Role of Media in Political Campaigns Essay

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This paper discusses the role of the media in political campaigns.
The purpose of campaigns To understand the role of election campaigns towards the end result it is necessary to understand that two ideas exist. It is believed that the voters decide for their candidate before the campaigning starts, while the others believe that it through active campaigning that voters reach their decision. The purpose of political campaigns is to do one of three things to affect the voter: motivate, reinforce and convert. It is also important to understand that a political campaign is not a single event but rather a series of events that shape the voter’s perception of the candidates. The shaping of this perception is a direct result of how the …show more content…
The Internet is an excellent medium for politicians to present their positions, develop an identity and “brand” themselves. The Web enables them to engage interested parties, provide them with in-depth background information on the issues and seek support. The internet became an essential part of American politics in 2004. Fully 75 million Americans – 37% of the adult population and 61% of online Americans – used the internet to get political news and information, discuss candidates and debate issues in emails, or participate directly in the political process by volunteering or giving contributions to candidates. A post-election, nationwide survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and the Pew Research Center for The People & The Press shows that the online political news consumer population grew dramatically from 18% of the U.S. population in 2000 to 29% in 2004. There was also a striking increase in the number who cited the internet as one of their primary sources of news about the presidential campaign: 11% of registered voters said the internet was a primary source of political news in 2000 and 18% said that in 2004. For campaign 2004, the overall figures related to uses of the internet for politics were:
 52% of internet users, or about 63 million people, said they went online to get news or information about the 2004 elections. We call them
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