| Outside of the academic environment, a harsh | | | | citizens have adequate knowledge of political |
| and seemingly ever-growing debate has appeared, | | | | events. But how do citizens acquire the |
| concerning how mass media distorts the political | | | | information and knowledge necessary for them to |
| agenda. Few would argue with the notion that the | | | | use their votes other than by blind guesswork? |
| institutions of the mass media are important to | | | | They cannot possibly witness everything that is |
| contemporary politics. In the transition to liberal | | | | happening on the national scene, still less at the |
| democratic politics in the Soviet Union and Eastern | | | | level of world events. The vast majority are not |
| Europe the media was a key battleground. In the | | | | students of politics. They don't really know what |
| West, elections increasingly focus around | | | | is happening, and even if they did they would |
| television, with the emphasis on spin and | | | | need guidance as to how to interpret what they |
| marketing. Democratic politics places emphasis on | | | | knew. Since the early twentieth century this has |
| the mass media as a site for democratic demand | | | | been fulfilled through the mass media. Few today |
| and the formation of "public opinion". The media | | | | in United States can say that they do not have |
| are seen to empower citizens, and subject | | | | access to at least one form of the mass media, |
| government to restraint and redress. Yet the | | | | yet political knowledge is remarkably low. Although |
| media are not just neutral observers but are | | | | political information is available through the |
| political actors themselves. The interaction of | | | | proliferation of mass media, different critics |
| mass communication and political actors -- | | | | support that events are shaped and packaged, |
| politicians, interest groups, strategists, and others | | | | frames are constructed by politicians and news |
| who play important roles -- in the political process | | | | casters, and ownership influences between political |
| is apparent. Under this framework, the American | | | | actors and the media provide important short |
| political arena can be characterized as a dynamic | | | | hand cues to how to interpret and understand the |
| environment in which communication, particularly | | | | news. |
| journalism in all its forms, substantially influences | | | | One must not forget another interesting fact |
| and is influenced by it. | | | | about the media. Their political influence extends |
| According to the theory of democracy, people | | | | far beyond newspaper reports and articles of a |
| rule. The pluralism of different political parties | | | | direct political nature, or television programs |
| provides the people with "alternatives," and if and | | | | connected with current affairs that bear upon |
| when one party loses their confidence, they can | | | | politics. In a much more subtle way, they can |
| support another. The democratic principle of | | | | influence people's thought patterns by other |
| "government of the people, by the people, and | | | | means, like "goodwill" stories, pages dealing with |
| for the people" would be nice if it were all so | | | | entertainment and popular culture, movies, TV |
| simple. But in a medium-to-large modern state | | | | "soaps", "educational" programs. All these types of |
| things are not quite like that. Today, several | | | | information form human values, concepts of good |
| elements contribute to the shaping of the public's | | | | and evil, right and wrong, sense and nonsense, |
| political discourse, including the goals and success | | | | what is "fashionable" and "unfashionable," and what |
| of public relations and advertising strategies used | | | | is "acceptable" and "unacceptable". These human |
| by politically engaged individuals and the rising | | | | value systems, in turn, shape people's attitude to |
| influence of new media technologies such as the | | | | political issues, influence how they vote and |
| Internet. | | | | therefore determine who holds political power. |
| A naive assumption of liberal democracy is that | | | | |