The content of the media influences policy as it influences the importance that people attach to various voting issues. If the media pays close attention to unemployment – they publish materials about its level, how it has grown, about large layoffs in certain companies and how unemployment affects the daily life of the population – people will give more importance to unemployment when voting.
In other models, access to the media is considered if the information it provides influences collective behavior – for example, voting decisions – is a powerful incentive for politicians to take informed interests into account. Therefore, citizens with access to the media can benefit from government programs to varying degrees.
Media content is significant for the same reason.
If the media does not cover certain issues, voters concerned about these issues cannot get the information they need to take appropriate action. Finally, media accessibility and content only matter if citizens are interested in the information.
Information in the media can influence both the current political process and promises during the election campaign. Thus, during the 2001 elections in Thailand, the Tai Rak Tai party promised to provide universal low-cost healthcare through the 30-Bath Gold Card program; in the 2002 Brazilian elections, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva pledged to launch an anti-hunger program.
Promises of this kind fulfill their political purpose only if those who will benefit from such initiatives become aware of them. There is no incentive for politicians to make such promises to the electorate if the mass of poor voters do not have access to the media, or if the media does not cover the promises, since attracting a poor audience hardly increases advertising revenues.
Politicians have far less incentive to pursue post-electoral policies if they do not have access to the media. These voters have less opportunity to assess what is happening and to pay tribute to politicians who are receptive to their needs. In other words, such voters have fewer opportunities to hold politicians accountable for their chosen course.
How media accessibility affects politics
Several studies have attempted to assess the political impact of the regular flow of information provided by the media. The question was raised whether the results of the policy depend on the degree of dissemination (accessibility) of the media. The content of the media was taken for granted.
The first example of this type of research is the work of Stromberg (1999, 2004b), who found that in the 1930s. counties in the United States, where radio was widespread, received more unemployment benefits. The conditions for identifying the impact of the media were quite favorable.
Effects of active press coverage of politics
One promising approach to identifying the most likely causal effects is to examine variations in political coverage within a country. However, even within a single country, it is difficult to identify the impact of media coverage on politics, voters and politicians. The interrelationships between media coverage, political awareness, politicians’ actions and political outcomes are complex.
There are many forces at work here that are difficult to control. For example, voters are more familiar with those politicians who frequently appear in the press. However, this suggests not only that publications are reflected in awareness, but also that the media tends to pay attention to better-known politicians.
Impact of publications dedicated to individuals
Finding conclusive evidence is challenging because there will be a correlation between news coverage of natural disasters and relief efforts even in the absence of causation. Major natural disasters are almost always covered in the news, and related policies drive relief along with media attention.
The media coverage encourages the United States to help first and foremost victims of disasters in Europe, not in Africa. Perhaps the similarity between the United States and Europe plays a role in this, which increases the likelihood of providing assistance to Europe without the participation of the media. However, inadequate media coverage exacerbates this trend from watching it on smart iptv, smart tv or which ever one would like to watch with media.
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