The corona pandemic globally has changed the structure of government
The corona pandemic globally has changed the structure of government and the way of doing things in most nations. The pandemic, which started in China, revealed the extensive measures taken by the government in responding to the crisis, such as an increased collection of personal data and tracking of people in contact with those who are sick. The expansion of the Coronavirus in other parts of the world has expressed the challenge between the wish of the people and the increased surveillance for safety. The developed nation seems to maintain the aspect of democracy and minimal intrusion. However, the more authoritarian governments are seen to intrude more on the privacy of people to aid in the curbing of the virus. The effectiveness of either system of power at this time is yet to be evaluated. With people locked up in the homes, the media has become an essential element in the current generation. The media is shaping democracy as it is the only source of news, it controls the side of the divide with more exposure, the news and data presented impacts create public opinion, and influence activism during this period.
The current constraint in the world has led to an overreliance on the media for news. The media, both mass and social, has become the main sources of news as leaders are rarely addressing the public and giving their opinions. As a result, the media is choosing what is intriguing, important, and capable of being addressed on the various platforms. According to an expert on the power of the media, “media organizations also deal in advertising spaces, which allows others to promote their products. In return, newspapers and television channels deliver audiences. As commercial organizations, a key measure of its success is profits” (Street 126). As a result, the media has been used in support of elitism in different communities. In the period of the corona constraint, where people cannot rely on the actions and world of people from various sources as well as public expressions of injustices, the elitism approach is taking the lead on media. The mass media is responsible for educating the masses, which it is carrying dutifully in the modern generation through expressions of preferred opinions by the organizations. As Plummer concurs, “The opinions of private men of letters give way to the mass media: whereas once men of letters formulated political opinions through dialogue, now the commercial mass media take over the function of shaping political opinion through such things as editorial” (69). The media has become the mouthpiece of several people in the community, which impacts the overall opinions of the masses. For instance, in the rise of the current measures to combat corona, Prime minister Modi of India has called on the media to stop spreading rumors and unsubstantiated data, which is viewed as a subtle way of controlling the press. The process of controlling media in the current era illustrates the influence on the democracy of the entire nation. The right balance desired in the news is slowly getting away as information presented is less democratic.
Similarly, the media is spreading the political-divide democracy more in the constraints of corona. The response of most people in the United States to the pandemic is ideally based on the side of the political divide they belong to and the news media they engage regularly. In the liberal media, the expression of presenters is based on their support for populism and liberalism in the current political environment. In the explanation of the role of media in democracy, an author explains that, “Trump’s success in becoming the Republican candidate was achieved by dominating the agenda of mainstream media via his use of Twitter. In India, Modi used Twitter to mobilize his Hindutva supporters to become elected as prime minister; like Trump, he circumvented his own party” (Schroeder 60). The various examples illustrate the extent to which media has shaped the expression of the political divide not only in America but also in India. In the current constraint of Covid-19, the stakes are even higher. In America, the left-wing media has illustrated the dangers posed by the virus and the ability to destroy the democracy of the nation. On the other hand, the right-wing media has presented the aspect of the government being in controlled and the pandemic not being detrimental as the President has been adamant. The side of the political demand has continued to impact the role of people in understanding the impacts of the virus. The political divide has continued to be propagated in this period by the media, which shapes the democracy of nations.
The media is also shaping the current democracy in the influence of the public opinions. The media is a tool that has been used for decades to control the public opinion and eventually, the elections in different parts of the world. In this pandemic, the role of the media in influencing public opinion has increased rapidly. In an article seeking to explain the current democratic political environment and the rise of right-wing populism, the author explains, “This cultural backlash is identified as a sense of fear and rage felt by those with historically privileged statuses in relation to ‘race,’ gender, and sexuality who feel such advantages slipping away, indeed that, to use an oft-used cliché, the ‘pendulum has swung too far the other way’ and they are now victimized by identities that would once have secured privilege” (Read 594). The current aspect of populism and anti-elitism has become the main aspect of political debates following the election of leaders such as Modi and Donald Trump. The advancement of the theories in the media have impacted the public opinion, which is likely to impact the upcoming elections. In the era of the coronavirus, the same aspect of opposing views continues to be illustrated. The public opinion is currently being influenced under the divide of those supporting increased surveillance and those standing for control of government institutions. The constant influence of the public through the data and information on various channels will impact democracy as people will vote depending on the actions of parties and beliefs during this era.
Additionally, the media is impacting the democracy by increased activism, especially on social media. The people from various regions in the world have increased activism and disapproval of the government in this period of the corona outbreak based on the news presented. In dealing with the pandemic, an author highlights that, “The crisis is also accelerating governments’ use of new surveillance technologies. In Israel and South Korea, for example, governments are using smartphone location data to track down citizens who may have been exposed to the virus. In Hong Kong, new arrivals must wear electronic location-tracking wristbands; Singapore does extensive contact tracing and publishes detailed information about each known case” (Brown et al.). The current news is focused on various ways in which the governments are using their power to influence the collection and tracking of people with the virus or have come in contact with the virus. However, the rise in the illustration of the surveillance being pitched against democracy is leading to increased activism during and after the pandemic. The data being collected at the moment by the various governments will lead to activism and backlash that will impact the nature of democracy in different regions of the world. People are developing a different understanding of their leaders, which will impact their voting patterns and actions in the future, thus upholding democracy or leading to authoritarian governments.
Furthermore, the data and information presented in the media will impact the number of people voting and participating in the process of electing leaders in the future. The media has always maintained the power to magnify or diminish the current events in the society. As a result, the handling of data in the current media platform will impact the nature of people and the recovery process in various nations. in an article published by the US News, the author explains, “state primary elections have been delayed, and experts fret about how to hold a credible and accessible general election in November. Congress is out until at least April 20, and many state legislatures have suspended their sessions. Government buildings are closed” (Milligan). The modern systems of governance have been completely shut down to prevent the spread of the virus. However, in the process, democracy has been placed at risk as more presidents continue to influence the main systems of governance. Nevertheless, the media, especially the left-wing, has been in viewed as being active in the magnification of the crisis. As a result, the presidential election and reelection of new leaders in different nations can be influenced as the media continues to place the countries in a state of panic. For instance, the expression of panic in the United States will likely affect the nature of the election as most liberals will be laid back in the elections in November compared to conservatives. The media is shaping democracy as it continues to influence the public understanding of the virus, thus the reaction of the people in different parts of the world.
The media is viewed to be at the center of the current democratic approach as it continues to express information in favor of divisive politics, continues to highlight elitism, influences the public opinion, and will impact the restricting of things after the virus. The current crisis is impacting the ability of people to get sources from various sources and continue to rely on their basic news channels. However, the ideals that control the news organizations remain the same in the pandemic. The data and information collected by various news channels play into the organization’s political beliefs. In the era of decreased political correctness and lack of neutrality of media, the over-reliance on media during the pandemic will likely cause more harm than good. The democracy of most nations is likely threatened as the governments require extreme measures to collect personal data and track people for treatment. The presentation of the government processes in the media will express aspects of democratic intrusion or a necessary evil to stop the spread of the virus, which will impact the reaction of people during and after the pandemic as fear of authoritarianism might be evident. Nonetheless, the media continues to be a source of information needed in the difficult understanding and mitigation of the coronavirus.