We Report, You Decide

The Effect of Media on Political Disengagement

Alexander Banh
6349542
Tutorial Assistant: Holly Garnett
POLS110B
Word Count: 1747
! Three manifestations are postulated to outline the presiding global trends which

encompass the scope of this paper. Firstly, the assumption that all individuals, groups, and

organizations created by human beings are self-interested and motivated by incentive.

Secondly, that citizens in western, developed countries with stable economic and political

structures have immediate, unfettered access to information about political issues through

media.1 The generalization is made that these democratic countries have similar relationships

between their political issues, forms of media, and influence on citizens.2 Thirdly, that said

citizens have most, if not all affairs of the state already taken care of for them by highly

structured, pre-existing political institutions. As a result, their lives do not necessitate

engagement or involvement in political affairs, leading to the deterioration of knowledge and

loss of insight into political issues 3. In essence, it is the perfect terrain to spawn apathy amongst

a countryʼs electorate. With television becoming a preeminently dominant source of national and

international news for majority of population, it naturally becomes the major linking factor in the

system described above. Mass media is most commonly conceptualized by television or

associated with other electronic, pervasive, and privatized sources of informational exposure

which are readily available. However, it is questionable at best whether television has

contributed to a more informed or knowledgeable electorate. The question we must ask is: does

media contribute to this disengagement, or is it a vehicle which combats apathy? Although mass

media is not genuinely tailored to educate and inform, and may corrupt through emphasis of

controversy and negativity, it does not divert an electorate away from interest in politics. Rather,

1The scope of this paper will not extend to the effects of media on political participation in lesser
developed countries, as it is assumed that the effect of mass media on the population of an LDC is not a
pervasive or significant enough issue.
2 Includes, but is not limited to the G8 countries.
3Rose, Jonathan. "Political Culture." POLS110. Biosciences Complex 1101, Kingston, Ontario. 13
October 2010. Lecture.
the absurdity and entertainment value of media form stimulates interest, thus directing the

electorate towards seeking knowledge of political issues.

" The malaise theory of media can be dissected into four distinct stages: perpetration,

propagation, exposure, and desensitization. Electronic mass media operates through a

corporate structure, with maximizing monetary profit as its main objective; where more

viewership implies higher revenues from sale of advertisement. The relationship between the

influence of media and politicians is a perpetual power struggle, where each try to impose their

own definitions of political events, actors and institutions on the public agenda. It is implied that

whichever party “wins” will control public opinion and the way citizens cast their votes in

parliamentary elections.4 The fact that improved viewership may lead to a potentially more

informed electorate is irrelevant in the eyes of the media. Corporate strategic decisions of

media giants such as CNN and FOX, are made upon the premise that the search for bigger

audiences and circulation figures force them to dwell on dramatic news, especially bad news

about crime, conflict, death, disaster, political incompetence, corruption, sex and scandal; in

other words, all that is sensational.5 If there is little conflict, the media will employ confrontational

or “attack journalism” to exaggerate what exists.6 The ensuing negative connotations that are

attached to political issues are exposed to citizens, regardless of whether they actively seek out

4Schroder, Kim Christian, and, Phillips, Louise. “Complexifying Media Power: A Study of the Interplay
Between Media and Audience Discourses on Politics.” Media, Culture and Society 29 (2007): 890. Web.

The scope of this paper will not encompass the identification of the distribution of power loci, since it is
irrelevant in answering the question of whether media turns an electorate off politics. Regardless of
whichever party (media corporations or the government) has more control over public opinion, they are
still using the same avenues of mass media to deliver their messages. Thus, in all future references of
“the media” making decisions, it is assumed that this represents the ambitions/desires of both media
corporations and the government.
5 Newton, Kenneth. “Mass Media Effects: Mobilization or Media Malaise.” British Journal of Politics 29
(1999): 577. Web.
6Schroder, Kim Christian, and, Phillips, Louise. “Complexifying Media Power: A Study of the Interplay
Between Media and Audience Discourses on Politics.” Media, Culture and Society 29 (2007): 898. Web.
these sources of information, or if they inadvertently come across it, desensitizing them to

politics. Said negativity is then propagated and blown out of proportion through word of mouth

and discussion amongst citizens. As a result, an electorate would be become cynical due to a

combination of alienation, distrust, confusion, and/or fear, exacerbated to the point of apathy;

thus justifying the trend of declining voter participation in Canada.7

" The argument is made that controversy, albeit negative, is a driving stimulant of interest.

This is best evidenced by the fact that the ratings of FOX news - an immensely biased, right-

wing American news broadcasting network - soared during the week of Barack Obamaʼs

inaugural election in 2008.8 A most notable headline in that period was “Obamasʼ fist pound ʻa

terrorist fist jabʼ”, with the main supportive evidence as his middle name being “Hussein”, and

the fact that he attended a Muslim school as a child. 9,10 The qualitative theory of malaise is

insightful, but is not valid when faced with quantitative data. National voter turnout increased

from 37.1% of the total voting-age population in 2006 to 56.8% in 2008 in the United States.11 It

is clear that the sensationalism that is embodied by Barack Obamaʼs race, image, and platform,

magnified by the media, has had a significant effect in stimulating interest of the American

voting population.

" While it is difficult to argue that television has contributed to a presentation of politics that

is more informative, the chosen form and content of media has a profound effect on an

audienceʼs perception of reality. The effect of media on an electorate can be conceptualized with

7"Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums, 1867-2008". Elections Canada Online, 14
October 2008. Web. 7 November 2010.
8 "Fox News Channel tops USA in Cable Ratings". Reuters. 27 January 2010. Web. 7 November 2010.
9"Barack Obama Goes From Potential Terrorist, Educated in Madrassas, to an Effete Ivy League Guy
Educated in Private Schools". New Hounds. 16 April 2008. Web. 7 November 2010.
10 “Media Matters: Fox Newsʼ E.D. Hill teased discussion of Obama dap: “A fist bump? A pound? A
terrorist fist jab?””. Media Matters. 6 June 2008. Web. 7 November 2010.
11McDonald, Michael. “United States Elections Project”. George Mason University. 6 October 2010. Web.
7 November 2010.
the bardic theory of Fiske and Hartley, where the mass media function as a societyʼs bard - that

is, as an actor who relays cultural messages to members of that culture, thus providing ritual

confirmation of the culture and its members.12 In other words, the media attempts to predict that

which will incite the most attention in the audience with respect to their culture, subsequently

using this information to release content that alters the audiencesʼ perceptions of reality. To

date, the mediaʼs portrayal of politics and politicians can be divided into four forms: dynamism

(embodying initiative, optimism, and the nobility of parliamentary democracy in action),

grassroots politics (where the local community is seen as the beneficiaries), politics as a “dirty

deals” game (illegitimate battles waged amongst politicians in a rivalrous competition), and

populism (politicians shown as arrogant or detached representation of “the system”, prone to

scandal, and therefore are the cause of problems).13 A study based in Denmark shows that the

latter two negative images appeals the most to the mediaʼs audience.14 Content in this context,

is not the actual substance that the media intends on exposing, but rather that which the

audience takes away from exposure to said media. Focusing on form without substance may

stimulate interest, but to a superficial extent, with an opportunity cost of corrupted knowledge,

whereas pure focus on actual content without entertainment value, will simply bore an audience.

As a result, for mass media not to exacerbate apathy, it must take note of the interdependence

of these two facets.15 The former stimulates interest, while the latter seeks to inform at the risk

of apathy. The style/image of media when portraying a certain news story precedes content

insofar that it does not overwhelm the content with absurdity.

12Schroder, Kim Christian, and, Phillips, Louise. “Complexifying Media Power: A Study of the Interplay
Between Media and Audience Discourses on Politics.” Media, Culture and Society 29 (2007): 912. Web.
13 Stromback, Jesper. “Four Stages of Mediatization”. Press/Politics 13 (2008): 231. Web.
14Schroder, Kim Christian, and, Phillips, Louise. “Complexifying Media Power: A Study of the Interplay
Between Media and Audience Discourses on Politics.” Media, Culture and Society 29 (2007): 900. Web.
15Hallin, Daniel C. and Mancini, Paolo. “Comparing Media Systems, Three Models of Media and Politics”.
United States: Cambridge University Press. 2004. Web.
" This tradeoff between corrupted knowledge and apathy can be reconciled with a thought

experiment. Imagine a hypothetical society where the entire citizenry has no access to mediums

of mass media, and are oblivious to political issues. If Platoʼs assertion in The Statesman about

humans as political animals is true, then these citizens would actively seek sources of

information to gain a better understanding of political issues.16 But without a source of

information as pervasive and powerful as mass media, the most likely outcome would be a full

circle back to ignorance. If it is not true, then an apathetic population would remain passive,

making no initiative to expand their knowledge, blindly voting for the next ruling entity. The

question becomes, would a society rather have a populace be and stay ignorant, or would it

rather have a confused populace which has been exposed to relevant issues through corrupted

knowledge, but motivated to walk on the right path to understanding the reality behind said

issues leading to a much more informed electorate in the long run? It is concluded that mass

mediaʼs effect on an electorate is a net positive.

" It appears that the media is completely emancipated from the state in terms of legal and

corporate technicalities. However, the strategic manipulation of media form and content on the

part of Barack Obama and his campaign suggests otherwise; shifting the locus of power to

control public opinion towards the government. For example, in an interview with the American

Society of Magazine Editors, he admits that he did have a history of substance abuse, creating

the requisite controversy.17 What the audienceʼs take-away from that interview is that he is an

honest man and fit to govern the state. It is clear that the American politicians along with the

American broadcasting networks have recognized the interdependence between form and

content, and have made effective use of media to stimulate interest. Given this successful

usage of media in America, political apathy in Canada can be attributed to various exogenous

16 Aristotleʼs Political Theory. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 19 July 2002. Web. 7 November 2010.
17Seelye, Katharine Q. “Barack Obama, asked about drug history, admits he inhaled”. The New York
Times. 24 October 2006. Web. 7 November 2010.
variables outside the control of the media. For one, Canadian media lacks the American

prowess to control media form and lacks the outspoken absurdity in media form, both

specialized by FOX News. Politics portrayed by Canadian broadcasting networks represents a

much tamer culture as Americans are explicitly more patriotic and opinionated. 18 On the part of

the government, Stephen Harper has embodied the two prominent negative forms of the

mediaʼs portrayal of politicians to the point that it has overwhelmed the trust of his electorate.

Although Harperʼs actions do stimulate controversy, the lack of followable logic and lack of

accountability in his actions, such as spending an unnecessary $676 million on the G20 Summit

security tab in the midst of a recession, all contribute to the detriment of Canadian votersʼ

trust.19 Since the media has an obligation to citizens to report on all significant issues, it is thus

the fault of the incompetence of politicians, and not the fault of the media that events such as

the G20 Summit budget caused malaise.

" This paper has argued that media is not the main source of political apathy by disproving

the malaise theory. However, neither is it a driving force behind political mobilization. The

strategy, form, and content as displayed by American mass media creates controversy, incites

interest, and motivates citizens to take initiative in their acquisition of knowledge. On the

contrary, given that the media cannot deviate from a balance between form and content, it is

severely limited by the underlying incompetence of certain politicians. Moreover, the relationship

between the media and government is established as one of mutual competition. A democratic

society cannot compel media moguls to broadcast pure, unaltered, unbiased content, as the

principle of that restriction of freedom would be no different from that of a socialist stateʼs

propaganda machine. As such, there will always be the tradeoff between corrupted knowledge

18Nesbitt-Larking, Paul W. “The role of the media in electoral behaviour: A Canadian perspective”. Policy
and Society 29 (2010): 53. Web.
19Levitz, Stephanie. “Final G20 security tab expected to it $676 million”. The Toronto Star. 6 November
2010. Web. 7 November 2010.
from media emphasis on style, and political disengagement. As technology becomes more and

more advanced, serving to increase the pervasiveness and power of mass media, the interplay

between media, politics, and citizens moves towards becoming a psychological game. It is a

disheartening prospect that the world of politics and media has devolved to this dismal state.

However, identifying the playing field of this game is the first step to ameliorating the social

structure of our society."

Works Consulted

Aristotleʼs Political Theory. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 19 July 2002. Web. 7 November 2010.

"Barack Obama Goes From Potential Terrorist, Educated in Madrassas, to an Effete Ivy League Guy
Educated in Private Schools". New Hounds. 16 April 2008. Web. 7 November 2010.

Hallin, Daniel C. and Mancini, Paolo. “Comparing Media Systems, Three Models of Media and Politics”.
United States: Cambridge University Press. 2004. Web.

"Fox News Channel tops USA in Cable Ratings". Reuters. 27 January 2010. Web. 7 November 2010.

Levitz, Stephanie. “Final G20 security tab expected to it $676 million”. The Toronto Star. 6 November
2010. Web. 7 November 2010.

McDonald, Michael. “United States Elections Project”. George Mason University. 6 October 2010. Web. 7
November 2010.

“Media Matters: Fox Newsʼ E.D. Hill teased discussion of Obama dap: “A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist
fist jab?””. Media Matters. 6 June 2008. Web. 7 November 2010.

Nesbitt-Larking, Paul W. “The role of the media in electoral behaviour: A Canadian perspective”. Policy
and Society 29 (2010): 53-64. Web.

Newton, Kenneth. “Mass Media Effects: Mobilization or Media Malaise.” British Journal of Politics 29
(1999): 577. Web.

Rose, Jonathan. "Political Culture." POLS110. Biosciences Complex 1101, Kingston, Ontario. 13 October
2010. Lecture.

Schroder, Kim Christian, and, Phillips, Louise. “Complexifying Media Power: A Study of the Interplay
Between Media and Audience Discourses on Politics.” Media, Culture and Society 29 (2007): 890. Web.

Seelye, Katharine Q. “Barack Obama, asked about drug history, admits he inhaled”. The New York Times.
24 October 2006. Web. 7 November 2010.

Stromback, Jesper. “Four Stages of Mediatization”. Press/Politics 13 (2008): 228-247. Web.

“VoterTurnout at Federal Elections and Referendums, 1867-2008". Elections Canada Online, 14 October
2008. Web. 7 November 2010.