Consider the people around you. Most of them are informed adults who keep up with the
current events and state of their nation. How they do this, is, of course, by watching the 7oclock
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news with their family, or maybe reading CNN on their mobile phone on their morning bus ride to
work. Even listening to the radio as they drove in their car for 5 minutes could have given them
some idea as to how their government is doing. And what matters the most is how it’s presented.
The media has this immense power, this way of showing things how their network wants, and
influencing how citizens might look at the actions of their government. I do agree with the notion
that the media is the unofficial fourth branch of government, because in a democratic country such
as ours, the view that the public has is the most important aspect? the media has the power to
support, the power to destroy, and most importantly the power to inform. The legislative branch
may be voting on laws, but one scandal about a senator, and it could be the difference between
legislation being passed or not. Scholars recognize this power and recognize that it can make a big
enough difference to affect the other branches.
Firstly, the media has the power to support. Who the media supports is often having a bit
of an easier time than the unsupported party. The popular broadcasting station, Fox News, is
known for being extremely rightswinging, and viewers who watch this channel are presented with
information that reviles President Obama and supports Governor Christie after his recent
“Bridgegate” scandal. The media’s decisions on who to support and who to criticize reach every
single one of their viewers,…
…ts own right, and some citizens do
indeed look to this authority over their senator’s own words. The media has its own special brand
of power, and these powers can make or break citizens’ political participation. The media, with its
powers to inform, destroy and support can affect more people than some legislation even will, and
with millions of viewers, their follower pool is much larger than a state representative. One fact
left out, one fact presented strongly this can affect the public’s perception of political events and
government. In a democratic nation such as ours, where the government only runs smoothly if its
citizens participate actively in its systems, this kind of influence can hold its own against the three
branches. Scholars would likely recognize this power, and this is why the media is such an
extreme, and powerful tool.
