Media Influencing Elections: Six Main Ways

The media has several influences that influence how people perceive elections, and the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication narrowed down these influences into six main categories. 

1) Coverage. One of the most vital ways information about candidates reaches voters is simply by awareness and knowing about who is running for office. Journalists are selective in their choices about who they choose to cover and how much exposure they will cast on specific candidates, directly influencing the stream of media that will reach audiences. Unfortunately, these choices can be driven by what will garner attention and not what will benefit the prospective voters, in which news outlets strategically pick stories and political characters that will generate them the most revenue. Some candidates can even be left behind and not covered in this process. 

2) Polarization. Due to the fact that many news outlets are driven by numbers and competition for audiences, the media plays into polarizing and biased media. Nowadays, people are more interested in engaging with media that fulfills their political ideology, selectively picking articles and sources that cover the political orientation they most align with. Feeding on people's biases is a great way that the media can influence the type of information that is covered and how they report on particular political issues. 

3) Social Media. The news that attracts us normally is filtered through complex algorithms and codes that know what types of content we like and what will most likely engage with, creating a phenomenon called an "echo chamber." This chamber is filled with echoing voices and perspectives that reflect our own, keeping us in this environment where we are only able to hear one side of the story. Social media is a great example of this factor, where profiles and information are directed toward us that communicate specific narratives that reflect our own. 

4) Visuals. Images are incredibly impactful and can influence political opinions and elections. How these images are displayed and what images are selected have a direct impact on the stories that follow. Visuals "convey emotions, actions, realism and credibility" that can either push positive or negative commentary toward candidates; they also are great ways to hold politicians accountable for their actions, as they can serve as support that something did or did not happen. 

5) Polls vs. Fact-Checking. This point combines previous ideas from the other points mentioned above, combing how the media will strategically cover polarizing figures and how the media filters information to us. Although fact-checking is great for ensuring that objective and accurate information reaches the masses, fact-checked information can tend to filter toward the bottom when it is election season, as rapid coverage can lead people to see more news like polls and voter perceptions rather than sources that correct previously inaccurate information. 

6) Watchdogs. Even though inflammatory and scandalized news can sometimes be driven by media outlets, monitoring and carefully watching over what is publicized continues to be critical and prioritized. 

A key takeaway from this article is that there are multiple ways that the media can influence how people perceive political candidates and elections, but the main role of the media still should be to watch over what filters through the cracks so that voters and citizens remain rightfully informed. As said at the very last line of the article, "monitoring the workings of power to deliver the full story to the people is still the most important part of the journalist’s job description."

Source: https://journalism.uoregon.edu/news/six-ways-media-influences-elections