Today information enjoys unprecedented success, it both elevates high and destroys without the slightest mercy, and the one who owns it has the whole world. In recent years, the role of the media has grown immeasurably, the influence on public life from this side is absolutely different from that which existed in all past centuries.

A responsibility

Society is imposed not only certain opinions, but also models of behavior that trample on all seemingly unshakable principles. Television, radio, magazines, newspapers are now fighting, and this information war is much more bloody than any atomic war, because it directly affects human consciousness, skillfully operating with half-truths, untruths and outright lies. In the Soviet era, a certain role of the media in political life was also noticeable, when all the facts were carefully checked, they were quite skillfully manipulated. Recall examples of slandering the activities of almost all of the general secretaries who have left their posts.

A huge mass of untruths was exaggerated regarding such institutions as SMERSH, GULAG, as well as regarding the personalities of Stalin and Beria. There were public debunks and smaller ones, there were exposures of the illegal activities of officials and politicians, artists and writers. Such information has always been a huge success with readers and was truly disastrous for the heroes of these publications. And, on the contrary, laudatory essays and programs made all kinds of activists and leaders literally stars of various levels, up to the state one. Therefore, the role of the media in political life can hardly be exaggerated. And of course, for the information provided for the general use, each person should be responsible.

in political activity

In public life, the media perform a wide variety of functions and literally in all spheres and institutions. This is informing about various events in the world and in the country, in almost all areas - politics, healthcare, socialization, education, and so on. This is advertising in all its guises. And the influence of information on society cannot really be overestimated, since it is comprehensive, and the role of the media in political life is especially great, since all the tools to influence implementation are in the hands of those who own information and know how to manipulate it.

Modern political science does not diminish this role at all, endowing the media with such high-profile titles as "fourth estate", "great arbiter" and so on, placing the media on a par with judicial, executive and even legislative powers. However, political scientists are not so wrong, the media have indeed become almost omnipotent. Those who control television control the country as well. Not a single politician can do without the press, he needs all kinds of it - and the press, and radio, and television. And the tremendous changes that are now being observed all over the world, this redistribution of spheres of influence, is the result of the fact that the media play their role in the political life of society with inspiration.

A story full of tragedy

Rampant is especially dangerous when there are no significant unions or organizations in the country that prevent the development of a totalitarian system. In these conditions, the role of the media in the political life of society is simply irreplaceable. Examples are right before your eyes. How did everything happen at the end of the immemorial 80s in the Soviet Union, where the population still calmly believed everything, no matter what the media was broadcasting?

Indeed, then it was much more interesting to read than to actually live. The people are not used to scandals and such massive denunciations that suddenly fell from everywhere on the perplexed and terrified population. It was the information war unleashed in those years by the media that organized and stimulated the forces that quickly destroyed and then plundered the richest country, it was she who contributed to the defeat of the entire political system that had been operating in the country for seventy years. The growing role of the media in the political life of society occurs precisely when control over information falls into the hands of unscrupulous people who, through manipulation, create public opinion that is beneficial to them.

Meanwhile in America

In the United States, the role of the media in the political life of society began to be closely studied and analyzed at the very beginning of the 60s. What can be the result of uncontrolled direct communication with the public, without the involvement of institutions such as schools, churches, families, party organizations, and so on? And what happens if this process is put under control? This is also an irreplaceable aid in the mass support of a certain program. Until the media got television and radio into their arsenal, doing only with print media, everything was not so scary, although many newspapers and magazines were initially opened as organs of certain political parties and very few of them remained outside the political process.

The main tool of any publication is the multidimensionality of information. Even newspapers tied to a certain political platform always presented materials of a neutral nature, entertainment or news, that is, people were taught from the very beginning to see themselves as part of the wider world and to react in a certain way to events in it. But when television came on ... The first US campaign coverage dates back to 1952. Since then, entire schools have been created that train journalists to influence the masses in a way that is beneficial. In the 80s, television began to truly dominate all media.

Debate

The growing role of the media in the political life of society is due to the fact that it has become possible to influence with their help and even model among the masses, which has been repeatedly verified by examples of voters' voting in the United States after televised debates between presidential candidates. This is how Kennedy won after a televised meeting with a political opponent - Nixon, and numerous polls of voters confirmed that it was this debate that influenced their choice.

In the same way, after the telecast, Reagan managed not only to close the gap of four percent between him and Carter, but also to gain another five percent of the vote through televised debates. The same thing happened in the Reagan-Mondale pairs. So gradually, televised debates between competitors for the presidency became an effective tool in almost all countries, including Russia. The place and role of the media in political life are becoming the most important and leading. And television in this bunch of means is a huge opportunity to influence and manipulate public consciousness. It is used less and less for operational or objective information, for education, for education. Much more often there are manipulations in the interests of certain groups.

Image

Nevertheless, the reasons for the growing role of the media in political life are not entirely unambiguous; this multifaceted and complex institution cannot be assessed one-sidedly. Many of its organs and elements carry out tasks that are too diverse, even by simply informing people about events and phenomena that occur everywhere - from regional to world. This is the collection of information and its dissemination through vigilant observation of the world, this is selection and comments, that is, editing the information received, and then the goal of forming public opinion is pursued. The possibilities of human communication are increasing - this is the main reason for the growing role of the media.

Society is extremely politicized, and the press, radio, television contribute to this education in the widest layers of the world's population. Therefore, the role of the media in modern political life is stronger than ever. They claim to be a watchdog in the public interest, in the eyes and ears of the whole society: they warn about economic downturns, the growth of drug addiction or other crime, talk about corruption in power structures. However, for this role, the media should completely and completely not depend on anyone - neither politically nor economically. But this does not happen.

Profession

In industrialized countries, the media is a private entrepreneurial institution or branch of the economy that employs hundreds of thousands of people. The economic activity of the media is based on the collection, processing, storage and subsequent sale of information. That is, the functions of the media are completely subordinate to the market economy. All contradictions in society, all the interests of its various strata and groups are reproduced in publications and programs. Economic power and sociocultural influence are growing - control by the state and corporations (advertisers) is decreasing.

It even happens that the opinions of the ruling elite and the leadership of a particular publication do not coincide on certain issues. The media have turned into huge conglomerates, they have an independent and rather profitable industry in business, but this commercial beginning does not allow us to do without the market use of available information. And here, not only the nature of the activity, but also the entire role of the media in political life can change dramatically. Examples are numerous. Even Reagan, the then president of the country, was not broadcast in 1988 by all three major US television companies due to lack of commercial interest. As a result, 1989 became the last year of his reign.

More examples

Publications, reports and comments should shed light on the secret springs operating on the politics of the ruling circles, draw the attention of the entire public to the most odious characteristics of this activity. Sometimes it does. For example, the New York Times published such a plan, when some Pentagon documents were disclosed, the Washington Post exposed the Watergate scandal, and television corporations broadcast from Congress, where the revelatory hearings were held. Also, public opinion was mobilized to protest about the Vietnam War, and many media outlets around the world, including the United States, participated in this process.

US Presidents L. Johnson and R. Nixon were forced to leave the political arena, since the role of the media in political life is great. In short, the media can limit both the power and the concrete actions of the ruling circles. However, this happens most often when it is beneficial for the media. Most of the magazines and newspapers, radio and television stations, even the most famous ones, are kept afloat only by sensations. Opening scandals, exposing machinations, looking for secrets, exposing all this to the public - this is the main role of the media in political life. Grade 11 in Russian schools is already studying the mechanisms of such influence.

"Bombs"

Frequently, sensational publications seeking to "detonate the bomb" investigate corruption or other malfeasance, talk about a drop in morale among high-ranking officials or deception of voters by presidential candidates. This sets the tone for public debate. All scandals and scams in the corridors of power are brought to the attention of the public. And there are times when the media wins brilliant victories.

For example, the Waltergate scandal was followed by the first presidential resignation in US history. And when Der Spiegel shared with the readers information about the secret penetration of constitutional officials into the private house of a simple engineer and about the installation of all kinds of eavesdropping equipment there, the Minister of the Interior of Germany resigned.

"Ducks"

But it also happens otherwise. A journalist from Interfax was present at the court session where the verdict was to be passed on Khodorkovsky. She prepared two messages to the editor before the verdict was issued. And then I made a mistake with sending. Information appeared in the news line that M. Khodorkovsky was already at large. Rebuttal is not a quick matter, until it was formalized, the market grew by many percent. This is far from the only case. Rumors about V. Chernomyrdin's resignation also began to roll after a similar "canard" in Novaya Gazeta, where B. Gromov was also "removed" from his post as governor of the Moscow region in order to send him to the Ukrainian embassy.

This is the role of the media in the pursuit of sensations in political life. In such cases, a dialogue between the authorities and the population is simply impossible, since communication is very similar to a child's game called a "deaf phone". The most important rule of manipulating public awareness is that when it is possible to isolate the addressee, to deprive him of outside influences. When there are no alternative, smart and uncontrolled opinions. Dialogue and debate in such conditions is impossible. Unfortunately, at the moment the method of manipulating information is a part of politics in almost any state. After another "duck" of the victim, the public remembers as a person associated with some scandal: either his wallet was stolen, or he was stolen. Yes, this is no longer important to anyone, since information these days very quickly ceases to be relevant.

Introduction

The purpose of the work is to characterize the role of the media in political life.

Currently, one of the main places in political processes is occupied by the mass media (mass media). Their interaction with politics and its subjects is felt on a daily basis in the most varied forms and manifestations. The importance of the media becomes obvious if we consider that the tools of mass communication as such are instruments of power (“the fourth estate”).

Efficiency and dynamism give the media the opportunity to effectively influence the spiritual life of society, on the consciousness of the broadest masses of the population. They can help to stir up public opinion in support of certain goals of a particular policy. At the same time, they can perform integration functions, convincing people to accept and assimilate the prevailing social and political values.

The political content can be seen in the activities of the media, especially during periods of various changes in the system of public relations, in the forms of government.

Chapter I. Definition and functions of the media.

1. Functions of the media. Informing citizens.

The functions of the media are varied. In any modern society, they in one form or another perform a number of general political functions. Perhaps the most important of these is the information function. It consists in obtaining and disseminating information about the most important events for citizens and authorities. The information obtained and transmitted by the mass media includes not only impartial, photographic coverage of certain facts, but also their commenting and assessment.

Of course, not all information disseminated by the media (for example, weather forecasts, entertainment, sports and other similar messages) are of a political nature. Political information includes information that is of public importance and requires attention from government agencies or has an impact on them. On the basis of the information received, citizens form an opinion about the activities of the government, parliament, parties and other political institutions, about the economic, cultural and other life of society. The role of the media is especially great in shaping people's opinions on issues that are not directly reflected in their daily experience, for example, about other countries, about political leaders, etc.

Informational activity of the media allows people to adequately judge political events and processes only if it also fulfills an educational function. This function is manifested in communicating knowledge to citizens that allows them to adequately assess and organize information received from the media and other sources, and correctly navigate a complex and contradictory flow of information.

Of course, the media cannot provide a systematic and deep assimilation of political knowledge. This is the task of special educational institutions of schools, universities, etc. Nevertheless, the mass media, accompanying a person throughout his life, including after graduation, significantly affect his perception of political and social information. At the same time, under the guise of political education, people can form pseudo-rational structures of consciousness that distort reality when it is perceived.

The educational role of the media is closely related to their function of socialization and, in fact, develops into it. However, if political education presupposes the systematic acquisition of knowledge and expands the cognitive and evaluative capabilities of the individual, then political socialization means internalization, the assimilation of political norms, values ​​and patterns of behavior by a person. It allows the individual to adapt to social reality.

In a democratic society, the most important political and socialization task of the media is the massive introduction of values ​​based on respect for the law and human rights, teaching citizens to peacefully resolve conflicts without questioning the public consensus on the fundamental issues of the state structure.

Information, educational and socialization activities allow the media to perform the function of criticism and control. This function in the political system is performed not only by the mass media, but also by the opposition, as well as specialized institutions of prosecutorial, judicial and other control. However, criticism of the media is characterized by the breadth or even unlimited scope of its object. So, if criticism from the opposition usually focuses on the government and the parties that support it, then the president, and the government, and the royals, and the courts, and various directions of state policy, and the media themselves are the objects of attention of the media.

Their oversight function is based on the authority of public opinion. Although the media, unlike state and economic control bodies, cannot apply administrative or economic sanctions against violators, their control is often no less effective and even more stringent, since they provide not only a legal, but also a moral assessment of certain events and persons. ...

In a democratic society, in exercising its control function, the media rely on both public opinion and the law. They conduct their own journalistic investigations, after the publication of the results, which are sometimes created by special parliamentary commissions, criminal cases are opened or important political decisions are made. The control function of the media is especially necessary when there is weak opposition and imperfect special state control institutions.

The media not only criticize shortcomings in politics and society, but also fulfill the constructive function of articulating various public interests, constituting and integrating political actors. They provide representatives of various social groups with the opportunity to publicly express their opinions, find and unite like-minded people, unite them with a common goal and beliefs, clearly formulate and represent their interests in public opinion.

Articulation of political interests is carried out in society not only by the media, but also by other institutions, and, first of all, by parties and interest groups that have not only informational, but also other resources of political influence. However, without using the media, they are usually unable to identify and rally their supporters, to mobilize them for united action.

In the modern world, access to the media is a necessary condition for the formation of an influential opposition. Without such access, the opposition forces are doomed to isolation and unable to gain massive support, especially with the policy of compromising them on the part of state radio and television. The media are a kind of roots through which any political organization receives vitality.

All the functions of the media discussed above directly or indirectly serve to carry out their mobilization function. It is expressed in encouraging people to take certain political actions (or deliberate inaction), in their involvement in politics. The media have great opportunities to influence the mind and feelings of people, their way of thinking, methods and criteria for assessing, style and specific motivation of political behavior.

The range of political functions of the media is not limited to the above. Some scholars, approaching this issue from a different standpoint, highlight their functions as innovative, manifested in the initiation of political changes through a broad and persistent statement of certain social problems and attracting the attention of the authorities and the public to them; operative maintenance of the media of the politics of certain parties and associations; formation of the public and public opinion.

2. Development of means of political communication.

The needs of a political system for communication means directly depend on its functions in society, the number of political agents, methods of political decision-making, the size of the state, and some other factors. In the traditional states of the past, the need for communications was limited. The role of such means was performed mainly by messengers, couriers and envoys, who transmitted in oral or written form political information, royal decrees and orders, letters of governors, etc.

Many small states and cities across the territory of the country used bells as a kind of coded media, notifying citizens of the city and the surrounding area about danger, assembly of a popular assembly or other important political and religious events. Political and civic communication needs were served by the postal service, which used horses to transmit information, and then other transport.

Invention and distribution in the XIX-XX centuries. telegraph and telephone communications, radio and television not only satisfied the heightened communication needs of states, but also made a real revolution in politics. The media made it practically possible to implement many democratic and totalitarian ideas that had previously seemed utopian, significantly changed the ways of legitimizing and exercising power, the structure of its resources.

“The highest quality and the greatest efficiency of modern government are given by the knowledge that allows“ to achieve the desired goals, minimizing the expenditure of power resources; convince people of their personal interest in these goals; turn opponents into allies. " O. Toffle.

In our time, the power of knowledge and information is becoming decisive in the management of society. The direct carriers and, especially, disseminators of knowledge and other politically important information are the media.

3. The role of communications in politics.

Mass communications are an integral part of politics. Politics, to a greater extent than other types of social activity, needs special means of information exchange, in the establishment and maintenance of constant ties between its subjects. Politics is impossible without indirect forms of communication and special means of communication between various carriers of power, as well as between the state and citizens. This is due to the very nature of politics as a collective, complexly organized purposeful activity, a specialized form of communication between people for the realization of group goals and interests that affect the entire society. The collective nature of the goals realized in politics presupposes their compulsory realization by the members of the collective (state, nation, group, party, etc.) separated in space and the coordination of the activities of people and organizations. All this is usually impossible with direct, contact interaction of citizens and requires the use of special means of transmitting information, ensuring the unity of will, integrity and a single direction of the actions of many people. These means are called mass media, mass media or mass media.

The media are institutions created for the open, public transfer of various information using special technical tools to any person. Their distinguishing features are publicity, i.e. unlimited and supra-personal circle of consumers; availability of special technical devices, equipment; indirect, separated in space and time, interaction of communication partners; one-way interaction from the communicator to the recipient, the impossibility of changing their roles; the fickle, dispersed nature of their audience, which is formed from time to time as a result of the general attention shown to a particular program or article.

The media include the press, mass reference books, radio, television, film and sound recording, video recording. In recent decades, communications have undergone significant changes due to the spread of satellite communications, cable radio and television, electronic text communication systems (video, screen and cable texts), as well as individual means of storing and printing information (cassettes, floppy disks, disks, printers).

The media have different capabilities and power of influence, which depend, first of all, on the way they are perceived by recipients. The most massive and strongest political influence is exerted by the audiovisual media and, above all, radio and television.

4. Place and role of the media in politics

Already the first steps of television in the political arena in the 50s and early 60s caused euphoria among specialists about the almighty new media. The sensational victory in the 1960 presidential election in the United States of the then little-known Senator J. Kennedy over the country's vice-president R. Nixon was immediately credited to the asset of television, broadcasting a series of debates between the candidates. Taking into account this and similar facts, Western researchers came to the conclusion that the intensification of media activity contributed to the erosion of the organizational structure of political parties, erosion of their social base, and weakening of the party loyalty of an increasing number of voters in industrialized countries. This was reflected in the formation and widespread dissemination of the thesis that the media are replacing political parties, becoming the main mechanism for regulating and implementing the political and especially the electoral process. It is alleged that journalists, reporters, advertisers and other media representatives have replaced traditional politicians as gatekeepers of the political process. The experts who portray journalists as new creators of political ideas and myths, who have assumed the function that intellectuals previously performed, are not without grounds for observation. It is significant that in modern political science the media are characterized by such magnificent titles as “the great arbiter”, “the fourth branch of government” along with legislative, executive and judicial.

The belief in the omnipotence of television is so great that some politicians believe that whoever controls television controls the entire country. According to one journalist, French President Charles de Gaulle asked J. Kennedy how he managed to rule America without having control over television.

All media are united by the ability to directly communicate with the public, as if bypassing traditional institutions of communication, such as church, school, family, political parties and organizations, etc. It is this ability that is used by an advertising agent trying to convince the public to buy a particular product; a politician and a political party to mobilize mass support for their program, etc. For a long period, newspapers and magazines have been the main source of information for the general public. Initially, many of them emerged as bodies of certain political parties, or in one form or another were involved in the political process.

The beginning of the "era of television" in politics is considered to be 1952, when it was first used for broad coverage of the presidential election campaign in the United States. In 1980, according to existing data, the TV debates enabled R. Reagan not only to close the 4% gap with J. Carter, but also to get 5% ahead of him.

The role of the media in politics cannot be assessed unequivocally. They represent a complex and multifaceted institution, consisting of many bodies and elements designed to implement the diverse tasks of informing the population about events and phenomena taking place in each particular country and around the world.

Even G. Laswell identified the following four main functions of the media: monitoring the world (collecting and disseminating information); editing (selection and commenting of information); shaping public opinion; the spread of culture. In other words, the media provides an expanded form of human communication. To all this, one must add one more important function of theirs for the politicization of society and political education of the broad strata of the population. The press, radio, television claim to perform the functions of a “watchdog of public interests”, to be “the eyes and ears of society,” warning, for example, of a downturn in the economy, an increase in drug addiction and crime, corruption in the corridors of power, etc. justifying such an image or such a claim, the media must appear independent from both an economic and a political point of view. In most industrialized countries, the media is a private enterprise, a branch of the economy that employs tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. Their economic activity is based on the collection, production, storage and "sale" of information.

In this capacity, the functioning of the media is subject to the laws of a market economy. They are permeated with the contradictions of society and reproduce them in their publications and programs. They affect the interests of various strata and groups. As economic power and sociocultural influence increase, the media acquire relative freedom from control by the state and the largest corporations - advertisers. Naturally, advertising, being one of the most important sources of funding and profits for the media, has served and continues to serve as a significant obstacle to their moral and political independence. However, the case cannot be presented in such a way that advertisers directly dictate their will to the editor-in-chief of a particular newspaper or magazine. Moreover, the largest media conglomerates in the West have themselves turned into an independent, extremely profitable business sector with their own special interests, which do not always coincide and even often come into conflict with the interests of certain influential forces in society or the country's political leadership. The commercial principle, which underlies most media bodies and organizations, is, in principle, indifferent to the content, it presupposes the market use of information for sale to the widest possible public. The media in their publications, reports and comments can shed light on the hidden springs of the policy of the ruling circles, draw public attention to the most odious aspects of their activities. Examples include the publication by the New York Times in part of the so-called Pentagon documents, the Washington Post's exposure of the Watergate scandal, the broadcast by leading television corporations of revelatory hearings of this case in Congress, the mobilization of public opinion by the leading media outlets in Western countries against the dirty US war in Vietnam and more. It can also be "mentioned that certain US media outlets played their role in the departure from the political arena of Presidents L. Johnson and R. Nixon.

The Russian media are no exception, often greedy for sensation, seeking to “detonate the bombs” while simultaneously exposing corruption, abuse of office, voter deception and the collapse of political morality in the corridors of power. Many of them set the tone in public discussions and disputes, bring the most pressing problems and topics, scandals and scams to the public.

It should also be noted that by appealing to such sensual, irrational, emotional and volitional components of public consciousness as the feeling of love for the homeland, nationalistic and patriotic sentiments, the media are able to mobilize significant segments of the population in support of certain actions of the ruling circles or individual interested groups. ... As a rule, in such cases, changes in the mass consciousness are of a short-term nature, and upon completion of the propaganda campaign on this particular occasion, everything, as they say, returns to normal. An example of the skillful and large-scale use of irrational impulses is the whipping up in the United States in the early 1980s of "patriotism" and openly nationalist sentiments towards the Soviet Union.

For a long time in Russia, the main source of information for the general public was the press, newspapers and magazines. By providing information on various aspects of public life, the press taught ordinary citizens to consider themselves part of a wider world and react to events taking place in it. With the advent of radio, the mechanism of information coverage has radically changed, it became possible to transmit it across state borders to an unlimited number of listeners. By the beginning of the Second World War, radio had become one of the main political mobilizations of society and the most important instrument of propaganda. Its role has increased even more in the post-war period, with the creation of a broadcasting network in all developed countries. For television, the period from its inception to its transformation into an important political instrument turned out to be even shorter, which is mainly due to the rapid pace of its development and distribution. In the 70s and 80s, television became the dominant media. It currently has tremendous potential to influence public opinion. Depending on who owns it, it can be used both for objective operational informing people about real events in the world, their education and upbringing, and for manipulating in the interests of certain groups of people. Press, radio and television are the "eyes and ears of society". They warn him, for example, about a downturn in the economy, an increase in drug addiction and crime, or corruption in the corridors of power, etc. They can shed light on the hidden springs of the policy of the ruling circles, draw public attention to the most odious aspects of their activities. It should be noted that by appealing to such sensory components of public consciousness as the feeling of love for the homeland, nationalist and patriotic sentiments, etc., the media are able to organize support by significant segments of the population for certain actions of the ruling circles or individual interest groups. This feature of the functioning of the media is most clearly manifested in the electoral process, during election campaigns. Being a part of modern reality, with all its contradictions, conflicts and troubles, the media reproduce them in one form or another. Therefore, information flows often consist of many conflicting, often mutually exclusive messages and materials. Let us consider this feature of the media in more detail using the example of the last election campaign for the mayoral elections in Yekaterinburg.

Local newspapers published the most contradictory facts about one of the candidates for the post of mayor - director of the Kirovsky supermarket chain Igor Kovpak. In one of them, on the first page, decorated with a caricature of the candidate, it was loudly declared: “Igor Kovpak in March of this year acquired the so-called Green Card (US green card) .1 And further in the editorial confident conclusions were made about I. Kovpak’s desire to sneak away for living in America, having hit a decent jackpot in Russia for the post of mayor.

A few days later, another local newspaper published an interview where I. Kovpak categorically denied that he had bought an American Green Card 2.

Of course, the decision of voters to vote for a particular party or a specific candidate is determined by a whole range of factors, including the social structure and the form of the political system; political culture and value system, orientation; the state of public opinion, etc., but the role of information presented in the press undoubtedly has a great influence on the voter

Chapter II. The main channels and features of the political influence of the media.

1. Rational and emotional impact of the media.

Although the mass media are called upon to solve certain problems in the political system and society, in real life they are quite independent, have their own goals of activity, often at odds with the needs of society, and use various methods to achieve them. The political influence of the media is carried out through the influence on the mind and feelings of a person.

In democratic states, a rational model of mass communications clearly prevails, designed to convince people through information and argumentation, built in accordance with the laws of logic. This model corresponds to the type of mentality and political culture of people that has developed there. It offers the competitiveness of different media in the struggle for the attention and trust of the audience. In these states, it is prohibited by law to use the media to incite racial, national, class and religious hatred and enmity, however, in them, various political forces also widely use methods of predominantly emotional impact to promote their ideas and values, which is especially pronounced during election campaigns.

A living word and visual image have a great power of emotional influence on a person, which can often overshadow rational arguments and arguments. This is widely used by totalitarian, authoritarian and especially ethnocratic regimes, abundantly saturating their political propaganda with emotional content that suppresses the human mind. Here, the media widely use methods of psychological suggestion, based on fear and faith, to incite fanaticism, mistrust or hatred of political opponents, people of other nationalities and everyone who is undesirable.

2. Rules for the selection of materials and methods of disseminating information.

Despite the importance of emotional impact, the main influence on media policy is carried out through the information process. The main stages of this process are obtaining, selecting, dissecting, commenting and disseminating information. Their subsequent actions largely depend on what information, in what form, and with what comments the subjects of politics get.

The direct possession of such power is the prerogative of the media. They not only select information supplied by news agencies, but they themselves obtain and formalize it, and also act as their commentators and distributors. The flow of information in the modern world is so diverse and contradictory that neither an individual, nor even a group of specialists are able to figure it out on their own. Therefore, the selection of the most important information and its presentation in an accessible form to the mass audience and commenting is an important task of the entire media system. The awareness of citizens, including politicians, directly depends on how, for what purposes and by what criteria information is selected, how deeply it reflects real facts after its dissection and reduction, carried out by newspapers, radio and television, as well as on the method and forms submission of information.

One of the most important means of political influence of the media is to determine the topics and areas of discussion that focus the attention of the public and the government. The media usually determine what is needed and what does not need to be brought up to the public. The choice of political topics and requirements is carried out not only depending on the preferences and interests of the owners and managers of the media, but also under the influence of specific rules that are emerging in the conditions of pluralism of information in a modern market society. In it, the main criterion for the success of the media and the condition for the survival of most of them is the attention of the public. In order to attract this attention, the mass media, sometimes without even realizing it, when choosing topics for publications and programs, are usually guided by the following general principles:

1. Priority, importance (real and perceived) and attractiveness of the topic for citizens. In accordance with this principle, most often media reports concern such, for example, problems as a threat to the peace and security of citizens, terrorism, environmental and other disasters, etc.

2. The originality of the facts. This means that information about extreme events - hunger, wars, unusually violent crimes, etc. - dominates the coverage of the phenomena of everyday life, everyday life. This explains, in particular, the tendency of the media to information of a negative nature and sensations.

3. The novelty of the facts. Messages that have not yet received widespread recognition are more capable of attracting the attention of the population. This may be the latest data on the results of economic development or the number of unemployed, on flights to other planets, on new political parties and their leaders, etc.

4. Political success. According to this principle, messages about the successes of political leaders, parties or entire states are included in programs and articles. Particular attention is paid to the winners in elections or in rating polls. The cult of stars in politics, art, sports is a typical phenomenon for the media in a market society.

5. High social status. The higher the status of the source of information, the more significant an interview or TV show is considered, since it is assumed that their popularity, other things being equal, is directly proportional to the social status of the people reporting the information. By virtue of this rule, the easiest access to the media is given to persons occupying the highest positions in the political, military, church or other hierarchies: presidents, military leaders, ministers, etc. The front pages of newspapers and major radio and television programs are dedicated to them.

The media's adherence to rules focused only on the number of audiences and victory in the competition leads to their tendency to superficial coverage of political events in pursuit of sensations and notoriety. The principles of selection of materials that they have adopted are poorly compatible with deep analytical messages and often impede the creation of an informational picture of the world, more or less adequate to reality.

The creation of such a picture of the world also largely depends on the methods of disseminating information. The media use two main ways of disseminating information - sequential and fragmentary. The first method is more often used by the press, consistently and comprehensively covering a particular political issue in articles and other publications. The second way - the fragmentary presentation of information - is especially common on television. It gives rise to a number of difficulties for listeners in understanding the essence of an event or process.

The fragmentation of information, creating the appearance of its versatility and efficiency of presentation, prevents non-professionals (the overwhelming majority of citizens) from forming a holistic picture of political phenomena or events. It gives communicators additional opportunities to manipulate the audience, focusing its attention on some aspects of the event and keeping silent or obscuring others. The fragmented presentation of information ultimately disorients listeners and either dampens their interest in politics and causes political apathy, or forces them to rely on commentators' assessments.

Many researchers consider the fragmentary way of presenting information to be the specificity of the television genre, a consequence of its inherent property called "visual pressure". The essence of this property is that, due to its audiovisual capabilities, television is focused on the transmission of mainly visualized, i.e. having a visual image, information. Since scientific and other serious information is usually poorly compatible with the screen image, it is reserved for print communications and radio.

Such a “division of labor” between the media would be perfectly acceptable and even advisable for a democratic society if it were accompanied by a corresponding reallocation of audience time in favor of magazines, newspapers and books. However, the general trend of the modern world is the growing influence of television as the most attractive means of obtaining political and other information and the relative weakening of the impact on the population of printed products and radio broadcasts. For example, in Germany, citizens spend 5.3 times more time watching TV than reading newspapers. In addition, television is the leader among other media in terms of the power of persuasive influence and trust of citizens, since people usually tend to believe more what they see than what they hear or read.

The "pressure of visuality" inherent in television is manifested not only in the fragmentary presentation of information in accordance with the possibilities of its adaptation, but also in the ritualization and personalization of political information. Television usually prefers to transmit information that can be captured by a television camera, i.e. show specific persons, objects, etc. Therefore, diplomatic and other rituals, official meetings, visits, press conferences, etc., which are easily accessible for a telephoto lens, dominate on screens. However, abstract provisions that reveal the deepest causes of certain political phenomena do not lend themselves to video recording and, as a rule, do not get into programs.

As a result of this presentation of information, politics is overly personalized, the attention of viewers is concentrated mainly on political leaders, who usually do not even get the opportunity to state their views and goals of politics in detail.

Fragmentation, ritualization and personalization of information lead television to the path of showing the external, superficial side of political phenomena. Essential relationships in this case are not disclosed. The very process of political will formation and decision-making, which is the backbone of politics, remains without due attention.

The media have great opportunities to actively influence not only the perception of certain political phenomena and events by citizens, but also their attitude to politics in general. Both the political passivity of the population in any issue and its mass activity are directly related to the position of the media on this issue.

3. Opposite assessments of the role of the media in modern society.

The enormous possibilities for the active influence of the QMS on the political consciousness and behavior of citizens testify to the crucial role of the “fourth estate” in modern society. Some researchers of mass communications even talk about the coming era of "mediocracy" - the power of the media, which does not so much reflect and interpret reality, but construct it according to their own rules and discretion.

Assessments of the growing influence of the media on politics and society are directly opposite. Some authors, see in it the sprouts of a new, higher and more humane civilization, an information society, see a real movement towards a “heterogeneous, personal, anti-bureaucratic, seeking, thinking, creative state” capable of resolving today's most acute conflicts.

Other thinkers, noting the devastating and destructive impact on the personality and culture of the mass media, and especially television, assess the growing role of information power very pessimistically. Thus, the famous Italian film director Federico Fellini believed that “with the help of the hypnotic inspiring power of the spectacle, which comes to people in the house day and night without any interruption, television destroyed not only cinema, but also the individual's attitude to reality. All life - nature, our friends, literature, women - everything gradually fades away under the influence of this small screen, which is becoming larger and penetrating everywhere. He swallowed everything: reality, ourselves and our relationship to reality. "

The experience of history shows that the media are capable of serving various political purposes: how to educate people, develop their self-esteem, the desire for freedom and social justice, promote and help competent participation in politics, enrich the individual, and spiritually enslave, misinform and intimidate, incite massive hatred, distrust and fear.

Chapter III. Political manipulation and ways to limit it.

1. Political manipulation through the media.

The greatest danger to citizens and democratic government is the use of the media for political manipulation - covert control of the political consciousness and behavior of people in order to force them to act (or not act) contrary to their own interests. Manipulation is based on lies and deception. Moreover, this is not a "lie for salvation", but selfish actions. Without a proper fight against manipulation, it can become the main function of the media and nullify the democratic principles officially proclaimed by the state.

Requiring more flexibility in politics, manipulation as a method of social management has a number of advantages for its subjects in comparison with coercive and economic methods of domination. It is carried out unnoticed by the ruled, does not entail direct sacrifices and blood, and does not require large material costs, which are necessary to bribe or calm numerous political opponents.

In the modern world, the theory and practice of political manipulation have received a fairly deep scientific development and practical application. The general technology of global, nation-wide manipulation is usually based on the systematic introduction of socio-political myths into the mass consciousness - illusory ideas that affirm certain values ​​and norms and are perceived primarily on faith, without rational, critical understanding.

Myths form the foundation of the entire illusory picture of the world created by manipulators. Thus, the supporting structures of the communist system of manipulation were myths about private property as the main source of social evil, about the inevitability of the collapse of capitalism and the triumph of communism, about the leading role of the working class and its communist party, about the only correct social doctrine - Marxism-Leninism.

2. Methods and limits of manipulation.

For the rooting of social myths, the technology of manipulation involves the use of the richest arsenal of specific methods of influencing the consciousness of people. These include not only direct falsification of facts, suppression of objectionable information, dissemination of lies and slander, but also more subtle, refined methods: half-truth (when, in order to ensure the audience's trust, specific, insignificant details are objectively and in detail covered and more important facts are kept silent, or a general false interpretation of events is given), labeling (when, in order to reject listeners and compromise persons or ideas, they are given an unseemly definition without proof, for example, “imperialist”, “fascist”, “red-brown”, “chauvinism”, etc.) and etc.

There are many techniques of linguistic, linguistic manipulation, involving the use of euphemisms to denote the same phenomena, as well as words that have a different connotation. So, for example, a person leading an armed struggle for the creation of an independent national state, various media, depending on political predilections, is called a freedom fighter, separatist, terrorist, partisan, militant.

For each information genre, along with general methods of manipulation, there are also special ones. Television, for example, uses unattractive camera angles or cuts footage appropriately to create a repulsive feeling towards objectionable politicians in viewers. To covertly instill certain political ideas in the masses, it often organizes noisy entertainment shows, etc.

Modern manipulators skillfully use the laws of mass psychology. Thus, one of the widespread and seemingly harmless manipulation techniques, called the "silence spiral", consists in convincing citizens of the victory of the majority of society in favor of a political position pleasing to the manipulators, using links to fabricated opinion polls or other facts. This makes people who hold different views, out of fear of being in social and psychological isolation or some kind of sanctions, to keep silent about their opinion or change it. Against the background of silence about the position of opponents, the voice of the real or imaginary majority becomes even louder, and this even more forces those who disagree or hesitate to accept the "generally accepted" opinion or to deeply conceal their beliefs. As a result, the "spiral of silence" turns even more steeply, ensuring victory for the manipulators.

Manipulation is widely used not only in totalitarian and authoritarian states, where it is often the dominant method of media activity, but also in modern Western democracies, especially in party propaganda and during election campaigns. Today, not a single presidential or parliamentary election campaign in Western countries and many other states is complete without the use of manipulation and advertising techniques, which, closely intertwined with each other, create in viewers very far from reality ideas about a certain policy.

As empirical studies show, the “average” voter usually judges a presidential or parliamentary candidate by the image (image) that television and other mass media create for him. In Western countries, and in recent years in Russia, a whole line of advertising business is successfully developing - image-making, i.e. creating images of politicians that are attractive to voters. Hired for big money, professional image makers and campaign organizers dictate to applicants not only dress and demeanor, but also the content of speeches, which are replete with many tempting promises, usually forgotten immediately after winning an election.

It is difficult for voters to distinguish between the true business and moral qualities of candidates, to determine their political positions behind the skilfully crafted shiny advertising packaging by the mass media. This kind of advertising and manipulative activity transforms the choice of citizens from a free conscious decision into a formal act pre-programmed by specialists in the formation of mass consciousness.

The possibilities for manipulative use of the media are great, but not limitless. The limits of manipulating public opinion are determined, first of all, by the already established mass consciousness, stereotypes and views of people. To be effective, manipulation must be based on the mentality and prevailing perceptions of the population. Although, under the influence of propaganda, these ideas may gradually change.

Significant obstacles to manipulation are people's own experience, as well as communication systems not controlled by the authorities: family, relatives, acquaintances and friends, interaction groups that develop in the process of production and other activities, etc. However, political manipulation, especially when its initiators have a monopoly on the media, economic and political power, is able to bypass these barriers, since the verification capabilities of individual and group experience in relation to politics are limited and allow for different interpretations.

So, for example, the failure of the government's economic policy can be explained in different ways: its incompetence or corruption, the heavy legacy of the past regime, the inevitability of difficulties during the period of reform, the intrigues of the opposition or hostile states, etc. The population has the weakest defense mechanisms against manipulation in the area of ​​new problems, in relation to which they have not yet formed an opinion.

3. Pluralism of the media.

The negative consequences of the activities of the media can be reliably and effectively limited by their public organization. The most important principle of the democratic organization of the mass media is the pluralism of authorities in society and the pluralism of the media themselves. Pluralism of authorities means the division of economic, social, political (coercive) and spiritual and informational authorities in society. The fall of the mainstream media under the control of economically and / or politically dominant groups means the end of democracy, or at least its significant deformation.

The independence of the mass media can be ensured by the appropriate forms of their public organization. There are three main forms of modern media organization: private (commercial), state and public law. In a commercial organization dominated, for example, in the United States, the media are privately owned and funded entirely by advertising revenues and private donations. They are characterized by fierce competition for ad revenue and audience. The most important disadvantage of the commercial organization of mass media is their direct dependence on advertisers and owners, as well as the frequent neglect of public interests and ethical standards in the pursuit of success.

In a state-owned organization, the media are owned and directly funded and controlled by the state. The advantage of this form of organization, which prevails, for example, in France, is the independence of the media from big business, and control over parliament and government. However, government funding of the media can reduce their competitiveness and be used to subordinate them to those in power and the bureaucracy. Moreover, it is a heavy burden on the state budget.

The public-legal organization of the media seeks to free them from state and private dependence. According to this model, they are financed mainly from a special tax paid by citizens, have the rights of a legal entity and self-government, although in general they are controlled by public councils, consisting of representatives of the most important social groups and organizations. This model of radio and television organization prevails in the Federal Republic of Germany, although there is also private television and radio broadcasting. The press is completely privately owned.

None of the three methods of social media organization discussed above is universal and devoid of drawbacks. In all likelihood, the best way to guarantee the independence of the media from narrow departmental influences and fusion with economic or state power can only be based on a combination of all three forms, taking into account the specifics of a particular country.

The effective fulfillment of their functions by the mass media in society is facilitated by their diversity and competitiveness in gaining the attention and trust of the audience. Pluralism of the media can be ensured both by their diversity, by the presence in society of many news agencies, newspapers, radio and television stations, and by means of editorial independence of television and radio programs. In addition, this is facilitated by the provision of broadcasting time to all political forces, carried out in many countries, in proportion to the number of votes they received in the elections.

In the modern world, under the influence of fierce competition, there has been a tendency for the concentration of the media, alarming for democracy. It manifests itself in a sharp decline in the number of local newspapers, in the formation of powerful national and transnational corporations that control vast information spaces, in the growing dependence of small television and radio stations on information giants. To prevent monopolization of the media, many states pass special laws limiting the absorption of small media by large corporations.

4. Management and control over the media.

The media are controlled and controlled by certain individuals or special bodies. In commercial media, the functions of such control are performed, first of all, by their owners, in government - by government services, in public-legal - by the public, political organizations and associations. At the same time, in all cases, it is assumed that the media operate within the framework of the law.

In most countries of the world there are special bodies of general control over the media, monitoring their compliance with ethical and legal norms.

Democratic control of the mass media by society, of course, has nothing to do with the preliminary censorship that exists in totalitarian and authoritarian states, and is not a violation of freedom of speech and expression. Informational, political and any other freedom of some people requires restrictions in cases where it violates the freedom and rights of other citizens and entire states.

CONCLUSION.

Today the media play an important role in the political life of society. Possessing all the technical and ideological capabilities, the media serve various political purposes: educating people, developing their self-esteem, striving for freedom and social justice, and promote and help competent participation in politics. The enriching person, while spiritually enslaving, misinforms and intimidates, incites mass hatred, sows mistrust and fear. And the future of society will largely depend on the position taken by the media. The media, combining their richest resource potential and creating a single information space, can really contribute to the development of a single political course aimed at consolidating society and forming a national idea, and maybe even an entire ideology. Or, on the contrary, through "information wars", numerous "emissions of compromising evidence", "leaks" and leaks of information, "ordered publications", etc. contribute to the growth of social tension, people's lack of faith in the institutions of civil society, the alienation of society from the state, the rooting in the mass consciousness of the stereotype of distrust towards the structures of power, including the media themselves. I would not like to see power over the media as a result of the clash of various interests in the hands of a narrow group of people who put their ambitious personal aspirations above the interests of society.

In Russia, the media are an integral part of the functioning of democracy, as well as its values ​​of democratic ideals. The normative model of modern democracy is built on the foundation of the concept of a person as a rationally thinking and responsible person, consciously and competently participating in political decision-making. In a democratic state based on the adoption of the most important decisions by a majority of votes, such qualities should not be possessed by one person or a privileged minority - the elite, but by the masses, a stable majority of the population. It is impossible to achieve competent political judgments of the majority of citizens without the media: radio, television, the global telecommunications network of information and computing resources (Internet), newspapers and magazines, even a well-educated person will not be able to navigate correctly in a complex mosaic of contradictory political processes and make responsible decisions. The media allows him to go beyond the narrow framework of direct individual experience, make the whole world of politics visible. The free establishment and activity of the media is a real manifestation of freedom of speech, without which all other political rights of the individual are practically impossible to realize.

Freedom of the media should not be divorced from society and citizens, whose interests and opinions they are called upon to express. Otherwise, they turn into an instrument of political influence for their owners and leaders, and all other citizens are deprived of real opportunities for public expression, freedom of speech. Due to the high cost of mass media and the fact that the overwhelming majority of citizens do not have the opportunity to create them, the founders of mass media, as well as their editors and journalists, bear a special responsibility for the social consequences of their activities.

The presence of developed, democratically organized mass media, objectively covering political events, is one of the most important guarantees of the stability of the Russian state and the effectiveness of public administration.

Failure by the media to fulfill their functions in the political system can radically distort goals and values, disrupt efficiency and undermine vitality, turning democracy into an illusion, a form of hidden, manipulative domination of the ruling strata and classes.

An illustrative example of the activities of the media can be considered for holding events for the election of the President of the Russian Federation, who is elected by the citizens of the Russian Federation on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage. Elections are the most important form of political struggle for votes. Political marketing is aimed at solving this problem. This is a set of methods and means by which the real qualities and advantages of a candidate are correctly, purposefully and correctly identified and demonstrated to various social and national groups of voters.

In modern conditions, various factors influence the appearance of the media. It is important who is their founder (state, political parties, mass movements, individuals); what is their social purpose and what audience they are intended for.

In Russia, the media reflect alternative positions on the problems of social and political development. Freedom of speech and expression is one of the fundamental rights enshrined in legislation and guaranteed by the state. State structures and politicians are forced to agree that the media needs a certain amount of freedom and independence, otherwise they may lose public confidence. But there are also partial restrictions on the activities of the press, regulated by private codes of law. Thus, the media are an important part of the political system and have a serious impact on the political life of society.

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9. Political science: Political theory, political technologies :. A textbook for university students. - M .: Aspect Press, 2000 .-- 559 p.

10. Sorochenko V. How we are treated by the media, politicians and advertising 2008.

12. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………… .... 2

13. Chapter I. Definition and functions of the media

14. 1. Functions of the media. Informing citizens …………………………………………… ... 3

15. 2. Development of means of political communication …………………………………. …… ..5

16. 3. The role of communications in politics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ..... 6

17.4 The place and role of the media in politics ……………………………………………………… ... 7

18. Chapter II. The main channels and features of the political influence of the media .

19. 1. Rational and emotional impact of the media ………………………………… ... 12

20. 2. Rules for the selection of materials and methods of disseminating information …………… ..12

21. 3. Opposition of assessments of the role of the media in modern society ………………… ..15

22. Chapter III. Political manipulation and ways to limit it.

23. 1. Political manipulation through the media ……………………………… .... 17

24. 2. Methods and limits of manipulation ………………………………………………… .17

25. 3. Pluralism of the media. 19

26. 4. Management and control over the media. 21

27. CONCLUSION .22

28. List of used literature 24

Ministry of General and Vocational Education

South Ural State University

Faculty: Economics and Law.

On the subject "Political Science"

Topic: The role of the media in

political life.

Completed:

Supervisor:

Chelyabinsk 2002.

Plan:

1. The essence and main directions of the mass media as an integral part of the political system of society.

2. The place and role of the media in the political life of our society.

1 ... To clarify the essence of the media, it is necessary to clarify what is meant by the media.

Mass media means newspapers, magazines, television and radio programs, documentary films, and other periodic forms of public dissemination of mass information.

Mass media (mass media) is an integral part of the political system of society. What society is like, so is the mass media system. At the same time, the media have a serious impact on society, its condition and development. They can help or hinder progress.

The media express the interests of society, various social groups, and individuals. Their activity has important social and political consequences, since the nature of the information addressed to the audience determines its attitude to reality and the direction of social action. Therefore, according to the general admission of political scientists, the media not only inform, report news, but also promote certain ideas, views, teachings, political programs and thereby participate in social governance. By forming public opinion, developing certain social attitudes, forming beliefs, the media push a person to certain actions and actions.

In a democratic, rule-of-law state, every citizen has the legally secured right to know about everything that happens inside the country and in the world. As it is rightly emphasized in many studies and follows from the diverse and rich practice, without transparency there is no democracy, without democracy there is no publicity. In turn, glasnost and democracy are inconceivable without a free, independent press. In this case, the media are the same components of a democratic system as parliament, executive authorities, and an independent court. In this regard, the media is also called the fourth power. This figurative expression not only speaks of them as power, but also indicates a peculiar, specific, legislative, executive and judicial nature of this power, unlike power. What is this peculiarity? First of all, it is an invisible power. It does not have any legislative, executive, law enforcement and other social bodies. The media cannot order, oblige, punish, or hold accountable. Their only weapon is a word, sound, image, which carries certain information, i.e. message, judgment, assessment, approval or condemnation of phenomena, events, actions, behavior of individuals, groups of people, parties, public organizations, government, etc. The press provides an invaluable service to a free society, being a mirror, looking into which it gets to know better than itself. The absence of such a "mirror" leads to degeneration and degeneration. History shows that all the leaders of totalitarian regimes, unwilling to peer into their true reflection, ended badly.

The media in a democratic society should be, figuratively speaking, the dialectically opposite pole to the authorities, and not just an instrument of propaganda. It is far from easy to follow this principle. Not only journalists should get used to it, but society itself. And this, as experience shows, is a difficult and painful process. Suffice it to recall such frequent complaints from those in power about the "unbelted seal," that it inflates, distorts, sows enmity, and so on. The specific properties of journalism as an activity and the media as an institution predetermine the need for a special status of journalism and the media within the political process and its individual directions. It is also obvious that the effectiveness of the actions of an individual journalist, editorial team in the political process is associated not only with the creative performance of the function of an "assistant", but also with participation as a subject of political activity.

The media in any society play an important informational role, i.e. become a kind of mediator between the journalist and the audience. Moreover, in the process of functioning of the media, a two-way communication is carried out between the communicator and the recipient. In other words, communication is carried out - a kind of communication, but not personal, as in everyday practice, but with the help of mass forms of communication. There is a technical communication channel between the journalist - the communicator and the audience - the recipient, through which the media must satisfy the information needs of the society. A person has the right to the truth, and this right is ensured along with science, art, scientific information, press, television and radio, various information services. The latter provide the society with operational information. They should tell the person today about what happened yesterday and today. The lack of reliable information gives rise to rumors, myths, and in times of crisis - fear, panic, and confusion.

Possessing great rights and opportunities, media workers are accountable to society, and abuse of freedom of speech is legally punishable by law in all countries of the world. It is not allowed to use the media to disclose information constituting a state or other secret specially protected by law, calls for the violent overthrow or change of the existing state and social system, propaganda of war, violence and cruelty, racial, national, religious exclusivity or intolerance, distribution of pornography, for the purpose of committing other criminally punishable acts. It is also prohibited and prosecuted in accordance with the law to use the media to interfere with the privacy of citizens, infringement of their honor and dignity.

While implementing the program of mass media activities, the journalist has the right to receive information from any source, but at the same time they are obliged to check the accuracy of the information provided, to refuse the order given to them if it is related to a violation of the law, to respect the rights and legitimate interests of citizens and organizations. For certain violations, a journalist can be brought to criminal and other liability.

The press and other media are called upon to foster political culture in all members of society. The latter presupposes truthfulness, honesty, credulity, a preference for the universal over caste, class. High political culture means conscientiousness in presenting the point of view of a political opponent, inadmissibility of the so widespread rally methods of sticking labels, substitution of convincing arguments with purely emotional methods of dispute and accusations.

The media also express and shape public opinion, which is usually viewed as collective judgments of people, a manifestation of everyday or mass consciousness. It arises on the basis of everyday consciousness and, accordingly, the latter evaluates various facts and phenomena of life - only emerging, relevant at the moment, not yet settled, not finding their place in theoretical knowledge. Public opinion is formed in the process of movement of information in society, reflects public life and public practice of people and acts as a regulator of their activities. It is created under the influence of all forms of social consciousness: ordinary (including social psychology), empirical knowledge, even prejudice and scientific and theoretical (including political views, art), as well as all sources of mass information. Thus, the structure of public opinion is complex and diverse. But the process of its formation is no less complicated. The fact is that ideas, penetrating the consciousness of the masses, interact with feelings, emotions, moods, traditions, and the will of people. As a state of public consciousness, public opinion acts as an intermediary between the consciousness and practical activities of people. Without replacing any of the forms of public consciousness, without relying on organized force, as the law does, without defining goals, as the program does, public opinion, at the same time, using specific means, through approval or condemnation, admiration or contempt, emphasizing interests, rational and emotional assessment of people and their actions contributes to the transformation of certain ideas into concrete activities.

So, expressing and shaping public opinion, the media, on the one hand, accumulate the experience and will of millions, on the other hand, they affect not only consciousness, but also the actions and collective actions of people. The totalitarian regime does not take into account public opinion. In a democratic society, the management of social processes is inconceivable without studying and influencing public opinion, in which the media play a colossal role. Possession, skillful use of them is the key to the successful exercise of power, democratic forms of management of social processes.

The media fulfill their political, managerial role in the political system of society also through discussion, support, criticism and condemnation of various political programs, platforms, ideas and proposals of individuals, public formations, political parties, factions, etc. For example, the process of renewal, the democritization of our society has greatly activated the media. Hundreds, thousands of documents, statements, political platforms, draft programs, laws have become the subject of a nationwide, interested, heated discussion in the press, on radio and television. The press has become an accumulator of the human, political experience of a constantly politicized society.

What are the main areas of media activity?

1.satisfaction with the informational interests of society;

2. ensuring publicity;

3. study and formation of public opinion;

4.organization of discussion, discussions on important problems of the life of society;

5. support or criticism of programs and activities of the state, parties, public organizations and movements, individual leaders;

6. education of political culture, morality and other qualities of citizens.

At the present stage of scientific and technological progress, there is a leap in the media, as a result of which a new information situation has been created in the world. Thanks to the development of modern means of communication, the development of international contacts, today no one can have a monopoly on information. The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and other international agreements guarantee the unhindered dissemination of information, which objectively leads to the rapprochement of all the peoples of the world.

In these conditions, the relationship between politics and journalism has radically changed. Instead of the unconditional and strict subordination of the media to politics, administrative and bureaucratic control over their activities, new conditions for the functioning of the press, television, radio, characteristic of a democratic society, are created, which are based on universal human values ​​- honesty, truthfulness, respect for various positions, a guarantee of freedom of speech and conscience. ...

As a result of the change in the information situation, today the world, as the Canadian scientist M. McLuhan put it, looks like a big village where everything is known. Events that took place in the most distant point of the planet, as a rule, on the same day become the property of people in all civilized countries. Television, satellite communications overcome distances and boundaries. The active attempts of the leaders of the countries of totalitarian regimes to hide information, to interfere with information exchange resembles rather the Quixote war with windmills.

What data currently characterizes the development of mass media in the world, what are the main trends in this development? More than eight thousand reputable daily newspapers are published in the world, the total circulation of which rises to half a billion copies, and over 20 thousand radio stations operate. Television operates in 133 countries of the world. According to the norms established by UNESCO, for a civilized country the minimum number of sources of information per thousand people of the population should be one hundred copies of newspapers, one hundred radio receivers, one hundred television sets.

These standards are fully met by 25 European countries, 4 countries in North and South America, in Asia - Japan. Note that, at the same time, in the liberated countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America, the saturation of the media is extremely low. For example, 9 countries of the American continent do not have their own newspapers at all, and most of the countries of the African continent do not have a national media system.

Thus, the media are an important component of the political system of modern society. Their essence, character and functions are largely determined by the socio-political structure of society. In a totalitarian society, the press, radio, television serve as an organic part of the command-administrative system, are strictly subordinate to the ruling elite, the party bureaucracy, as a result of which their activities are reduced not to informing the population about what is happening in the world, the search for truth, but to the propaganda of ready-made, ideas, dogmas, attitudes thrown from above, helping to organize the implementation of not always reasonable plans, initiatives, etc.

In a democratic, legal state, the media satisfy the information interests of society, exercise invisible control over the activities of legislative, executive, judicial bodies, public organizations and movements, and political figures. Forming and expressing public opinion, aspirations and moods of people, their certain groups, the press and other media are, in a figurative expression, a kind of "fourth power", the power of a public judge, the people's guardian of order and justice.

2 ... In order to understand and appreciate the new role and system of the media in the political life and political system of our society, let us turn to the history of the creation and development of the press and other media in the post-October period. In a totalitarian state, on the one hand, the media become a victim of a totalitarian regime, losing all the positive qualities of a free rostrum, a means of informing the population, on the other hand, they are a means of a totalitarian regime. Intensive use of the media, according to many researchers, is the most important feature of this regime. The Stalinist model of socialism was impossible not only without a ramified repressive apparatus, reduced to the absurdity of centralism, violence against man, his rights and nature, but also without lies. Calling black - white, slavery - the highest freedom, despot and tyrant - the father of all times and peoples became the rule during the period of Stalinism. In a sense, the total lie was even more terrible than the total terror, because the latter was masked by it, creating the appearance of well-being, misleading even discerning thinkers and writers of the world about what was happening in our country. As we know from history, in the Decree on the Press, signed by V. I. Lenin on October 27, 1917, it was noted that, since the new power is only gaining strength, it is impossible to leave a seal in the hands of the bourgeoisie, which at the moment is no less dangerous than bombs and machine guns. According to this Decree, those organs of the press were subject to closure that call for open resistance to the new government, sowing confusion by means of clinically distorting facts, and calling for initial action. It was emphasized that this provision is temporary and will be abolished as soon as normal conditions of social life come. In the gradual process of enslavement of the media, the incorrectly interpreted idea of ​​Lenin about the unquestioning subordination of the press to strict party control, which he expressed in his article "Party organization and party literature" written back in 1905, played a role in the gradual process of enslaving the media. In those specific conditions, when the still fragile party was just emerging from the underground, when Lenin believed that the press should become a part of the general Party cause.

Unfortunately, the rigid attachment and subordination of party journalism and journalism to the interests of the general party business were later interpreted as blind submission and unquestioning obedience not only to the media, but also to all literature, all art, to the party administrative apparatus. The definition of a newspaper as a collective propagandist, organizer, expressed by V.I. Lenin back in 1901, was also galvanized. It was about the illegal newspaper "Iskra" as an instrument capable of creating a political party under the conditions of the underground, which could eventually seize power. The main purpose of the press was ignored - to inform about everything that is happening in the world. The press was seen as a tool for creating a party and taking power. It remained that way for over 70 years. Its workers have turned into "the party's henchmen", obedient executors of the instructions of the party leaders. The press was not supposed to report everything. The list of prohibitions was, as we know today, whole volumes. But she was allowed to propagandize, agitate, organize sowing, winter preparation, competition, advanced methods of steel smelting, etc. The results are known.

By the end of the 1920s, totalitarian journalism was created in our country. The short-term thaw at the turn of the 50-60s brought about many changes in the media system. Newspapers, magazines, television and radio broadcasting have become livelier, more diverse, interest and hope for their work has grown. But the deep essence of journalism as part of a totalitarian system has not changed. It was a product and continuation of the system itself, with its excessive centralization, uncomplaining submission to the center, commanding methods of leadership, suppression of dissent and initiative, dogmatism and servility. The one-party system, strict planning in the economy, lack of material interest in high-quality labor, canonization of the only ideology with its myths and stereotypes, isolation from reality, search for an enemy, sticking of political labels - all this had a decisive impact on the work of the media.

The mass media of the times of the cult of personality and the subsequent period are characterized by political intolerance, propaganda of like-mindedness, isolation from life, attempts to string together the "only correct" teaching, lies and half-truths, dogmatism of thinking, command tone, lack of criticism of the foundations of social topics - the absence of real discussions, clashes of opinions, a constant delay in informing the population, incompleteness and distortion of information, suppression of positive phenomena that have taken place in life abroad.

But even in these difficult conditions, bold, principled speeches began to appear on the pages of newspapers and magazines, on television and radio, stirring up public thought. Literature and mass media prepared the society for changes. Some publicists championed new ideas. Since the mid-1980s, the word "glasnost" has appeared.

Glasnost is the right to know about everything that is happening in the country and in the world; it is the right to receive the truth and the right to speak the truth without fear of consequences. It must also be understood as the right to one's own opinion, dissent, as a guarantee of social progress.

True, glasnost, like political pluralism for a long time, and even today they are still trying to somehow dose and limit.

The question inevitably arises: who is the arbiter, who will determine which thoughts are for the benefit of the country, for the benefit of the people, and which are not? After all, we have accumulated a vast experience of restrictions and prohibitions carried out by the same administrative-bureaucratic apparatus, precisely on behalf of the people for the sake of purity of ideas and principles. There are people who are ready to implement control over publicity in practice. Some conservative-minded figures believe that liberal illusions about absolute publicity are groundless.

Yes, there really should be a framework for publicity, and as such there are: objectivity, truthfulness, reliability, evidence of information based on honesty, decency, responsibility before the law of a journalist, author of a speech, a guaranteed right to refute false information.

Today, not only state institutions, various parties and public organizations, cooperative, religious, creative organizations, but also individuals have received the right to publish newspapers and magazines in the country.

Despite the lack of a proper political culture, proper professionalism, the media intensified political life, becoming an accumulator of new ideas and views, subverting myths and dogmas, outdated ideas. Much credit belongs to the press in the national revival of Russia, in awakening the historical memory of the people, eliminating "white spots" in history, condemning the harsh dictatorship, returning to the spirituality of the people and their traditions.

A fundamentally new structure of the media is being formed; in fact, the so-called informal, semi-legal publications of various political trends have been legalized. Their publishers, editors have the right to officially register their newspapers, magazines, newsletters.

The most important feature of the state of the media is their active participation in the national revival, which means not only a sharp increase in materials on these topics on the pages of newspapers and magazines, in television and radio programs, heated debates on issues of national history, politics, interethnic relations, problems of sovereignty, etc. etc., but also the acquisition of sovereignty by the media, independence from the center.

A number of republics have already adopted their own laws on the mass media. Independent national unions of journalists have been created. In the new conditions, the relationship between the political system, the political life of society and journalism is becoming more complicated. If under a totalitarian regime these were reduced to the unconditional subordination of journalism to politics according to the formula “Journalism is a type of political activity; journalists are a continuation of the party apparatus, assistants to the party, "etc., today the attitude of subordination and subordination is combined with business partnership, cooperation and constant interaction. However, it still often happens that the authors, without hesitation in offensive expressions, seek and paint the image of the enemy, and the polemic turns into open abuse. Yes, a democratic society is not conceivable without a political struggle, but it is also not permissible to intimidate the people by their political opponent, dig into their biography, search for dirt so familiar from the past. Renewal of society, cleansing of thought from hardened schemes, manifestation of benevolence and humanity, honesty and decency is a long, complex process, and the role of the media in it is very significant.

Special mention should be made of the participation of the media in the formation and implementation of state foreign policy. The policy of confrontation is becoming a thing of the past, international contacts between people have intensified. In this regard, the very essence and tone of media coverage of relations between countries and peoples has changed:

1. the information has become more objective and reliable. Numerous materials in the press about "decaying" capitalism gave way to serious publications analyzing the real state of life abroad; - the fading of the “cold” war that lasted for decades changed the very approach to the coverage of international problems. Confrontation gave way to a search for common ground;

2. A lot of materials appeared in the media, bearing the positive experience of foreign firms, enterprises, medical service organizations. The media literally opened the eyes of many to the world, previously invisible, hidden from our people by a fog of curses and perversions. Thanks to television, in particular the organization of teleconferences, as well as publications of foreign authors in our press, the myths created for years about the hated system that ruthlessly exploits the poor working people have been dispelled. And, on the contrary, abroad we got the opportunity to make sure that the Russians have nothing to do with the monsters that their mass propaganda portrayed us.

Thus, in the process of the renewal of our society, changes in the political system, the place and role of the media is fundamentally changing. From being unconditionally subordinate to the party bureaucratic apparatus, they have turned into an active influential component of our political system, a public judge, the people's guardian of public order and justice, into an integral element of the emerging rule of law.

The impact of the media and the church on society

1 The role of the media in the political life of the state

I would like to start the study by considering the theoretical aspects of the role of the media in the political life of the state.

In any modern political system, the media perform a number of important functions: information, socialization, educational, criticism and control, articulation of public interests, constitution and integration of political actors, mobilization and some others.

The role of mass media is especially great in a democratic state. They are an integral part of the mechanism for the functioning of democracy, as well as its value foundations, the democratic ideal. The normative model of modern democracy is built on the foundation of the idea of ​​a citizen as a rationally thinking and responsible person, consciously and competently participating in political decision-making. In a democratic state, where the most important decisions are made by a majority of votes, such qualities should not be possessed by one person or a privileged minority - the elite, but the masses, a stable majority of the population. It is impossible to achieve competent political judgments of the majority of citizens without the media. Without radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the Internet, even a well-educated person will not be able to navigate correctly in the complex mosaic of contradictory political processes and make responsible decisions. The media allows him to go beyond the narrow horizon of direct individual experience, make the entire world of politics visible.

The presence of developed, democratically organized media, objectively covering political events, is one of the most important guarantees of the stability of a democratic state and the effectiveness of public administration. And, conversely, the failure of the media to fulfill its functions in the political system can radically distort its goals and values, disrupt its effectiveness and undermine its viability, and turn democracy into an illusion, a form of political domination of the ruling Lithuania. In industrialized countries, without access to the media, especially electronic media, it is virtually impossible for the emergence of national leaders and the existence of an influential opposition. In the modern world, the media are increasingly acting not only as a necessary transmission link in the complex mechanism of politics, but also as its creator.

The impact of the media and the church on society

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Democratic political regime

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Politics and economics

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Political system of society and the state

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Political elite and leadership

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The concept of the political system of society

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The Role of Governments in Conflict Management

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Mass media in the political life of modern society

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Introduction

The purpose of the work is to characterize the role of the media in political life.

Currently, one of the main places in political processes is occupied by the mass media (mass media). Their interaction with politics and its subjects is felt on a daily basis in the most varied forms and manifestations. The importance of the media becomes obvious if we consider that the tools of mass communication as such are instruments of power (“the fourth estate”).

Efficiency and dynamism give the media the opportunity to effectively influence the spiritual life of society, on the consciousness of the broadest masses of the population. They can help to stir up public opinion in support of certain goals of a particular policy. At the same time, they can perform integration functions, convincing people to accept and assimilate the prevailing social and political values.

The political content can be seen in the activities of the media, especially during periods of various changes in the system of public relations, in the forms of government.

1. Definition and functions of the media

The functions of the media are varied. In any modern society, they in one form or another perform a number of general political functions. Perhaps the most important of these is the information function. It consists in obtaining and disseminating information about the most important events for citizens and authorities. The information obtained and transmitted by the mass media includes not only impartial, photographic coverage of certain facts, but also their commenting and assessment.

Of course, not all information disseminated by the media (for example, weather forecasts, entertainment, sports and other similar messages) are of a political nature. Political information includes information that is of public importance and requires attention from government agencies or has an impact on them. On the basis of the information received, citizens form an opinion about the activities of the government, parliament, parties and other political institutions, about the economic, cultural and other life of society. The role of the media is especially great in shaping people's opinions on issues that are not directly reflected in their daily experience, for example, about other countries, about political leaders, etc.

Informational activity of the media allows people to adequately judge political events and processes only if it also fulfills an educational function. This function is manifested in communicating knowledge to citizens that allows them to adequately assess and organize information received from the media and other sources, and correctly navigate a complex and contradictory flow of information.

Of course, the media cannot provide a systematic and deep assimilation of political knowledge. This is the task of special educational institutions of schools, universities, etc. Nevertheless, the mass media, accompanying a person throughout his life, including after graduation, significantly affect his perception of political and social information. At the same time, under the guise of political education, people can form pseudo-rational structures of consciousness that distort reality when it is perceived.

The educational role of the media is closely related to their function of socialization and, in fact, develops into it. However, if political education presupposes the systematic acquisition of knowledge and expands the cognitive and evaluative capabilities of the individual, then political socialization means internalization, the assimilation of political norms, values ​​and patterns of behavior by a person. It allows the individual to adapt to social reality.

In a democratic society, the most important political and socialization task of the media is the massive introduction of values ​​based on respect for the law and human rights, teaching citizens to peacefully resolve conflicts without questioning the public consensus on the fundamental issues of the state structure.

Information, educational and socialization activities allow the media to perform the function of criticism and control. This function in the political system is performed not only by the mass media, but also by the opposition, as well as specialized institutions of prosecutorial, judicial and other control. However, criticism of the media is characterized by the breadth or even unlimited scope of its object. So, if criticism from the opposition usually focuses on the government and the parties that support it, then the president, and the government, and the royals, and the courts, and various directions of state policy, and the media themselves are the objects of attention of the media.

Their oversight function is based on the authority of public opinion. Although the media, unlike state and economic control bodies, cannot apply administrative or economic sanctions against violators, their control is often no less effective and even more stringent, since they provide not only a legal, but also a moral assessment of certain events and persons. ...

In a democratic society, in exercising its control function, the media rely on both public opinion and the law. They conduct their own journalistic investigations, after the publication of the results, which are sometimes created by special parliamentary commissions, criminal cases are opened or important political decisions are made. The control function of the media is especially necessary when there is weak opposition and imperfect special state control institutions.

The media not only criticize shortcomings in politics and society, but also fulfill the constructive function of articulating various public interests, constituting and integrating political actors. They provide representatives of various social groups with the opportunity to publicly express their opinions, find and unite like-minded people, unite them with a common goal and beliefs, clearly formulate and represent their interests in public opinion.

Articulation of political interests is carried out in society not only by the media, but also by other institutions, and, first of all, by parties and interest groups that have not only informational, but also other resources of political influence. However, without using the media, they are usually unable to identify and rally their supporters, to mobilize them for united action.

In the modern world, access to the media is a necessary condition for the formation of an influential opposition. Without such access, the opposition forces are doomed to isolation and unable to gain massive support, especially with the policy of compromising them on the part of state radio and television. The media are a kind of roots through which any political organization receives vitality.

All the functions of the media discussed above directly or indirectly serve to carry out their mobilization function. It is expressed in encouraging people to take certain political actions (or deliberate inaction), in their involvement in politics. The media have great opportunities to influence the mind and feelings of people, their way of thinking, methods and criteria for assessing, style and specific motivation of political behavior.

The range of political functions of the media is not limited to the above. Some scholars, approaching this issue from a different standpoint, highlight their functions as innovative, manifested in the initiation of political changes through a broad and persistent statement of certain social problems and attracting the attention of the authorities and the public to them; operative maintenance of the media of the politics of certain parties and associations; shaping the public and public opinion

The place and role of the media in politics

Already the first steps of television in the political arena in the 50s and early 60s caused euphoria among specialists about the almighty new media. The sensational victory in the 1960 presidential election in the United States by then little-known Senator J. Kennedy over the country's vice-president R. Nixon was immediately credited to the active television broadcasting a series of debates between the candidates. Taking into account this and similar facts, Western researchers came to the conclusion that the intensification of media activity contributed to the erosion of the organizational structure of political parties, erosion of their social base, and weakening of the party loyalty of an increasing number of voters in industrialized countries. This was reflected in the formation and widespread dissemination of the thesis that the media are replacing political parties, becoming the main mechanism for regulating and implementing the political and especially the electoral process. It is alleged that journalists, reporters, advertisers and other media representatives have replaced traditional politicians as gatekeepers of the political process. The experts who portray journalists as new creators of political ideas and myths, who have assumed the function that intellectuals previously performed, are not without grounds for observation. It is significant that in modern political science the media are characterized by such magnificent titles as “the great arbiter”, “the fourth branch of government” along with legislative, executive and judicial.

The belief in the omnipotence of television is so great that some politicians believe that whoever controls television controls the entire country. According to one journalist, French President Charles de Gaulle asked J. Kennedy how he managed to rule America without having control over television.

All media are united by the ability to directly communicate with the public, as if bypassing traditional institutions of communication, such as church, school, family, political parties and organizations, etc. It is this ability that is used by an advertising agent trying to convince the public to buy a particular product; a politician and a political party to mobilize mass support for their program, etc. For a long period, newspapers and magazines have been the main source of information for the general public. Initially, many of them emerged as bodies of certain political parties, or in one form or another were involved in the political process.

The beginning of the "era of television" in politics is considered to be 1952, when it was first used for broad coverage of the presidential election campaign in the United States. In 1980, according to existing data, the TV debates enabled R. Reagan not only to close the 4% gap with J. Carter, but also to get 5% ahead of him.

The role of the media in politics cannot be assessed unequivocally. They represent a complex and multifaceted institution, consisting of many bodies and elements designed to implement the diverse tasks of informing the population about events and phenomena taking place in each particular country and around the world.

Even G. Laswell identified the following four main functions of the media: monitoring the world (collecting and disseminating information); editing (selection and commenting of information); shaping public opinion; the spread of culture. In other words, the media provides an expanded form of human communication. To all this, one must add one more important function of theirs for the politicization of society and political education of the broad strata of the population. The press, radio, television claim to perform the functions of a “watchdog of public interests”, to be “the eyes and ears of society,” warning, for example, of a downturn in the economy, an increase in drug addiction and crime, corruption in the corridors of power, etc. justifying such an image or such a claim, the media must appear independent from both an economic and a political point of view. In most industrialized countries, the media is a private enterprise, a branch of the economy that employs tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. Their economic activity is based on the collection, production, storage and "sale" of information.

In this capacity, the functioning of the media is subject to the laws of a market economy. They are permeated with the contradictions of society and reproduce them in their publications and programs. They affect the interests of various strata and groups. As economic power and sociocultural influence increase, the media acquire relative freedom from control by the state and the largest corporations - advertisers. Naturally, advertising, being one of the most important sources of funding and profits for the media, has served and continues to serve as a significant obstacle to their moral and political independence. However, the case cannot be presented in such a way that advertisers directly dictate their will to the editor-in-chief of a particular newspaper or magazine. Moreover, the largest media conglomerates in the West have themselves turned into an independent, extremely profitable business sector with their own special interests, which do not always coincide and even often come into conflict with the interests of certain influential forces in society or the country's political leadership. The commercial principle, which underlies most media bodies and organizations, is, in principle, indifferent to the content, it presupposes the market use of information for sale to the widest possible public. The media in their publications, reports and comments can shed light on the hidden springs of the policy of the ruling circles, draw public attention to the most odious aspects of their activities. Examples include the publication of the New York Times in part of the so-called Pentagon Papers, the Washington Post's exposure of the Watergate scandal, the broadcast by leading television corporations of revelatory hearings of this case in Congress, the mobilization of public opinion by the leading media outlets in Western countries. against the dirty US war in Vietnam and much more. It can also be "mentioned that certain US media outlets played their role in the departure from the political arena of Presidents L. Johnson and R. Nixon.

The Russian media are no exception, often greedy for sensation, seeking to “detonate the bombs” while simultaneously exposing corruption, abuse of office, voter deception and the collapse of political morality in the corridors of power. Many of them set the tone in public discussions and disputes, bring the most pressing problems and topics, scandals and scams to the public.

It should also be noted that by appealing to such sensual, irrational, emotional and volitional components of public consciousness as the feeling of love for the homeland, nationalistic and patriotic sentiments, the media are able to mobilize significant segments of the population in support of certain actions of the ruling circles or individual interested groups. ... As a rule, in such cases, changes in the mass consciousness are of a short-term nature, and upon completion of the propaganda campaign on this particular occasion, everything, as they say, returns to normal. An example of the skillful and large-scale use of irrational impulses is the whipping up in the United States in the early 1980s of "patriotism" and openly nationalist sentiments towards the Soviet Union.

For a long time in Russia, the main source of information for the general public was the press, newspapers and magazines. By providing information on various aspects of public life, the press taught ordinary citizens to consider themselves part of a wider world and react to events taking place in it. With the advent of radio, the mechanism of information coverage has radically changed, it became possible to transmit it across state borders to an unlimited number of listeners. By the beginning of the Second World War, radio had become one of the main political mobilizations of society and the most important instrument of propaganda. Its role has increased even more in the post-war period, with the creation of a broadcasting network in all developed countries. For television, the period from its inception to its transformation into an important political instrument turned out to be even shorter, which is mainly due to the rapid pace of its development and distribution. In the 70s and 80s, television became the dominant media. It currently has tremendous potential to influence public opinion. Depending on who owns it, it can be used both for objective operational informing people about real events in the world, their education and upbringing, and for manipulating in the interests of certain groups of people. Press, radio and television are the "eyes and ears of society". They warn him, for example, about a downturn in the economy, an increase in drug addiction and crime, or corruption in the corridors of power, etc. They can shed light on the hidden springs of the policy of the ruling circles, draw public attention to the most odious aspects of their activities. It should be noted that by appealing to such sensory components of public consciousness as the feeling of love for the homeland, nationalist and patriotic sentiments, etc., the media are able to organize support by significant segments of the population for certain actions of the ruling circles or individual interest groups. This feature of the functioning of the media is most clearly manifested in the electoral process, during election campaigns. Being a part of modern reality, with all its contradictions, conflicts and troubles, the media reproduce them in one form or another. Therefore, information flows often consist of many conflicting, often mutually exclusive messages and materials. Let us consider this feature of the media in more detail using the example of the last election campaign for the mayoral elections in Yekaterinburg.

Local newspapers published the most contradictory facts about one of the candidates for the post of mayor - director of the Kirovsky supermarket chain Igor Kovpak. In one of them, on the first page, decorated with a caricature of the candidate, it was loudly declared: “Igor Kovpak in March of this year acquired the so-called Green Card (US green card). living in America, having won a decent jackpot in Russia for the post of mayor.

mass information political manipulation

A few days later, another local newspaper published an interview where I. Kovpak categorically denied that he had bought an American Green Card 2.

Of course, the decision of voters to vote for a particular party or a specific candidate is determined by a whole range of factors, including the social structure and the form of the political system; political culture and value system, orientation; the state of public opinion, etc., but the role of information presented in the press undoubtedly has a great influence on the voter

Rules for the selection of materials and methods of dissemination of information

Despite the importance of emotional impact, the main influence on media policy is carried out through the information process. The main stages of this process are obtaining, selecting, dissecting, commenting and disseminating information. Their subsequent actions largely depend on what information, in what form and with what comments policy subjects receive.

The direct possession of such power is the prerogative of the media. They not only select information supplied by news agencies, but they themselves obtain and formalize it, and also act as their commentators and distributors. The flow of information in the modern world is so diverse and contradictory that neither an individual, nor even a group of specialists are able to figure it out on their own. Therefore, the selection of the most important information and its presentation in an accessible form to the mass audience and commenting is an important task of the entire media system. The awareness of citizens, including politicians, directly depends on how, for what purposes and by what criteria information is selected, how deeply it reflects real facts after its dissection and reduction, carried out by newspapers, radio and television, as well as on the method and forms submission of information.

One of the most important means of political influence of the media is to determine the topics and areas of discussion that focus the attention of the public and the government. The media usually determine what is needed and what does not need to be brought up to the public. The choice of political topics and requirements is carried out not only depending on the preferences and interests of the owners and managers of the media, but also under the influence of specific rules that are emerging in the conditions of pluralism of information in a modern market society. In it, the main criterion for the success of the media and the condition for the survival of most of them is the attention of the public. In order to attract this attention, the mass media, sometimes without even realizing it, when choosing topics for publications and programs, are usually guided by the following general principles:

Priority, importance (real and perceived) and attractiveness of the topic for citizens. In accordance with this principle, most often media reports concern such, for example, problems as a threat to the peace and security of citizens, terrorism, environmental and other disasters, etc.

The originality of the facts. This means that information about extreme events - hunger, wars, unusually violent crimes, etc. - dominates the coverage of the phenomena of everyday life, everyday life. This explains, in particular, the tendency of the media to information of a negative nature and sensations.

The novelty of the facts. Messages that have not yet received widespread recognition are more capable of attracting the attention of the population. This may be the latest data on the results of economic development or the number of unemployed, on flights to other planets, on new political parties and their leaders, etc.

Political success. According to this principle, messages about the successes of political leaders, parties or entire states are included in programs and articles. Particular attention is paid to the winners in elections or in rating polls. The cult of stars in politics, art, sports is a typical phenomenon for the media in a market society.

High social status. The higher the status of the source of information, the more significant an interview or TV show is considered, since it is assumed that their popularity, other things being equal, is directly proportional to the social status of the people reporting the information. By virtue of this rule, the easiest access to the media is given to persons occupying the highest positions in the political, military, church or other hierarchies: presidents, military leaders, ministers, etc. The front pages of newspapers and major radio and television programs are dedicated to them.

The media's adherence to rules focused only on the number of audiences and victory in the competition leads to their tendency to superficial coverage of political events in pursuit of sensations and notoriety. The principles of selection of materials that they have adopted are poorly compatible with deep analytical messages and often impede the creation of an informational picture of the world, more or less adequate to reality.

The creation of such a picture of the world also largely depends on the methods of disseminating information. The media use two main ways of disseminating information - sequential and fragmentary. The first method is more often used by the press, consistently and comprehensively covering a particular political issue in articles and other publications. The second way - the fragmentary presentation of information - is especially common on television. It gives rise to a number of difficulties for listeners in understanding the essence of an event or process.

The fragmentation of information, creating the appearance of its versatility and efficiency of presentation, prevents non-professionals (the overwhelming majority of citizens) from forming a holistic picture of political phenomena or events. It gives communicators additional opportunities to manipulate the audience, focusing its attention on some aspects of the event and keeping silent or obscuring others. The fragmented presentation of information ultimately disorients listeners and either dampens their interest in politics and causes political apathy, or forces them to rely on the assessments of commentators.

Many researchers consider the fragmentary way of presenting information to be the specificity of the television genre, a consequence of its inherent property called "visual pressure". The essence of this property is that, due to its audiovisual capabilities, television is focused on the transmission of mainly visualized, i.e. having a visual image, information. Since scientific and other serious information is usually poorly compatible with the screen image, it is reserved for print communications and radio.

Such a “division of labor” between the media would be perfectly acceptable and even advisable for a democratic society if it were accompanied by a corresponding reallocation of audience time in favor of magazines, newspapers and books. However, the general trend of the modern world is the growing influence of television as the most attractive means of obtaining political and other information and the relative weakening of the impact on the population of printed products and radio broadcasts. For example, in Germany, citizens spend 5.3 times more time watching TV than reading newspapers. In addition, television is the leader among other media in terms of the power of persuasive influence and trust of citizens, since people usually tend to believe more what they see than what they hear or read.

The "pressure of visuality" inherent in television is manifested not only in the fragmentary presentation of information in accordance with the possibilities of its adaptation, but also in the ritualization and personalization of political information. Television usually prefers to transmit information that can be captured by a television camera, i.e. show specific persons, objects, etc. Therefore, diplomatic and other rituals, official meetings, visits, press conferences, etc., which are easily accessible for a telephoto lens, dominate on screens. However, abstract provisions that reveal the deepest causes of certain political phenomena do not lend themselves to video recording and, as a rule, do not get into programs.

As a result of this presentation of information, politics is overly personalized, the attention of viewers is concentrated mainly on political leaders, who usually do not even get the opportunity to state their views and goals of politics in detail.

Fragmentation, ritualization and personalization of information lead television to the path of showing the external, superficial side of political phenomena. Essential relationships in this case are not disclosed. The process of the political will of education and decision-making, which is the core of politics, remains without due attention.

The media have great opportunities to actively influence not only the perception of certain political phenomena and events by citizens, but also their attitude to politics in general. Both the political passivity of the population in any issue and its mass activity are directly related to the position of the media on this issue.

Political manipulation through the media

The greatest danger to citizens and democratic government is the use of the media for political manipulation - covert control of the political consciousness and behavior of people in order to force them to act (or not act) contrary to their own interests. Manipulation is based on lies and deception. Moreover, this is not a "lie for salvation", but selfish actions. Without a proper fight against manipulation, it can become the main function of the media and nullify the democratic principles officially proclaimed by the state.

Requiring more flexibility in politics, manipulation as a method of social management has a number of advantages for its subjects in comparison with coercive and economic methods of domination. It is carried out unnoticed by the ruled, does not entail direct sacrifices and blood, and does not require large material costs, which are necessary to bribe or calm numerous political opponents.

In the modern world, the theory and practice of political manipulation have received a fairly deep scientific development and practical application. The general technology of global, nation-wide manipulation is usually based on the systematic introduction of socio-political myths into the mass consciousness - illusory ideas that affirm certain values ​​and norms and are perceived primarily on faith, without rational, critical understanding.

Myths form the foundation of the entire illusory picture of the world created by manipulators. Thus, the supporting structures of the communist system of manipulation were myths about private property as the main source of social evil, about the inevitability of the collapse of capitalism and the triumph of communism, about the leading role of the working class and its communist party, about the only correct social doctrine - Marxism-Leninism.

5. Methods and limits of manipulation

For the rooting of social myths, the technology of manipulation involves the use of the richest arsenal of specific methods of influencing the consciousness of people. These include not only direct falsification of facts, suppression of objectionable information, dissemination of lies and slander, but also more subtle, refined methods: half-truth (when, in order to ensure the audience's trust, specific, insignificant details are objectively and in detail covered and more important facts are kept silent, or a general false interpretation of events is given), labeling (when, in order to reject listeners and compromise persons or ideas, they are given an unseemly definition without proof, for example, “imperialist”, “fascist”, “red-brown”, “chauvinism”, etc.) and etc.

There are many techniques of linguistic, linguistic manipulation, involving the use of euphemisms to denote the same phenomena, as well as words that have a different connotation. So, for example, a person leading an armed struggle for the creation of an independent national state, various media, depending on political predilections, is called a freedom fighter, separatist, terrorist, partisan, militant.

For each information genre, along with general methods of manipulation, there are also special ones. Television, for example, uses unattractive camera angles or edits the footage appropriately to create a repulsive feeling towards objectionable politicians in viewers. To covertly instill certain political ideas in the masses, it often organizes noisy entertainment shows, etc.

Modern manipulators skillfully use the laws of mass psychology. Thus, one of the widespread and seemingly harmless manipulation techniques, called the "silence spiral", consists in convincing citizens of the victory of the majority of society in favor of a political position pleasing to the manipulators, using links to fabricated opinion polls or other facts. This makes people who hold different views, out of fear of being in social and psychological isolation or some kind of sanctions, to keep silent about their opinion or change it. Against the background of silence about the position of opponents, the voice of the real or imaginary majority becomes even louder, and this even more forces those who disagree or hesitate to accept the "generally accepted" opinion or to deeply conceal their beliefs. As a result, the "spiral of silence" turns even more steeply, ensuring victory for the manipulators.

Manipulation is widely used not only in totalitarian and authoritarian states, where it is often the dominant method of media activity, but also in modern Western democracies, especially in party propaganda and during election campaigns. Today, not a single presidential or parliamentary election campaign in Western countries and many other states is complete without the use of manipulation and advertising techniques, which, closely intertwined with each other, create in viewers very far from reality ideas about a certain policy.

As empirical studies show, the “average” voter usually judges a presidential or parliamentary candidate by the image (image) that television and other mass media create for him. In Western countries, and in recent years in Russia, a whole line of advertising business is successfully developing - image-making, i.e. creating images of politicians that are attractive to voters. Hired for big money, professional image makers and campaign organizers dictate to applicants not only dress and demeanor, but also the content of speeches, which are replete with many tempting promises, usually forgotten immediately after winning an election.

It is difficult for voters to distinguish between the true business and moral qualities of candidates, to determine their political positions behind the skilfully crafted shiny advertising packaging by the mass media. This kind of advertising and manipulative activity transforms the choice of citizens from a free, conscious decision into a formal act pre-programmed by specialists in the formation of mass consciousness.

The possibilities for manipulative use of the media are great, but not limitless. The limits of manipulating public opinion are determined, first of all, by the already established mass consciousness, stereotypes and views of people. To be effective, manipulation must be based on the mentality and prevailing perceptions of the population. Although, under the influence of propaganda, these ideas may gradually change.

Significant obstacles to manipulation are people's own experience, as well as communication systems not controlled by the authorities: family, relatives, acquaintances and friends, interaction groups that develop in the process of production and other activities, etc. However, political manipulation, especially when its initiators have a monopoly on the media, economic and political power, is able to bypass these barriers, since the verification capabilities of individual and group experience in relation to politics are limited and allow for different interpretations.

So, for example, the failure of the government's economic policy can be explained in different ways: its incompetence or corruption, the heavy legacy of the past regime, the inevitability of difficulties during the period of reform, the intrigues of the opposition or hostile states, etc. The population has the weakest defense mechanisms against manipulation in the area of ​​new problems, in relation to which they have not yet formed an opinion.

Management and control of the media

The media are controlled and controlled by certain individuals or special bodies. In commercial media, the functions of such control are performed, first of all, by their owners, in government - by government services, in public-legal - by the public, political organizations and associations. At the same time, in all cases, it is assumed that the media operate within the framework of the law.

In most countries of the world there are special bodies of general control over the media, monitoring their compliance with ethical and legal norms.

Democratic control of the mass media by society, of course, has nothing to do with the preliminary censorship that exists in totalitarian and authoritarian states, and is not a violation of freedom of speech and expression. Informational, political and any other freedom of some people requires restrictions in cases where it violates the freedom and rights of other citizens and entire states.

Conclusion

Today the media play an important role in the political life of society. Possessing all the technical and ideological capabilities, the media serve various political purposes: educating people, developing their self-esteem, striving for freedom and social justice, and promote and help competent participation in politics. The enriching person, while spiritually enslaving, misinforms and intimidates, incites mass hatred, sows mistrust and fear. And the future of society will largely depend on the position taken by the media. The media, combining their richest resource potential and creating a single information space, can really contribute to the development of a single political course aimed at consolidating society and forming a national idea, and maybe even an entire ideology. Or, on the contrary, through "information wars", numerous "emissions of compromising evidence", "leaks" and leaks of information, "ordered publications", etc. contribute to the growth of social tension, people's lack of faith in the institutions of civil society, the alienation of society from the state, the rooting in the mass consciousness of the stereotype of distrust towards the structures of power, including the media themselves. I would not like to see power over the media as a result of the clash of various interests in the hands of a narrow group of people who put their ambitious personal aspirations above the interests of society.

In many countries, the media are an integral part of the functioning of democracy, as well as its values ​​of democratic ideals. The normative model of modern democracy is built on the foundation of the concept of a person as a rationally thinking and responsible person who consciously and competently participates in political decision-making. In a democratic state based on the adoption of the most important decisions by a majority of votes, such qualities should not be possessed by one person or a privileged minority - the elite, but the masses, a stable majority of the population. It is impossible to achieve competent political judgments of the majority of citizens without the media: radio, television, the global telecommunications network of information and computing resources (Internet), newspapers and magazines, even a well-educated person will not be able to navigate correctly in a complex mosaic of contradictory political processes and make responsible decisions. The media allows him to go beyond the narrow framework of direct individual experience, make the whole world of politics visible. The free establishment and activity of the media is a real manifestation of freedom of speech, without which all other political rights of the individual are practically impossible to realize. Freedom of the media should not be divorced from society and citizens, whose interests and opinions they are called upon to express. Otherwise, they turn into an instrument of political influence for their owners and leaders, and all other citizens are deprived of real opportunities for public expression, freedom of speech. Due to the high cost of mass media and the fact that the overwhelming majority of citizens do not have the opportunity to create them, the founders of mass media, as well as their editors and journalists, bear a special responsibility for the social consequences of their activities.

Freedom of speech and expression is one of the fundamental rights enshrined in legislation and guaranteed by the state. State structures and politicians are forced to agree that the media needs a certain amount of freedom and independence, otherwise they may lose public confidence. But there are also partial restrictions on the activities of the press, regulated by private codes of law. Thus, the media are an important part of the political system and have a serious impact on the political life of society.

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