Question

Which forms of mass media traditionally have been the most relied on? Which forms have grown in importance? Define policy formulation and provide two examples of instances where this takes place. What is the role public opinion plays in a representative democracy?

Answer 1

Competition has increased in the world of mass media as they continue to fight for the interest of writers, listeners, and television viewers. Every newspaper and television station's life and death are at stake here when the advertisement and supporting profit is proportional to the number of readers or viewers. The printed media are having issues competing with the electronic media as news sources. They are increasingly turning to other strategies to survive, such as entertainment, titillation, scandal mongering, and spreading fear-and spending less resources on serious news research. This is not only about the survival of the fittest of the news media, it is also about cultural selection and political selection. The news media are the most powerful outlets for cultural dissemination, thoughts, and views. Most opinion formation happens when people sit and watch television news and debates.

Communities and individuals are constantly bombarded with messages from a host of sources including television , billboards, and magazines, to name a few. Such advertisements encourage not only goods but also moods, behaviors and a sense of what is important and what is not. Mass media makes the idea of fame possible: people couldn't become famous without the power of movies, magazines, and news media to reach thousands of miles across. In reality, in the past, only political and business leaders, and the few infamous outlaws, were popular.

This widespread availability and exposure makes television the primary focus of most debate in the mass media. More recently, the Internet has exponentially increased its role as more businesses and households "sign on." Although television and the Internet have dominated mass media, films and magazines especially those lining the aisles at grocery checkout stands also play a powerful role in culture, as do other media forms.

Policy formulation consists of policy makers discussing and suggesting approaches to address issues raised as part of the agenda. Sometimes choosing between multiple potential paths forwards is necessary. Throughout time, the issue of traffic safety has been resolved through various policies. Here are a few examples of solutions: more highways were constructed in the 1950s, safer cars were required in the 1960s and the solution in the 1980s and 1990s was jailing drunk drivers.

The voice of the people in modern society forms the crux of any legislation or policy in the land. While this facet of societal feedback is prevalent in all societies, irrespective of the degree of authoritarianism, it is particularly true for the world's democratic societies. Policy shifts in public opinion through passive perceptions that accumulate among people. Pressure groups work through direct contact with decision-makers to positively change policy.

These divergent viewpoints lead to the vying of social opinions that seek to expand 'political' space. The greater the space that the holders of a worldview can secure for their argument, the greater the chance that this worldview would be incorporated within the general structure of regional or national policy.

A democracy shall be based on the agreement of the members of society. The common will of the people drafts a Constitution. Much as the state and the constitution are essential organic structures, so is the primary means of informing them: the public.