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Media Influence On American Politics

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How are you informed about voting and elections? With the invention of television, American politics would be forever changed. Politics and television have evolved to be so intertwined that they are now almost one and the same. Since the invention of television in the nineteen fifties the media has had a substantial impact on the outcome of a highly publicized campaign in both positive and negative ways. However, the transition from campaigning in front of unions, work places, and public forums to being able to reach more than millions of homes in America with a single ad led to a drastic reform in the way a president would seek election. The presidential election of the 1960 with John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon would be the pioneering …show more content…

It is the source that allows the public to know what is going on with the candidate and vice versa. Television allows candidates to address a large portion of their electorate without having to visit each individual district, which could be considered a very expensive and time consuming task for a presidential candidate. Although, there are different mediums of media that has influenced American politics, as it relates to the 1960’s election, the most persuasive effect were the televised debates. During the time period of 1960, not everyone owned television sets, but those who did had much more engagement with Kennedy and Nixon’s debates. They were able to feel the presence of the candidates as well as critique based off presentation and appearance. Families who did not have television sets still tuned in to the radio, but were eager to own television sets. Like-minded to class lectures and readings, media is one of many heuristics voters use when selecting the best fit candidate in …show more content…

Nonetheless, this presidential election remains influential and famous for its opening of a new form of media as it relates to voting and elections. In result of the first televised presidential election, with more to come, it has made an impact on elections after. It has also opened doors for other forms of media to show presidential elections. Today, there are all sorts of ways to get news and information on and about presidential elections. Another major form used is the internet. The internet has seem to be taking over the television. The internet is easily accessible to many due to their lifestyle. You can access it on your phone, laptops, and etc. You can even tune into news channels and talk shows via internet. Television is still a major influence and aspect on elections and voting; it is one media that seen as traditional and very family

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