Why Are Media So Powerful In The Uk Research Paper

Why is the media so powerful in the UK? Does it act in the public interest?

Media is powerful in the UK; this is down to the influence it has over the general public and the information that it provides. The media is extremely influential in the result of general elections and local elections due to the amount of say it has politically. This is clear because all the information people find out about parliament, parties and policies come via the media. If the media were not as large or were non-existent, there would be no knowledge of what happens in parliament. This would cause a lack of political assurance and would mean confusion when voting. This is down to the wide base media covers: media can be anything from television to newspapers

Media of the past was newspapers and radios and media of the present is all about technology and keeping as up to date as possible. Old media, as in newspapers is a way that people could read in-depth about the current political situations. It was a great way to find out more information as it was detailed and right in front of you. However, the problem as that newspapers are often biased because there is no law stating that they cannot be one sided. This is why political readers should be careful when reading newspapers as they are probably just being spoon fed what that newspaper company wants them to think. This is influential in the public interest because it does cause votes to increase solely based on reading choice*(similarities between reading and voting). Also, the information is given a day later than it happened so since then something different will have been discussed and by that point views may have changed. Newspapers are currently quite highly bought but are lower than previously due to the boom in using online newspapers. Newspapers are also companies competing to sell the most, so they try to make stand out headlines in an attempt to get customers. The most important point about newspapers which has been already covered is that newspapers are bias and opinionated. This means that it is what someone thinks and what someone thinks

People are looking for a fast and easy way to access breaking and up-to-date news as it happens, and new media achieves that. New media is the likes of internet or television. Where everything you could want in a newspaper is there for you to read online without having to leave your home. Anything that you could want to know you could find online and also receive in-depth information about parliament that day. Another large version of new media is through television, although television as a whole is a rather old concept digital television is not. Previously televisions would only have four channels until digital came along. Now there are twenty-four-seven news channels and channels dedicated to parliament where you can actually listen to that day’s discussion that show how advanced media has become. This has impacted politics for the better because now people become invested in politics at a younger age and also it is so easy to find out information about as it is only a click away. Gone are the days skimming the paper hoping to find something that shares your similar views. Now you can just search and read, you will find something that matches your opinion. It also means now people can be more knowledgeable about the various policies and parties, so they know the candidate they vote for is the one they want to win. People also discuss politics on social media this is where people share their own