Politics and the Social Media Divide Media is the portal to the public. Through media, people have the opportunity to engage and develop opinions. Media has played a pivotal role in politics throughout history and continues to influence the direction of politics. As media develops, so does the division of people following it, due to their public opinion. In the textbook, America Government: Power and Purpose in Chapter 10, public opinion is defined as “citizens’ attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events” (Lowi 2014). This division in public opinion, has become more prominent with the development of social media. The 2016 presidential election will be remembered as the most divisive election in history. This
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Media dates back to 550 BC with the first use of a postal service, this was achieved by a horse and a rider who would deliver written letters. The use of postal services to spread information, lead to the invention of the first printed newspaper in 1690. The newspaper was a limited good, only accessible for the wealthy due to the cost and necessity to be literate. This caused a bias in politics because the wealthy were the only people getting information regarding politics. This inequality of information was limiting diversity in opinion, because the majority of the wealthy population supported the same candidates who would help their businesses and not threaten their wealth. Therefore, division was not an issue because there were not many conflicting opinions. As media developed, so has technology, and with technological advances comes more opportunity for people to get engaged. In 1792, the telegraph was introduced as a method to transfer news and information quicker and further. This was revolutionary for media, because it allowed …show more content…
The evolution of media has lead us to social media, which has accelerated the impact of media in politics. The 2016 presidential was a strong example of the effects of social media and the divide it can cause throughout the United States of America. The divisive election was a result of social media an its role in politics because the majority of eligible American voters have access to social media, social media participants have the ability to post statements and find protection behind the allusion of a screen, and candidates ability to manipulate public opinion through social media. History proves that technology and media will only advance, therefore social media will continue to advance in politics and bring new hurdles that will have to be met and defeated once they
Media dates back to 550 BC with the first use of a postal service, this was achieved by a horse and a rider who would deliver written letters. The use of postal services to spread information, lead to the invention of the first printed newspaper in 1690. The newspaper was a limited good, only accessible for the wealthy due to the cost and necessity to be literate. This caused a bias in politics because the wealthy were the only people getting information regarding politics. This inequality of information was limiting diversity in opinion, because the majority of the wealthy population supported the same candidates who would help their businesses and not threaten their wealth. Therefore, division was not an issue because there were not many conflicting opinions. As media developed, so has technology, and with technological advances comes more opportunity for people to get engaged. In 1792, the telegraph was introduced as a method to transfer news and information quicker and further. This was revolutionary for media, because it allowed …show more content…
The evolution of media has lead us to social media, which has accelerated the impact of media in politics. The 2016 presidential was a strong example of the effects of social media and the divide it can cause throughout the United States of America. The divisive election was a result of social media an its role in politics because the majority of eligible American voters have access to social media, social media participants have the ability to post statements and find protection behind the allusion of a screen, and candidates ability to manipulate public opinion through social media. History proves that technology and media will only advance, therefore social media will continue to advance in politics and bring new hurdles that will have to be met and defeated once they