Counter Power in America. America created the harmonious system of the state management called power. Does power need to have any counters? The question is rather rhetorical. The very essence of democracy presupposes the counters to the power. Mass media, press are among them. What are the relations between the political system and the press? The main aim of mass media is to make the political system more transparent. This counter nature of the press is defined by its main objectives.
Do they cooperate or compete? Both factors can not exist one without another. Press serves for both, political system and the nation. Theoretically press can make the power more transparent. This transparency is provided by three factors. First of all mass media explains people the actions of the governments and politicians. Mass media is that everyday communicative channel which brings the people information and comments on the crucial political events and solutions. Secondly, press helps public to participate in political decisions by forming the public opinion.
This second argument is a little bit controversial to the first one. Can press provide absolute transparency of the politicians actions while forming the public opinion? Press in democratic society is trying to form the public opinion, but can we say it is really doing that? The answer is negative. In democratic society the press expresses somebodys private opinion, one of the numerous and can not be taken as conclusive true. This pluralism of the opinions expressed makes the press become the counter to the authorities. It gives the public chances to choose this or that decision which does not always coincide with that of the government. Even more, the more solutions, opinions press expresses, the more democratic and interesting for public it is. Thirdly, press should make the government accountable for its decisions.(1) Authorities understand this and give the comments on these or those events, express their official view points and share their plans of action. Mass media and press particularly have the opportunity to start discussions expressing various opinions, which actually could be considered the opinion of the society.
The Term Paper on Freedom Of The Press Media Public People
... The power that the media has is derived from its ability to mold the public opinion by ... can be held liable even when only expressing their opinions. This is especially true if the media ... Peter. Freedom to Publish. Atlantic Highlands: Humanities Press, 1980. Corry, John. Fairness Most Foul. The ... restraining order. (Kaplan 70) The United States mass communications systems are entering an era of rapid ...
The press in a civilized society is a vox populi and the administration has to listen to it no matter if power likes it or not. Last years people have noted the intrusion of press into the private life of the notable people. We may discuss whether it is good or not but we can not do something with it and we do not need to. The private life of the notable individuals was all the time in the focus of the peoples interest. Media channels create the public opinion and very often they can play very important role in creating the image of the politician. The President Clintons sexual scandal showed the might of the press over the power. If any American is asked what President Clinton is associated with, the first answer will be Lewinsky and the sexual scandal and only then somebody (if any) recollects his achievements on the post of the President of The United States.
That scandal produced the presidential impeachment, the political event which was very far from the trivial one. (2) Due to its nature press in the democratic society obtains the status of the 4th power, the institution of the direct democracy. It expresses the public opinion and becomes the barometer of the public consciousness. This public consciousness is the mighty counter to the power consciousness and authorities, being the representatives of people must by all means consider the public opinion expressed by the press. Apart from the press there are other communicative channels which play important roles in the development of democracy as the counters to the official authorities. First of all it is TV and Internet.
The Term Paper on Burning Man Press Public Information
INTRODUCTION The Founder of Pakistan once said, "The press is a great force that can prove useful as well as harmful. If it works in the right direction, it can pave the way for public weal"'Press' means any establishment of mass medium activity such as newspapers, magazines, periodicals, journals, pamphlets, news agencies, radio, television, motion pictures, pictures, films, cartoons, books, ...
TV is the dominant communication in the political aspects. TV using its own technologies and the methods brings the dynamic elements into political issues. While watching the debates of the candidates for the presidential post we cant help comparing them with competing sportsmen, say, football players or boxers.(3) We watch the face to face discussion and get the chance to evaluate all pros and contras in the real time. While speaking of TV we can presuppose a little bit higher level of influence than that of printed media. This explains first of all by the availability of TV. In our high technological age people prefer to get the news from TV channels.
It is more illustrative than the printed press and sometimes people take it as more reliable communicative source. But TV can not give vast explanations of these or those events and comments. TV possesses the feature which cant be denoted by other media means. TV does not only give the information, but it creates visual portray, image of the politician. Visual image of the politician or observer defines the level of trust of the viewers. We can say that the television converts the very complicated and important problems of political life into format understandable by the whole nation.
Another really democratic communicative channel is Internet. It has made the revolution in public opinion during the last 15 years. Internet confirms that there are no barriers for the information. World Wide Web has brought such a high level of information democracy to the society, that now it is absolutely impossible to take the control over the information streams by any administrative body. Internet due to its availability is the real balance for the power in any democratic country and in America particularly. Internet, as well as the newspapers, due to its democracy make the government correct its decisions regarding the people opinion. The Internet challenges TV first of all due to its efficiency.
The Term Paper on Political Correctness in the Media
Political correctness in the media refers to the use of appropriate words and ideas to minimize racism in all its hideous manifestations, in addition to sexism and offences against identity groups of all sorts. In other words, it is a “concept that one has to shape their statements (if not their opinions) according to a certain political dogma (“Political Correctness,” 2008). ” Hence, it is rude ...
The Internet shortens the news cycle. The news stories can be easily updated in real time.(4) This efficiency of the Internet makes it mighty counter to the official view points, i.e. to the power. Any statements of officials, decisions and events could be comment upon within short period of time. The availability of the Internet makes these comments accessible by millions of people. Another factor which can be a counter to authorities is the financial aspect. What is the country from the economic point of view? It could be compared in a way with a very big corporation with its management (government), shareholders (nation) and the other bodies.
Financial aspect could be a real counter to the administration of the country. The very obvious example could be found in the processes going on in EU. After the EU expanding governments of the most developed countries had to take unpopular measures,(5) i.e. cut social programs, welfare etc. These measures were taken to smooth the economic differences between the well developed countries and the new members. Financial aspect made governments of the developed countries take the decisions which contradict to the main aim of the power. In its activity government is guided by its financial manual called the countrys budget, which comes to force by the approval of the Parliament, i.e. the representatives of the nation.
This manual as any other set of regulations is the counter to the power in a way. The government can operate financially according to this document only. The political technologists, political science specialists may also act as the counters to the power when certain events take place. It could be observed during the election campaigns, other important political events. Does the power need such counters in the democratic society? The answer is definitely positive. The democracy ends when the power starts eliminating the counters.
If you try to observe the existing regimes without the counters in this or that form, you have nothing to mention but Cuba, North Korea, Iraq, Lybia and some other totalitarian regimes which do not have even small indications of democracy. These regimes do not need any counters to power and consider them to be the threat to regime. All political decisions taken in the totalitarian countries follow the interests of the ruling authority which makes them undisputable for the society no matter if they are correct or not.
The Term Paper on Challenge the Power of Government
The Internet has recently become the object of detailed research. This research is being conducted in numerous areas of science, including politics. The claims that Internet threatens the power of government are becoming too frequent to ignore them; this is why it will be interesting to address these issues once again, and to objectively evaluate whether such claims have any grounds. Thesis ...
Bibliography:
Jack M. Balkin, How Mass Media Simulate Political Transparency, Yale University, 1998, available at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/articles/media0 1.htm#_edn1 Anon. 1998: Dow Rises on Poll Support for Clinton, Financial Times (London), September 15, p. 52. Gumbel, Andrew 1998: Clinton Crisis. Independent (London), September 15 Deutsche Welle. Jack M.
Balkin, How Mass Media Simulate Political Transparency, Yale University, 1998, Introduction Clinton Crisis. Independent (London), September 15 Television tends to emphasize entertainment value., Jack M. Balkin, How Mass Media Simulate Political Transparency, Yale University, 1998, Introduction The Special Role of Television Chapter, Jack M. Balkin, How Mass Media Simulate Political Transparency, Yale University, 1998, Deutsche Welle, Horst Kohler, Speech before the Parliament on the 1th of July, 2003.
