Media can play a crucial role in shaping a healthy democracy. It is the backbone of a democracy. Media can make us aware of various social, political and economical activities happening around the world. It can be like a mirror, which shows us or strives to show us the bare truth and harsh realities of life.
The media has undoubtedly evolved and become more active over the years. It is the media only who reminds politicians about their unfulfilled promises at the time of elections. T.V news channels' extensive coverage during elections can help people, especially illiterates, in electing the right person to the power. This reminder can motivate politicians to follow through on their promises in order to remain in power
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"A properly functioning democracy depends on an informed electorate"
Insofar as media provide accurate and complete information to the electorate, they help the electorate to be informed. Hopefully their votes will then reflect an understanding of the issues and the candidates.
Insofar as media provide biased, incomplete, or inaccurate information, they are at odds with creating an informed electorate. Sometimes bias comes in terms of what they choose to report or what facts they choose to include or exclude in their reporting - resulting in incomplete information. Bias can also come in the terms they use for reporting. As an example: "the way Hillary handled classified information" vs. "the way Hillary mishandled classified information" are both technically accurate but have different connotations; mishandling is still a form of handling. The first glosses over and minimizes the fact that classified information was mishandled; the second focus on it. As you can see, it can be difficult not to introduce bias one way or the other. The problem comes when the bias is consistently skewed one way or the other.Private ownership of the media helps to assure that media will not be used for Propaganda by the government, though it is not a guarantee.
because the public need this information for democracy to function effectively
For a democracy to work effectively the voters must be able to make informed choices. It is the job of the media to keep the voters informed.
Informing voters about candidates, polices, & other matters on the public agenda.
People are elected by voters in a democracy and without an election there is no democracy.
The independence of media means that in reporting events the media should not be influenced or controlled by any external body. Neither the government nor the business house who own the media should influence its reporting. In most democracies several laws have been enacted to ensure the independence of media.
EDWRD ghana has the best democracy in terms of power transfers and also has one of the best pilars of democracy " the media"
Matthew Arnold believed that high culture was very important to democracy.
Simone Chambers has written: 'Deliberation, Democracy, and the Media'
The print media has been called the "fourth estate" due to its role as an important pillar of democracy, providing information and holding governments accountable. Media outlets have the responsibility to provide accurate and unbiased information to the public to ensure an informed citizenry.
The purpose of news media is to inform the public about current events, provide analysis and context on important issues, and hold individuals and institutions accountable. It plays a crucial role in democracy by providing citizens with information to make informed decisions.
the print media, eletroni media, eduational institutions,religions,politial parties and voluntry organizations are some of them
The group known as the Fourth Estate refers to the press or media organizations. It is sometimes used to emphasize the important role of the media in democracy and as a check on government power. The term originated in the 18th century, highlighting the media as an unofficial fourth branch of government alongside the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.