What role does the powerful new media play in Politics? The short and long term effects cannot be denied. But does the new media offer us sound political information or simply entertain us for profit and ratings?
The New Media
Every so often, the mass media system in the United States experiments significant transformations that signal a new plateau in its evolution. Widespread recognition of the new media's role on the political scene occurred during the 1992 Presidential campaign. The candidates flocked to talk radio, television talk shows, news magazine programs and the internet. Although the media offered many options to deliver their views, the debate as to rather or not the content was informative or entertainment had begun.
Talk Radio
If there has been one communications format that has become emblematic of the new media, it is talk radio. Talk radio used to be the "night shift" of the airways. Talk radio reinvented itself. Talk radio became an important candidate forum in 1992. President George H. Bush interviewed with conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. By 1994 nine talk radio hosts ran for statewide or local office. Most were unsuccessful, but their positions in talk radio gave them legitimacy as
candidates.
Other unsuccessful candidates such as former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and New York Mayor Ed Koch moved into local or national talk show host jobs. Talk radio had a political platform. Americans were tuning in. Ratings were up. Profits were rising. Talk radio had become a force to be reckoned with.
Television
Cable television opened the airways for an onset of media opportunities. Time slots were filled with talk shows and news programs that you could tune in twenty four hours a day. The television media quickly enhanced their position in the political process. Politicians and the mainstream press could not help but take them seriously. One of the criticisms levied against the television media was that they trivialized serious issues of governing by mixing politics with entertainment. Every political issue at hand could now be analyzed and scrutinized twenty four hours a day on cable news. Campaigns had to give a second look on the role of media in politics. The media could be a tool of support or a thorn in your side. Campaign strategy had to be changed. The power of television was not to be denied.
The Internet
Twenty five years ago the term "modem" did not even appear in the dictionary. Modems connect people to online computer services such as CompuServe,Prodigy, America Online or MSN, and to hundreds of thousands of world wide websites and home pages. Increasingly, the internet has become a tool for political communications as well. On the net you could gain political info, express political opinion, and mobilize other voters and political leaders. You could also make political donations. In this years Presidential race, candidates have raised literally millions of dollars online. The web has become a electronic town hall. In a brief time, the web has grown into a major player in the new media.
Conclusion
The media has found its niche in today's politics. Rather its talk shows, television or the internet, they have laid a foundation, built a platform from which to voice their social agenda and flex their political muscle. How much of that voice is quality content is still up for debate. One thing is for sure, if you want to succeed in politics, it will not hurt to have the media in your corner.
Social control means, control of individual behavior by society, and that control of social institutions should be in the interest and welfare of the whole society. Some warnings and directions of prohibited activities, are an example of social control
1- social control is an influence,which may be exerted through various means of control like public opinion, force, public appeal, social,religious organizations.
2- This influence should be implemented by society-there are so many groups who exercise this influence, like family, trade union church,state, school,neighborhood, clubs, religious groups etc.
3- The influence should be exercised for promoting the welfare and interest of the entire group.
Every society must have harmony and unity. without it no society actually could remain in existence. To maintain the society effectively,it needs some rules and regulation. in other words behavior patters for members are essential. To obey and follow these rules and regulation society needs its implementation. There are various ways to implement such things. In other words we can say some special type of behavior is expected from members of society. Such expected or controlled behavior is called social control.
Social control means, control of individual behavior by society, and that control of social institutions should be in the interest and welfare of the whole society. Some warnings and directions of prohibited activities, are an example of social control
Social control refers to social mechanisms that regulate individual and group behavior, leading to conformity and compliances to the rules of a given society or social group. Many mechanisms of social control are cross-cultural, if only in the control mechanisms used to prevent the establishment of chaos or anomie. Some theorists, such as Emile Durkheim, refer to this form of control as regulation.
Definitions of Social Control.
When we use this word, the ideas which generally comes in mind is of police.court,law, force, prison of force and harassment. But in sociological term it is used in broader sense. Social control has been defined by MacIver as "the way in which entire social order coheres and maintain itself-how it operates as a whole,as a changing equilibrium."1(Society p137)
To Ogburn and Nimkoff;"the patterns of pressure which a society exerts to maintain order and established rules."
Landis defines social control,"as a social process by which individualis made group -responsive,and by which social organization is built and maintained." (Social Control.p.4)
Lumely expresses social control,"as the practice of putting forth directive, stimuli or wish-patterns, their accurate transmission to and adoptionby,other whethe voluntarily or in voluntarily."(Means of Socila control.p13.)
On the basis of above definition it is cleared that social control is different from concept of self control. To undrstand more this concept. there are three important things to learn.
1- social control is an influence,which may be exerted through various means of control like public opinion, force, public appeal, social,religious organizations.
2- This influence should be implemented by society-there are so many groups who exercise this influence, like family, trade union church,state, school,neighborhood, clubs, religious groups etc.
3- The influence should be exercised for promoting the welfare and interest of the entire group.
Sociologists identify two basic forms of social controls
1. Internalization of norms and values, and
2. The use of sanctions, which can be either positive (rewards) or negative (punishment).
=== Social control theory began to be studied as a separate field in the early 20th century. Sociologist Edward A. Ross argued that belief systems exert a greater control on human behavior than specific laws, no matter what form the beliefs take. The means to enforce social control can thus be either formal or informal. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) ===
Applications of social control theory
According to the propaganda model theory, the leaders of modern, corporate-dominated societies employ indoctrination as a means of social control. Theorists such as Noam Chomsky have argued that systematic bias exists in the modern media.[4] The marketing, advertising, and public relations industries have thus been said to utilize mass communications to aid the interests of certain business elites. Powerful economic and religious lobbyists have often used school systems and centralized electronic communications to influence public opinion. Democracy is restricted as the majority is not given the information necessary to make rational decisions about ethical, social, environmental, or economic issues.
In order to maintain control and regulate their subjects, authoritarian organizations and governments promulgate rules and issue decrees. However, due to a lack of popular support for enforcement, these entities may rely more on force and other severe sanctions such as censorship, expulsion and limits on political freedom. Some totalitarian governments, such as the late Soviet Union or the current North Korea, rely on the mechanisms of the police state.
Sociologists consider informal means of social control vital in maintaining public order, but also recognize the necessity of formal means as societies become more complex and for responding to emergencies. The study of social control falls primarily within the academic disciplines of anthropology, political science, and sociology.
9) Political culture. The media as a source of political information. Political subculture.
Political culture is defined by the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences as "the set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments which give order and meaning to a political process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the political system." It encompasses both the political ideals and operating norms of a polity. Political culture is thus the manifestation in aggregate form of the psychological and subjective dimensions of politics. A political culture is the product of both the collective history of a political system and the life histories of the members of the system and thus it is rooted equally in public events and private experience.
