This essay will discuss how politics and the media work together in order to inform and persuade the general public into forming an opinion come election time. Through the internet and traditional media, politics use polling, advertising, speeches and merchandising to persuade the reader to vote for the particular party in mention. It will also discuss whether internet politics is practical for Australia, and if it is possible for the future to conform to online politics and media.
Our world is ever growing and ever changing, in the past ten years we have seen the shift from tapes to CD’s, VHS to DVD and CD Walkman’s to iPods. Our technology has risen and the internet world has grown to accommodate our lives and fit into our education, our social interaction and also our work. But is it possible to play with politics online, can we ever see our future in voting to be trusted within the internet.
Politics spend millions to billions of dollars on political advertising, which gets heavier come time of an election. Where ever you turn your head you can hear and see political advertising and marketing, whether it is on the television, in newspapers, magazines and even on the radio, all these forms are traditional types of media. However through the rise in our technology, politics are learning to grow with it as well, so their next target of media becomes the internet. Not only is it effective but it is marginally cheaper. ‘The internet’s cost-efficiency, lack of regulation control, production simplicity, and swift and active interaction with the individual makes it arguably and potentially the most innovative and powerful medium yet for politicians to communicate directly with their constituents.’ (M Hirst & J Harrison, 2007)
‘In Australia, there are presently about 6 million adults accessing the Internet, mostly either from home or at work.’ (M Hirst & J Harrison, 2007) The internet is a handy resource to have, but when dealing with politics it isn’t one hundred per cent guaranteed that each Australian household and family has access to it. We have rural communities, poverty stricken areas and the middle to low income families that have higher priorities and necessities to pay for. Not only does this pose a problem but there are also people out there who are technophobes, who have a general fear of technology or intolerance due to religious values for example the Amish. Another factor for consideration would be a language barrier, not all Australians speak English and there are those who don’t speak or read it well, if the world of politics were to merge with the world of the internet,different versions in different languages would need to be available to the non-english speaking citizens of Australia. ‘Both Al Gore and George W.Bush offered Spanish translations on their websites during the 2000 US presidential election.’ (M Hirst & J Harrison, 2007) But is this what we really need our world to conform to, as it is the youth of today are growing increasingly lazy with so much technology at their feet.
Upon visiting George W.Bush’s website (http://2004.georgewbush.org/index.asp) you are able to realise the full extent of political campaigning through the media. Speeches and merchandise such as bumper stickers are for sale, T.V commercials and photo albums for personal viewing even a forum and a mailing list for newsletter updates on the presidency. This kind of internet advertising may seem effective upon viewing the page but on that note, you must be able to know about the site in order to access it unless you enter his name in a search engine. Hence the effectiveness isn’t targeted as well as traditional media. ‘Nonetheless, the Internet and web-based news services do allow a greater and more chaotic flow of information which makes the task of political management of news and information more arduous and challenges the conventional journalistic treatment of issues.’ (G, Craig, 2004)
The internet does not have the capacity to be as effective as what other traditional forms of media do. Traditional media is that of the television, radio and the newspaper. All three forms display political campaigns and happenings to inform the wider public. The ABC on both the television and radio broadcast debates in parliament to allow the public to watch and form their own opinions before the media are able to get a hold of it and twist it one way or another to make it more interesting to sell. ‘While newspapers are commercial products which carry advertising and a variety of non – journalistic information, they are more so vehicles for news and current affairs than broadcast media.’ (G. Craig, 2004).
Dick Morris is a known political consultant in America, he is known as the man who helped Bill Clinton regain political status amongst the republicans of the US in 1996. Mr Morris’s argument is that the ‘internet will become a revolutionary tool for citizens to control their own destiny’ (M Hirst & J Harrison, 2007) However this does not mean that traditional media will be completely overlooked and possibly non-existent in the near future. ‘The introduction of a new medium does not result in the death of older media: rather, the older media adapt to the new media environment...The introduction of television did not kill radio, and home videos has not destroyed the cinema market’ (G.Craig, 2004)
‘The relationship between politics, the media and public life must encompass a broad territory, from issues of political theory to everyday relations between politicians and journalists.’ (G Craig, 2004) It is evident that our politics and media are on the rise together, the day that the two emerge as one on the internet is in the distant future. Whether it suits our lives now and then is up to you to decide, as for me, the way the world operates with politics and media is at a comfortable medium for now.
References
Americas New Page - Dick Morris, www.newsmax.com/pundits/bios/Morris-bio.shtml
(accessed 3/05/07)
B.Axford & R.Huggins(2001) New Media and Politics
Sage Publications, London
Dick Morris, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Morris
(accessed 3/05/07)
G.Craig (2004) The Media, Politics and Public Life
Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest
M. Hirst & J. Harrison(2007)Communication and New Media From Broadcast to Narrowcast
Oxford, New York
Morris, Dick(1999) Vote.com, //vote.com
(accessed 3/05/07)
The Official Re-election site for President George W. Bush, http://2004.georgewbush/index.asp
(accessed 4/05/2007)
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