Media Trends in American Politics

The role of media in American politics is changing due to advancements in technology, modifying the manner people consume news. Most people have switched from the traditional platforms of disseminating news such as print media to new formats, particularly digital media (Shirky 28). In this regard, the new platforms, which seem to be fast in conveying news, are becoming more popular day after day. Despite data showing that people neglect conventional press, the digital means profoundly affect American politics by fast delivery of news, influencing people’s political opinions. In this regard, digital means such as social media networks have replaced the traditional methods, including cable news and print newspapers.

Cable News

Cable news has been an important source of information for Americans. Equally, the media has been providing vital U.S. politics news, as more people consider it reliable. However, according to Pew Research Center, viewership decreased for the three main channels in the U.S., namely MSNBS, CNN, and Fox News, in 2017 (“Trends and Facts on Cable News”). The three media’s average audience for the evening news starting from 8 p.m. to 11.pm decreased by 12%, and the viewership of the daytime period from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. remained relatively constant. This is due to the current trend in use of digital platforms as sources of news. The individuals who used to view cable news at the evening hours are gradually shifting to online platforms such as social media. On the other hand, the people who view the devices at daytime remain constant because they mostly do it for entertainment, thereby having no reason of shifting. Therefore, it is clearly that the use of cable news by Americans is gradually declining, and the digital forms prosper such as social media, blogs, and apps that are available on electronic gadgets.

Newspapers

Newspapers, unlike cable news, have been widely used to convey news in the United States over the past. However, with the invention of digital transmission of information, the popularity of newspapers has been declining as from the early 2000s. In 2017, the estimated total America newspaper circulation, both digital and print, declined by 11% for weekday and 10% for Sunday from 2016’s estimates (“Trends and Facts on Newspapers”). The print form of newspapers is disappearing while the digital alternatives are replacing them. As indicated by reports from America’s highest-circulation daily paper firms, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, the digital circulations realized high returns in 2017 (“Trends and Facts on Newspapers”). Undoubtedly, the newspaper firms are reacting to the current trends by focusing more on the digital circulation of the news.

Arguably, the digital audience for the newspaper industry is increasing with time. For instance, in the last quarter of 2017, the top 50 newspapers received averagely 11.5 million unique visitors, aligning with the previous year’s results of 11.7 million visitors. The newspaper industry reported a circulation revenue of $11 billion, a 3% increase from that of 2016 (“Trends and Facts on Newspapers”). The increment in revenue is likely from the digital department and cut costs through the reduction of workers, which has become a trend in the industry. In another instance, the New York Daily News reduced its newsroom staff by 50% to concentrate on the digital news (Lartey). This affirms the efforts of newspaper firms to digitize their operations.

Digital News

Additionally, the use of digital news is on an upward trend in the U.S. Averagely, 93% of adults receive news online through their either phones or computers. Notably, digital advertising returns from digital media are also growing with time. According to Pew Research Center, in 2017, the digital-native news outlets experienced a 5% decrease in the number of monthly unique visitors over their main domains in the final quarter. However, the average minutes spent were relatively stable at 2.4 minutes per visit (“Trends and Facts on Online News”). The digital news broadcasters use various platforms, such as apps, podcasts, and newsletters to reach the consumers. They recorded a change in the preferred platforms to reach clients, whereby apps in iOS were widely used in 2017 (“Trends and Facts on Online News”). Notably, newsletters enjoy the highest traffic, followed by Apple news, then podcasts. The use of social media is also widely adopted by the industry players. Digital advertising equally depicted an upward trend. The industry recorded a 7% increment in digital advertising revenue estimates in 2017 (“Trends and Facts on Online News”). Mobile advertising experienced the highest growth by comprising two-thirds of the entire digital advertising revenue. Generally, digital news recorded a great performance in 2017 as opposed to any other media.

Reflection

The current dynamic media environment profoundly affects modern American politics. The new media have radically changed the manner the government institutions function, communication of political leaders, contestation of elections, and citizen engagement. Media offers a communication platform that enhances the production, distribution, and exchange of political content in America (Bonilla and Rosa 4). As indicated in the Pew Research Center, the current shift toward digital news is going to shape politics and the government in many ways. For instance, the fast distribution of news through digital platforms continually influences the political opinions of Americans. Undoubtedly, the media will determine the Americans’ voting behavior.

Notably, the media shapes the behavior of political leaders and sets the public agenda. Individuals are aware of the abilities of digital media to disseminate information promptly (Bennett and Segerberg 741). Therefore, they have to serve as role models by maintaining a reputable image in the public. In addition, according to the Pew Research Center, most Americans learn about social issues via digital and print media. In that regard, the media have the right to emphasize some issues while ignoring others to determine what the government needs to do. Increased competition among the news outlets has negatively affected the content of news, whereby the outlets focus on high-interest and scandal issues at the cost of important political challenges (Pinker). This rearranges the American government’s priorities, a move that may affect the nation’s political progress.

Works Cited

Bennett, W. Lance, and Alexandra Segerberg. “The Logic of Connective Action: Digital Media and the Personalization of Contentious Politics.” Information, Communication & Society, vol. 15, no. 5, 2012, pp. 739-768.

Bonilla, Yarimar, and Jonathan Rosa. “# Ferguson: Digital Protest, Hashtag Ethnography, and the Racial Politics of Social Media in the United States.” American Ethnologist, vol. 42. No. 1, 2015, pp. 4-17.

Lartey, Jamiles. “New York Daily News Announces 50% Cut to Newsroom Staff”. The Guardian, 23 July 2018, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/23/new-york-daily-news-cuts-staff-layoffs-job-losses-half. Accessed 13 November 2018.

Pinker, Steven. “The Media Exaggerates Negative News. This Distortion Has Consequences | Steven Pinker”. The Guardian, 17 February 2018, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/17/steven-pinker-media-negative-news. Accessed 13 November 2018.

Shirky, Clay. “The Political Power of Social Media: Technology, the Public Sphere, and Political Change.” Foreign Affairs, 2011, pp. 28-41.

“Trends and Facts on Cable News”. Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, 25 July 2018,

www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/cable-news/. Accessed 13 November 2018.

“Trends and Facts on Newspapers”. Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, 13 June 2018,

www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/newspapers/. Accessed 13 November 2018.

“Trends and Facts on Online News”. Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, 6 June 2018,

www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/digital-news/. Accessed 13 November 2018.

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