Do the media, the people,or the politicians, set the political agenda today?

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Do the media, the people, or the politicians, set the political agenda today?

In the setting of political agenda, it is often argued as to who actually sets it. The argument centres around the media, the people and the politicians themselves. Whoever sets the political agenda has huge power and influence and this is why it is often said that the media is the main factor in the setting of political agenda, as this statement would be true of the media. Then again, political commentators argue that political agenda is set by the politicians, which is justified in the light that the decision making process and policy making takes place in government, which ultimately points to the politicians. Finally, the argument can be taken one step further by the introduction of the people to the mix. Ultimately, it is the need of the people that is on the political agenda, which could indicate that it is the people who set the political agenda. This essay shall evaluate these three factors and conclude as to who actually does set the political agenda.

“the media cannot determine what we think, but can strongly influence what we think about.” (Ian Budge, The new British Politics, pg-310)

This statement is very relevant regarding the media in British politics. The press and the broadcasting stations have a huge influence over the public, the only difference being that the press often has biased views and allegiances. It is strictly stated that the BBC and other television channels remain impartial in their political broadcasts. The papers devote a large proportion of their print, to political issues on a daily basis. By concentrating on some issues rather than others, the media can push these issues up the political agenda. Examples include the way in which the pro Conservative papers concentrated tax plans during the 1992 election, and on the issue of political sleaze in the 1997 election campaign.

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The media’s power and influence in the political arena cannot be underestimated as Jean Seaton talks of how media tycoons and politicians controlling the media could keep some issues out of the public eye. This is what political scientists call ‘nondecision making’. It has also been argued that the media has become the stage for political debate rather than the House of Commons, “The main arena of political debate is now the broadcasting studio, not the floor of he Commons.” (Peter Riddell, Politics and the Media, pg-8)

The media also has the factor of sleaze or scandal at ...

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