people. The economic activity of the media is based on the collection, processing, storage and subsequent sale of information. That is, the functions of the media are completely subject to a market economy. All the contradictions in society, all the interests of its various layers and groups are reproduced in publications and programs. Economic power and socio-cultural influence are growing - state and corporations (advertisers) are losing control.

It even happens that opinions on certain issues do not coincide with the ruling elite and the leadership of a particular publication. The media have turned into huge conglomerates, they have a self-sufficient and profitable industry in business, but this is a commercial one and does not allow to do without the market use of available information. And here it can severely change not only the nature of the activity, but the entire role of the media in political life. The examples are very numerous. Even Reagan, acting at the time of the country's president, in 1988 all three major US television stations were not allowed to air because of a lack of commercial interest. As a result, 1989 was the last year of his reign.

Other examples

Publications, reports and commentary should shed light on the secret springs that act on the policies of the ruling circles, draw the attention of the entire public to the most odious characteristics of this activity. Sometimes it happens. For example, the New York Times published such a plan, when some documents of the Pentagon were disclosed, the Washington Post newspaper exposed the Watergate scandal, and TV corporations broadcasted broadcasts from the Congress, where expository hearings were held. Public opinion about the war in Vietnam was also mobilized for protest, and a lot of media outlets of the world, including the USA, participated in this process.

US Presidents L. Johnson and R. Nixon were forced to leave the political arena, since the role of the media in the political life is great. To put it briefly, the mass media can limit both power and specific actions of the ruling circles. However, this happens most often in cases when the media is profitable. Most of the magazines and newspapers, radio and television stations, even the most famous ones, keep afloat only thanks to sensationalism. To disclose scandals, expose frauds, seek out secrets, put all this on public display - this is the main role of the media in political life. 11th grade in Russian schools is already studying the mechanisms of such influence.

"Bombs"

Often sensational publications, aiming to "blow up a bomb", investigate corruption or other official crimes, talk about the fall of morale among high-ranking officials or deceit of voters from presidential candidates. This sets the tone for public discussions. To the public bring up all the scandals and fraud in the corridors of power. And there are times when the media are winning brilliant victories.

For example, after the Waltergate scandal followed the first in the history of the US resignation of the president. And when Der Spiegel shared information with the readers about the secret penetration of the employees guarding the constitution, into the private house of a simple engineer and about the installation of all kinds of eavesdropping equipment there, the German Minister of the Interior resigned.

"Ducks"

But it also happens otherwise. A journalist from Interfax was present at the court session, where Khodorkovsky was to be sentenced. She prepared two communications to the editorial office before the verdict was passed. And then I made a mistake with sending. In the news line there was information that M. Khodorkovsky was already at large. Refutation - it's not a quick thing, while it was formalized, the market grew by many percent. This is not the only case. Rumors about the resignation of V. Chernomyrdin also rolled after such a "duck" in Novaya Gazeta, where Boris Gromov was also "removed" from the post of governor of the Moscow region to be sent to the Ukrainian embassy.

That's what role in the political life is played by the media in the pursuit of sensations. In such cases, a dialogue between the authorities and the public is simply impossible, because communication is very similar to a child's play called a "deaf phone." The most important rule of manipulation of public consciousness is that in which it is possible to isolate the addressee, to deprive him of extraneous influences. When there are no alternative, intelligent and uncontrolled opinions. Dialogue and debate in such conditions are impossible. Unfortunately, at the moment, the method of manipulating information is part of politics in almost any state. After the next "duck" of the victim, the audience remembers as a person connected with some kind of scandal: whether his wallet was stolen, or whether he stole it. Yes it is not important to anyone, since the information in our days very quickly ceases to be relevant.