Media in Politics

It is a reasonable expectation that the media will gather the facts and report the news fairly, accurately and responsibly. The American public relies on the media for a great deal of its information. "The role of the press in American politics has become a major source of discussion and controversy in recent years" (Davis, 1). The question raised in this paper is, "Does the media present the news fairly, accurately, and completely?" The short answer is no, the long answer will be examined throughout the following essay. This essay will examine the media and its influence and effects on politics and government.

"Publick Occurrences" was the first newspaper to appear in colonial America. This publication begins the history of the media and its effects on politics and government in America. The paper was struck down soon after being published and its publishers arrested. Without the protection of the First Amendment, newspapers had little chance of survival; especially if they were critical of established authority.

The first successfully published American newspaper came almost fifteen years later in 1704. It was entitled the "Boston News-Letter". Several other papers came into circulation in colonial America and just before the Revolution there were twenty-four papers in circulation. Articles in colonial newspapers were a major source of political pressure in shifting public opinion from reconciliation with England to complete political independence. Thus began the history of the media influence in America and its effects on American government and politics.

The number of printed newspapers in America continued to grow and by the end of the Revolution there were approximately forty-three newspapers available to the public. They played an important role, informing the public, in the political affairs of the young nation. In 1791 the Bill of Rights was passed securing the freedom of the press. Protected by the First Amendment, American newspapers played an important and influential function in local and national politics. Newspapers were originally a luxury only enjoyed by the wealthy and the literate minority. It was during the era of Jacksonian democracy, the 1830's, that newspapers became more widespread. This resulted from the invention of the "Penny Press." It was now possible to sell newspapers for one cent a copy. Advances in technology made it possible to reduce the cost of newspapers and increase their availability to the public. It wasn't until 1850, with the invention and development of photographs, that newspapers included pictures accompanying the stories reporters covered. By the end of the nineteenth century, newspapers took on a similar form to that of newspapers today.

The above brief history of newspapers demonstrates the growth of a free press in America. The benefits of a free press in a democracy include: the free and open exchange of ideas including ideas critical of government, widespread distribution of differing views on controversial issues, open debate during local and national elections, and access to information by a literate public. However, a free press is not free of detriments. It would be inaccurate to suggest or imply that the press in particular and the media in general are always responsible and truthful.

One example of how the print media can affect and influence the views of its readers and the politics of a nation came at the end of the nineteenth century. In Mightier Than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History, Rodger Streitmatter provides a brief account of "yellow journalism." Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, and William Randolph Hearst, publisher of the New York Journal, battled each other for increased circulation. In New York the World and the Journal were ranked number one and two respectively. Pulitzer and Hearst revolutionized journalism and maintained a heated rivalry for increased circulation. It was this "bitter rivalry (that) gave birth to the double-barreled brand of sensationalism known as yellow journalism" (Streitmatter, 68). Yellow journalism began mainly as a way to put more papers in circulation, but it went too far in its sensationalism -- "from distortion and the staging of events to disinformation and the systematic manufacturing of news" (Streitmatter, 69). Perhaps the most vivid example of yellow journalism came after the explosion of an American battleship, the USS Maine. Yellow journalists stirred up public frenzy, deliberately reported misinformation, and convinced much of the public to support a war with Spain. Once the public supported war, it was only a matter of time before the president moved for a declaration of war. Historians argue that yellow journals, through sensationalism and misrepresentation, created an atmosphere that actually resulted in a war that could possibly have been avoided. The successful manipulation of public opinion through the use of yellow journalism affected national policy and persuaded a nation to go to war.

This idea of the media stirring up a public frenzy can be related to today's international concern for the war on terrorism. Although the circumstances are different in the twenty-first century global community, the media play a huge role in the pursuit of the present war on terrorism. For example, the FBI recently released pictures of possible terrorists who entered the United States with fake identification. Shortly after the pictures were aired, it was discovered that one of the fugitives was not a terrorist and wasn't even in the United States. It was a picture of a man who currently lives in Pakistan and has never set foot in America. Although this error was not intentional and therefore not an example of yellow journalism, it illustrates how the media continue to influence the public. The rush to "scoop" a story can and does affect the lives of those who are mentioned in the reports as well as those who read and are influenced by the reports. It must be remembered that all forms of mass media are commercial businesses. The need to be first with the story has become more important than the need to report the facts and events responsibly. Irresponsible reporting created the sensational brand of journalism known as yellow journalism and continues to be present in the media today as reporters, broadcasters, and editors strive to be first with the news. By the beginning of the twentieth century the influence of the media extended beyond the printed word to include broadcasting. In the 1920's radio broadcasting began on a commercial basis. By 1930 commercial radio was solidly established. Franklin D. Roosevelt successfully persuaded the American public to accept his New Deal with the help of radio. His "fireside"