If the Media industry is often seen as information and entertainment generators, it is especially the basis of our Western democracies. Indeed, the Media industry is certainly the most efficient and at least the most use mean to inform the people about politics. Media is then empowering Canadians as it is the provider of information through the democratic process of voting and participatory politics. Canada is defined as a parliamentary monarchy, and is also a prime ministerial system. Actually, the Prime Minister is viewed as almighty whenever he enjoys a majority government. Indeed, the parliament does not really keep its role of representative of the people as the Prime Ministerial party follows, according to the responsible government principle meanwhile opposition parties are weakened in their criticisms. However, this information is not always reliable as the Media remains an industry. The example of Brockville shows the extent to which the Media can change and modify the content. At that time, they used a 6 month old video on people in Brockville burning a Quebec for reasons having no common link with the issue on whether Quebec should be declared a "distinct society".
[...] Finally, Media are seen as watchdogs of government and allow the democratic process of popular check over those ruling the country. Broadcasting and Newspaper companies are seen in this role even more than the opposition parties. The major issue journalists have to face certainly is to balance between their journalist integrity and keeping their job. They then make choices and certainly try to keep some middle line between the two extremes but, as they chose the two extremes one can wonder if the public is therefore made of news readers or consumers B The 5 stage policy cycle analysis As said earlier, Media is bringing awareness and hierarchy over a set of issues and has therefore a power over the public policy led by politicians. [...]
[...] However, Howlett & Ramesh think that we should not over-emphasize the power of the Media as “political actors have resources enabling them to counteract media influence [ ] they often use the media to their own advantage.”[16] CONCLUSION It is maybe as a consequence of the overwhelming power of the Media around political information that there has been an erosion of faith in public life and for those who participate to it. Today, the Canadian public opinion could be characterized as cynic over journalism and politics as they learnt not to rely too much on them. [...]
[...] Finally we will conclude on the central question of this study, which consists in determining if Newspapers and Television bring more advantages or disadvantages in providing political information - Media as a guarantee of Democracy: check on government and shape of the public agenda What the majority of the population believes about its politicians and political parties is almost entirely based on what is called “third hand” information. This “third hand” actually defines the information that was ultimately transformed, manipulated and edited by the television networks. [...]
[...] The problem is then that politicians have to propose such kind of programs if they want to get the Media interests. The example of David Mitchell who served as a Member of Parliament of British Columbia's Legislative assembly then returned to private life as a regular political commentator and weekly newspaper analyst is witnessing of the power of the Media as he declared he had a much greater capacity influencing public opinion as a journalist than he ever had from within the parliament. The greatest power the Media industry has over politicians is the power of promoting them. [...]
[...] The group Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada, that tramped the flag, actually had no intent to attack Quebec in doing so but the Ontario Premier David Peterson at that time, and protest against official bilingualism in Ontario. Finally, the Brockville issue is still a great example of the power of the Media, and Television in particular, to bring confusion in a national problem. Hence, because of that ability and willingness to dramatize certain issues, Media such as TV and the Press are definitely not good in obtaining political information. B Politicians and Journalists: Nixon as the origin of the conflict?[13] The Watergate Scoop gotten by B. Woodward and C. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
