A critical analysis of the media's reporting of politics and the Essay

A critical analysis of the media's reporting of politics and the political process - Essay Example Powell (1990) says that it is ‘this form of connection that will determine our lives’. Thus, critical analysis of media’s reporting of politics and political process has become essential to evaluate its role in the changing dynamics of socio-political and economic paradigms of a nation. The various elements of political system vis-Ã  -vis changing dynamics of society, government, political parties, corporate world etc. have become vital ingredients of exploitation by the media. In the recent times, the role of media in the political campaign has come under lot of flak for myriad reasons (Bakir, 2006; Hall Jamieson & Waldmann, 2004; Patterson, 1980). While sometimes media exploits them for its own vested interests, other times it is exploited by the system, especially the political parties and politicians and the corporate world to garner support for their own political agenda (Kepplinger, 2007; Ridout & Mellen, 2007). The media, everywhere in the world, is a leading agency for projecting the ideologies and news to a huge target population or viewers. The larger the audience base, the more powerful it becomes. The media in its various format like television, radio and newspaper and magazine, basically has the main objective of informing the audience of the events and news that are taking place around the world or it may just be region-centric, depending whether it is targeting domestic or international market. In the early eighties, there were about 80 media houses which have now shrunk to only five. These are Time Warner, Walt Disney Company, Murdoch’s New Corporation, Viacom and Bertelsmann. This cartel of big five, control a lot more than media houses. Each of them has stake in all forms of mass media; be it radio and television, newspaper and publishing house or motion pictures. They have become strong