The Effects Of Mass Media On Presidential Debates
The presidential debate has always been a deciding factor in the US presidential elections. The effectiveness of presidential debates has subsequently been influenced by the different mass media types used to propagate information to the public. In fact, some US presidents have achieved victory in their respective elections solely due to their compelling portrayal during presidential debates. The Nixon/Kennedy presidential debate of 1960 was the first televised debate in US history. The live television broadcast of the debate is credited to have tipped the scales in favor of Kennedy, leading to his victory over Nixon (Druckman, 2003). In contrast, the Obama/Romney debate of 2012 was primarily influenced by the use of social media. Despite the debate being televised live on television, the online discussions on social media platforms made all the difference. Therefore, a review of the two debates shows that the evolution of mass media has had a profound impact on the US presidential elections.
The last century has brought about massive changes in mass media and has consequently increased their impact in US presidential elections. During the 1960 elections, print media and radio broadcasts were already mainstream in many parts of the US. Moreover, the television had gained massive popularity since its invention in the 1930s, with over half the homes in America owning a black and white TV during the 1960 debate (Druckman, 2003). The development of television was a game-changer in mass media as it brought a new dimension to the way information was broadcasted. The next significant evolution in mass media was the development of the internet at the end of the 20th century. The beginning of the 21st century saw further advancements in internet technology leading to the development of social media (Houston et al., 2013). Fast forward to today, mass media is generally defined by internet applications such as social media, live streaming online services, and cable TV. Overall, mass media has come a long way, and its evolution has consequently influenced how presidential debates are conducted today.
Mass media had a contrasting impact in the presidential debates between Nixon/Kennedy in 1960 and Obama/Romney in 2012. The main contrasting feature was the type of mass media that characterized both debates. One similarity between the two contests is that both were broadcasted live on television and radio. However, the similarities end there as the two debates were primarily defined by the newest forms of mass media of their time. While the Nixon/Kennedy debate ushered in the age of televised debates, the Obama/Romney debate was the first instance where social media played a significant role. During the 1960 contest, the televised broadcast tipped the scales in favor of Kennedy (Webley, 2010). After being hospitalized for some weeks before the debate, Nixon looked old, frail, and unhealthy. On the other hand, Kennedy exuded charisma with his youthful look and golden tan. The mental images of the two candidates largely influenced the choice of the people. While those who listened to the debate on radio favored Nixon, the 77 million viewers on TV favored Kennedy (Webley, 2010). Nonetheless, the Obama/Romney debate was impacted mainly by the online discussions on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media pages. Both campaign teams supplemented their candidates’ arguments with targeted posts on social media (Houston et al., 2013). The posts generated discussions online that went concurrent with the debate. The expert use of social media in this debate was vital for Obama winning the election.
There are numerous differences between social media and other traditional forms of mass media, such as print, radio, and television. For starters, traditional forms of mass media are influenced by corporates who own media houses. Therefore, the content and information broadcasted are often filtered and targeted to specific audiences. On the other hand, social media is unregulated as users have the freedom to freely post their opinions. Secondly, social media enables the sharing of news immediately something happens. Gone are the days when people had to wait for the evening news to watch major stories. Furthermore, social media has changed how politicians conduct campaigns. Instead of the ad campaigns previously used by politicians, interactions with voters via social media is now the new norm. Social media has also changed how voters experience presidential debates. Nowadays, the electorate can freely engage in discussions about the candidates as they debate on TV (Houston et al., 2013). Therefore, they are able to dissect the agendas presented by candidates in real-time and make informed decisions on their preferences. In collusion, it is clearly evident that the evolution of mass media has brought significant changes to how election debates and campaigns are conducted.
References
Druckman, J. N. (2003). The power of television images: The first Kennedy-Nixon debate revisited. The Journal of Politics, 65(2), 559-571. DOI: 10.1111/1468-2508.t01-1-00015
Houston, J. B., Hawthorne, J., Spialek, M. L., Greenwood, M., & McKinney, M. S. (2013). Tweeting during presidential debates: Effect on candidate evaluations and debate attitudes. Argumentation and Advocacy, 49(4), 301-311.
Webley, K. (2010, September 23) How the Nixon Kennedy Debate Changed the World, Time. http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2021078,00.html