Determining the impact of the news media on a candidate's political success or campaigns can be difficult. The left-wing candidates always accuse the media of being controlled by the right wing, while the right wing candidates like to say that the left wing is mostly in control of the government. Traditional thinking, on the other hand, puts governmental control in the hands of the left wing (Dilliplane et al 239). Political campaigns are often shaped by those who are ready or willing to interact with the political candidate, and presidential debates and campaigning is quite important for success on the presidential level. As a current student majoring in communications, with an interest in journalism, it is important for me to improve my knowledge on the news media's impact on the political spectrum. .
As I began my research, I needed an understanding of the media's impact on its receivers. I started with an article from a popular news site, US News & World Report by Mary Cary. Cary's column gave me an in-depth look into the news media's tactics of changing the political platform. As Mary Cary has noted, one of the main reasons that news is contributing more significantly to partisan politics in recent years is because of the numerous outlets provided by the Internet. I derived from this piece that the constantly evolving media changes the political spectrum as well as the outreach to citizens. For example, In 2008, the media chose to portray Barack Obama as a beacon of hope due to his young age and his message. Without the participation of the news media, it is likely his campaign would have gone another direction.
While researching news medias' affects on the political spectrum, I needed to learn more about the televised exposure to politics. So, I chose the American Journal of Political Science as my next source. The article I chose was written by Susanna Dilliplane. In this piece, Dilliplane argues that the goal of the news media is to create a spectacle and to encourage longevity for the company.