The influence of news media on the outcome of the 2008 US presidential elections

Introduction The media has become one of the most used tools of influence in many democratic processes to inspire the public and dictate the behavior of candidates and voters.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The influence of news media on the outcome of the 2008 US presidential elections specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Studies indicate that the media has been a reliable source of information that has provided citizens with information they require in order to make independent and well informed decisions especially on matters of political democracy and choice of leadership. However Kramer points out that in the 2008 general election campaigns for presidential and primary nominations positions in the United States of America proved that the media today has shifted from being mere custodian of facts they were once known to be, to purveyors of misinformation and unbalanced media coverage (208). As this paper examin es, the media did not just heighten campaign knowledge among the American public. It also played a major role in influencing the outcome of the United States general elections in 2008. It is on this front that this paper intrinsically evaluates the United States 2008 election campaigns, analyses the candidates’ use of media during the campaign processes and the role of media in influencing election results. The media and the US presidential candidates in 2008 Bignon and  Miscio indicate that the 2008 presidential general elections saw significant criticisms leveled against the media for their predisposition in presidential and primary candidates’ coverage (385). An example of criticism was that which was leveled against the NBC News by Tim Russert in which the questions that Obama and Hilary were asked were disproportionate in the sense that Hilary, the then democratic presidential contender received very tough questions while Obama’s questions were simpler. S ome of the harassing questions during that news interview included those asking Hilary to provide the name of the newly elected Russian president, and whether she supported the move to have illegal immigrants given driver’s license. As a matter of fact, this was seemingly an open bias against the female candidate. Worse still, it may have portrayed a negative image of Hillary as a leader who is not sharp enough in terms of the on-going global politics. Reports from Pew Research Centre in US provide an in-depth profile on the role of media influence and indicate that during the 2008 presidential campaigns, many journalists and media outlets were bent on seeing that Barrack Obama won the election (Robbins 52).Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Certain opinion polls also indicate that Obama had a strong support of about 70% registered voters compared to John McCain†™s 9% (Dubriwny 507). Similar reports analyzing media influence pilloried on the role of media in 2008, and posit that media coverage in terms of news was unfair since its coverage for McCain was 30% while that for Obama was 67% (Dubriwny 507). Figure 1: Figure showing media coverage for different candidates Source:  An FAQ for the 2008 US Presidential Election. Web. Media Coverage of female candidates Evidences of sexism and gender bias in media coverage of the 2008 presidential media coverage The 2008 general elections in the US was marked by massive sexism and gender bias for female contestants at both primary and presidential levels. Of major importance were Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton who were massively impacted on by apparent double standards measures in media coverage. Most of the statements and questions they raised and which deserved coverage did not receive equal coverage as that of their fellow male candidates. Bignon and  Miscio note that this immensely reflect ed the perception that the media and a section of individuals in the society had on the female gender (387). Indeed, had the media been fair and balanced in their coverage of both male and female gender campaigns, the female candidates would have garnered substantial votes. Sexism and gender discrimination in Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns In his publication, Kramer points out that gender discrimination and sexism on Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns by the media began taking effect especially for Palin when announcements came that she would be the vice president to John McCain, and would be running on a presidential ticket as the first republican female (208).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The influence of news media on the outcome of the 2008 US presidential elections specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More What followed her selection as a running mate were brand naming reports from media outlets calling her ‘former beauty queen’ seeking candidacy (Robbins 53). Well, while one might not feel the impact of the labels given to her, the truth of the matter was that Palin was just more than a beauty queen. She was and still is a competent woman who had rights to compete fairly with other candidates and who possessed unique leadership skills. Figure 2: Figure showing media coverage for candidates Source:  Norvig. Trends. Web. Certain critiques of conventions indicate that the media represented Hilary Clinton as a woman who did not carry some weight in politics citing that she was going for leadership position to represent herself. In disagreement with the position the media took, it is imperative to point out that by discriminating against these women, the media undermined the important ideals of feminism and sent forth resilient and piquant messages through their actions that women could not take part in male dominated politics. Denying women candidates equal media coverage was moronic and equaled to telling all women in the US that they do not deserve to vote. Analysts indicate that media sexism was heightened against both Hilary and Palin’s 2008 campaign through media double standards in coverage (Robbins 50). They were given little time for debates and most issues that they raised were not adequately reported as compared to those of their opponents. Figure 3: A table showing media coverage for candidate debatesAdvertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides, Ross explains that McCain strategy sought to reach out to women by selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate (180). This strategy was deemed to fill the gap left by the democrats’ choice of the seemingly ‘unpopular’ Obama as opposed to Hilary Clinton who was the expectations of many. However, Palin became a center of attacks by major celebrities, media and even youths who were fast becoming polarized towards Obama wave. Media used to present candidates to voters Television use Babad and Peer refer to TV as the best interface that was used in the 2008 general elections as it linked the public with their candidates (57). Besides, candidates used the television to present their views and ideas to the public. It equally gave them the necessary high profile analysis of their agendas and progress as the voting day drew nearer. It is this popularity that that saw the use of media such as newspapers decline as a persuasive tool. However, unlike other previous c ampaigns, the 2008 campaigns saw great media bias in television coverage of candidates, and which influenced voters to vote for particular candidates. Even though presidential candidates massively used TV media to carry out their campaigns and debate on issues, their coverage was disproportionate and cases of sexism and discrimination against women candidates were rampant. Figure 4: Presidential candidates’ debate and their viewers Use of newspapers Ross argues that though newspapers use as a medium for presenting the candidates has declined over time, it remained a key source of gathering conclusive analysis of the 2008 candidates and their diverse policies (180). It played an effective role especially for the older conservative generations as opposed to the youths who were more to the television and internet. However, there were allegations that newspapers published reports that potentially biased and which to certain degrees influenced voters to vote for candidates (Robbi ns 54). Of importance were endorsements from right leaning newspapers for republican candidates and left-leaning newspapers for democratic candidates. Figure 5: A graph representing newspaper endorsements for candidates Source:  Political Newspaper Endorsements: History and Outcome. Web. Bignon and  Miscio point out that in the American history, newspaper endorsement for presidential and primary candidates has been commonplace for more than a century and has greatly influenced election outcomes (389). Until 2008, overwhelming support and endorsements from newspaper editorial pages favored almost all republican presidenltial candidates with a few balancing out to reach out for that democrats candidates. Reports indicate that republicans enjoyed newspaper endorsements of up to 84% from 1972-88 with extreem instances being 90% when Richard Nixon won against Senator George McGovern (Dubriwny 507). Bill Clointon also received editorial nods in 1992 as a democrat. In 2008, editiroria l support for Obama was higher than that for the republicans and played a major role in influencing the outcomes. Figure 6: A graph representing percentage endorsement of republican and democratic candidates Source:  Political Newspaper Endorsements: History and Outcome. Web. Though the Obama’s landslide win of the 2008 election has been interpreted differently by analysts, there is seen to be concurrence in certain aspects. One such facet as Kramer credits is the high level of energized media involvement that was used to reach more people in all states (208). In concurrence with Kramer’s argument, Babad and Peer explain that Obama managed to maintain a solid touch with youths who form the majority in the nation through modern technology and great media coverage co pared to that of the opposing candidate (57). Besides, he increased his spending on television adverts and raising personnel to link millions through phone messaging, social networking and blogging. Concl usions It is from the above discussion that this paper concludes by supporting the thesis statement, ‘The media has become one of the most used tools of influence in many democratic processes to inspire the public and dictate the behavior of candidates and voters.’ The year 2008 campaigns presented a major turning point in the US history by factoring strongly on the need for effective media influence between candidates and their voters. It can be said, that the key reason for the presidential and primary candidates successes was to a certain degree media influence which not only managed to cover their races as libertarian factors, but effectively brought out their policies, created a space for every one, solidified identity won the loyalty of voters for democrats as well as republicans. Being the new media culture, it is important to point out that future candidates should therefore use the media as the main campaign tool in anchoring their support at the grassroots and national levels. Works Cited Babad,  Elisha Peer, Eyal.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Media bias in interviewers’ nonverbal behavior: potential remedies, attitude similarity and meta-analysis†. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior,  34.1  (2010):  57. Print. Bignon,  Vincent   Miscio, Antonio.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Media bias in financial newspapers: evidence from early twentieth-century France†.  European Review of Economic History, 14.3  (2010):  383-432.  Print. Dubriwny,  Tasha.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Women for president: media bias in eight campaigns†.   Rhetoric Public Affairs:  special issue on Lincoln’s rhetorical worlds  13.3  (2010):  507-510. Print. Kramer,  Michael. Electing the president 2008: the insiders’ view.   Presidential Studies Quarterly,  41.1  (2011):  207-209. Print. Robbins,  James.  An old, old story: misreading tet, again.  World Affairs,  173.3  (2010):  49-58. Print. Ross,  Felecia.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Media bias, pers pective, and state repression: The Black Panther Party†.   Journalism History,  36.3  (2010):  180-181.Print. This report on The influence of news media on the outcome of the 2008 US presidential elections was written and submitted by user Luciano Mullins to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Lifestyle in the Suburbs

Lifestyle in the Suburbs Introduction Suburban is an area that lies right away form the city or a town. This idea of suburban living came as a result of the need to change from models with high density housing to low density housing. The new homes that were built were spacious with a lawn or a garden and were adapted by many people who could afford them. The choice of living in the suburbs came with an assortment of reasons ranging from high rates of crime, traffic, noise and busy environment.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lifestyle in the Suburbs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The environment was also known to be safer for bringing up children. The necessity for quality life, health and well being, safety and better lifestyle called the individuals to work harder so as to triumph over the higher cost that came with it. The preference of living in the suburbs kept one away from environmental pollution such as noise and garbage while givi ng a tranquil place of residence. This essay will discuss lifestyle in the suburbs and the effort that a person must incur to sustain his cost of living. History of Suburban living 18th and early 19th century marked a revolution of many villages and markets as they grew into industrial cities. The growth resulted from industrialization. Initially, there were no building regulations and this made these cities to be dirty without clean sanitary facilities and high populations. In the late 19th Century the government introduced laws in public health which supervised sewage and sanitation. Living in cities was therefore a result of many economic opportunities in the cities compared to the rural areas. Most people in suburban areas were ready to spend more and dig deeper in their pockets, about 47% of their income, to maintain housing and transportation (Kim, 2011, p. 1). Maintenance Cost of Suburban Living It is more expensive to maintain suburban infrastructure development. This is bec ause the cost sharing is between fewer people than in urban areas where higher population shares the cost in paying taxes. Though the cost of buying a house in the suburbs is lower than in the urban, maintenance is expensive. The cost of transport in the suburbs is pricey. Without a car in the suburbs, it is quite troublesome to move about. Personal ownership of a car is therefore compulsory for living in the suburban areas. The cost of moving to and fro is escalated because of driving to work daily. Though the expenses within the house are lower, e.g. the electricity bills and water bills maintenance of the home is highly affected by the use of automobile. A person must travel to work, drive children to school, go for shopping or any other travelling because of unavailability of public means. Safeguarding this car is in addition very expensive. Insurance, maintenance, repairs, gasoline and license fees add more to the cost of this car. This is costly especially for the middle and l ow income. Parking fee for the car is also is another expense that drains ones income.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Effects of Living in the suburban’s The cost of oil rises as the demand of the oil rises. People living in the suburban areas require auto mobiles for their transport. The average is that each family needs a car for convenience. The growth of the suburban domino effect is the demand of oil hence raises the price of the oil. Climate changes as the automobiles emit carbon dioxide which is not absorbed in the air. CO2 leads to rise in temperature (Shaik, 2010, p. 1). Suburban settlement reduces social interactions. Living in the suburbans encouraged privacy and most neighbors became strangers to each other. This caused separation of communities on foundation of their economic status. This was what caused North America to segregate. The effect of se gregation makes the people to be unable to accommodate each other since the society in the suburban rarely share experiences, talents and their way of thinking. This discourages social sustainability (Shaik, 2010, p. 1). Suburban settlement decreases the efficiency of energy use. This is a consequence of using automobiles which increases in number and the distance covered. The people in these areas hardly walk or ride bicycles while traveling, methods which could save a lot of energy (Urbanity, n.d., p. 1). The suburban system brings discrimination to the poor, the elderly and the children. The poor are alienated from the luxurious homes since they cannot afford to purchase their own cars. The elderly people on their second retirement are only allowed to stay in a retirement community and such experience of traveling about is denied to them. Most children of the rich people who live in the suburban areas are able to attend events such as parties and games. So the best social places for children are for those with good economic backgrounds. The high cost is afforded by the children of the rich parents (Urbanity, n.d, 1). Appropriate Technology Appropriate technology is almost compulsory to those living in the suburban areas. There tends to be great dependency on comprehensive technology. The positive side of it is that the suburban people provide meaningful employment to technology companies. High technology applications are often found in the areas of the rich. The cost of living continues to be high in the suburbs. The sustainability cost is higher when there is no sharing of the cost (Wicklein Kachmar, n.d., p. 1). There is more need to have tight security in the suburban. This makes it obligatory to have a security guard as well as technological security systems in the home such as CCTV cameras. Most homes in the suburban have a guide.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Lifestyle in the Suburbs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Benefits of Suburban Living Suburban residents are at a lower risk of health problems than those living in the urban. The congestion in urban areas can encourage a quick spread of diseases. In Most places, the poor live around their work place whereas the rich live outside the cities in places without pollution. The design of houses in cities is mostly to maximize the number of people living in a particular area. Important life commodities such as water and privacy become scarce and this is a cause of many health problems such as tuberculosis at times in the urban depending on the country in question. Recommendations The main aim of these recommendations is to lower the scale of expenses that come as a result of maintenance fee as well as to bridge the social gap that is created by suburban settlement. The suburban developers should create variety of housing and transportation choices. This is by considering different economic classes from high in come earners without discriminating them. The employers should also encourage their employees to telecommute so as to reduce travelling expenses as well as to reduce the traffic (Goodson, 2001, p. 1). Conclusion Suburban living is a choice which is made by people in need of a better environment in terms of pollution, health, security and comfort. This comes with a higher cost of living and mostly segregates the rich from the poor. Maintenance cost of a home in the suburban is quite expensive. Automobiles are the major escalators of the living cost. Security, technology and taxes are also factors that increase the cost of living in the suburban. The suburban lifestyle discourages social interactions and has a high dependence on automobiles which promote inefficient energy use as well as increasing the demand of gasoline which makes it expensive. The developers of these areas should create housing and transport choices so as to incorporate many people by lowering the cost. References Goodson, D. (2009) Suburban housing: a cheaper alternative? Web.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kim, J. (2011) The costs of urban vs. suburban living. Web. Shaik, A. (2010) Suburban Placemaking. Web. Urbanity. (n.d.) Problems with Automobile Dependency. Web. Wicklein, R. C. Kachmar, C. J., (n. d.) Philosophical Rationale for Appropriate Technology. Web.