Week 2: Assignment

ThursdayOct 12 at 4:33pm

Manage Discussion Entry

Hi All,

After a lackluster first week, I have decided to buckle down and skip an hour or two of sleep to make sure my work is complete. I want to graduate with honors and collapsing after working 14hours is not going to get me there. I only have two more classes and cannot afford senioritis now. We are still in recovery mode from Irma and I am crazy busy reporting on FEMA etc. I even got my Blue Roof today from the Army Corps of Engineers. So, onward and upwards.

What, do you believe, are the two most prevalent media platforms for covering politics in today’s society?

I believe that cable television and traditional print media are still the kings of the hill when it comes to political news. Perhaps it is because the age of most people who are interested in politics are from that era. I think our textbook also agrees. In chapter 4.1 of our text, it says that these types of media tell the audience where to begin looking for answers through headlines on the front page and segment teasers (Graber & Dunaway, 2015). It seems that the data is not ready yet in the other forms of news such as internet based news and blogs.

It further states that those who are not interested in politics have more avenues to avoid the topics.

Do you believe that politicians are successfully leveraging the use of social media that is really making a difference in our society?

I do not believe that most politicians are using social media to its fullest advantage. Perhaps the exception is Trump, for better or worse. With social media, people are exposed to politics whether or not they want to be. People who are politically interested may post a story they feel is worth a read and their friends may or may not like it. During the elections, the political actions were so fierce that many friends adopted a politics-free zone. Many others lost or gained friends depending on their views. Like-minded people tend to stick together as friends on these sites (Graber & Dunaway, 2015).

Do you believe that print and traditional broadcast media is still effective in the political process?

I absolutely do believe that the traditional media andprint are still effective in the political process. Maybe it is because I had Walter Cronkite and Dan Rathers in my living room growing up but I have learned to depend on these media types for my news. Now, I feel that I must filter them more and listen to a few news stations to get the gist of both sides though.

Graber, D., & Dunaway, J. (2015). Mass Media and American Politics, Ninth Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Electronic Edition.