Media as a Carrier of Perceptions – Study of Indian Media Shaping the Youth’s Political Opinions

I. Introduction

‘Youth’ is not an entirely homogenous entity, or one that can be addressed and supplemented with just one source of information-communication derivations. Age-sex structure is one of the most important characteristics of population composition. The youth of India accounts for 30.9% of the population ²,which in turn can be rendered as 373 million people with 373 million different rationales. These young minds are impressionable, pliable and receptive. Today, a strong political proficiency and opinion is highly valued in the society, and since there is information pounding from all corners, forming the correct judgement has more power than constructing a vague, biasedone. A diametrically opposite media today has been polarized within an inch in itself, leading to just a cluttered heap of facts and figures. Soft power and its mighty influence oftentimes act as a customized tool kit made for the recipients, for the society. However, there are many social institutions that do honor the exclusivity of these statistics. They do not reinvent the information according to their own agendas and rather present the authentic disclosures. This actively demonstrates the active role of media in shaping the youth’s political opinions.

(A) Literature Review

“Recent research on youth political participation has been a microcosm for a larger debate about the evolution of political engagement in the post-industrial era. It is clear that public participation in the traditional forms of democratic engagement (such as voting, joining political parties, and trade unions) has declined in many developed countries, but the consequences of this are contested. On the one hand, some have expressed deep concern that these developments constitute a devastating blow to our democratic institutions”³.“Yet others take a more positive view and argue that rather than declining, democracy is being transformed, and that citizens are looking beyond the established political institutions to find new and creative ways to express their political preferences and to achieve their civic and political goals.”

Husak and Fialka believe that “Social Medial Influence on Public Opinion and Youth Behaviour”, 2018 are of the opinion that human nature is such that it makes them eager to know about their surroundings, the the tendency of being informed, such an atypical nature makes them eager to know about their surroundings, the tendency of being informed by the information that they receive without critically thinking about the authenticity of the information”.

Hadeshian S. is of the opinion that Talking about the media is like talking about a mission. A source of information and education that will shape the daily choices in people’s life. That will shape the thinking, and the perception of things. But Media is a political power and tool, occupied in a way by the big powers, international corporations, big agencies using for their political and economic objectives that control and can pay.

Ziolkowski J. believes that in the second half of the last hundred years industrialization based on mechanistic technology has given way to electronic technologies. Their overwhelming presence at the turn of the second and third millennia has changed modes of thought, the manner in which meanings are conveyed, and the way in which the images of the world are formed. In the mass media of communication the media, characteristically, seem to have become an end, not a means.

(B) Central Question

To examine whether media has strongly shaped the youth’s political opinions today taking complete control, or is authenticity and relevance of information still a matter of adequate gravitas.

(C) Related Questions

• Why does the youth get affected by quick and easy information?
• What role does media play in supporting political parties?
• Does the media still act as a watchdog of the government?
• How are the politics and youth connected?

(D) Hypothesis

While a major fraction of the youth of the country are habitual to distorted information leading to mis-formed political beliefs, there is a fragment of the society which still relies on accuracy.

(E) Methodology

This paper is descriptive and analytical in nature. Data was collected in secondary form from books, journals, newspapers, articles, research papers and online sources of information that were required according to the need of the study.

II. History of media

Our country’s media establishments are one of the oldest, active since the late 18th century, and they possess a great deal of accomplishments. The necessity for the media to function effectively as the watchdog of public welfare was recognized during the freedom struggle. The founding fathers of the Indian Republic realized the need to balance the freedom of expression of the press with a sense of responsibility. Adherence to accepted norms of journalistic ethics and maintenance of high standards of professional conduct was regarded to be the foundation of press. After independence, the Indian media had evolved, reformed and reinvented itself to a large extent, and nowadays one can see a clear division between commercial and aesthetic expressions of the media groups. Today’s mass media seems to have a goal of passing any information to all of its possible variants. It aims for an unbiased dissipation of content and that is carried out via the World Wide Web, the most efficient media tool. It has changed the role of sole gatekeeper and broke the concept of exclusive control of traditional media organizations over content. Media-audience interactions are now more like a dialogue with varied opinions. Many people in developing countries still do not have access to continuous supply of electricity or water, but they most probably have access to a cell phone and internet. The possibilities of being exposed are too many and journalists are forced to tell the truth. Consequently, blogs have become the major source of news and information about many global issues. We also have to consider that bloggers are often at their own risk, as they provide independent news in countries where the mainstream media is censored, biased or under control.

The media scenario of India in all these years has undergone sea change. The change can be broadly divided into two categories, i.e. the positive achievements of the media and negative trends in the media. But before delving into both of these aspects, it will be appropriate to refer to the major factor which has shaped the growth of this powerful medium of communication. Globalization, the new economic order of the world, has opened the floodgates to a cut– throat competition virtually in every sphere of our activities. The media and communication industries have immensely contributed in facilitating overall globalization. The impact of globalization is not merely an economic phenomenon, dictated by the market dominated corporate capitalism but also very powerful cultural content, shaped by the inseparable intertwining of advertising, television and internet. The potentiality of today’s media is required to focus on live issues with intense studies of the problems for quick growth of women empowerment. A note of caution need be made at this stage. Misleading and improper gender biased programming which are often resorted by media turns out to be counterproductive. It is heartening to note that today quite a few women 8 journalists are occupying responsible positions even in managerial cadre and other responsible position in journalism.”

III. Youth, politics and media

The youth of a country is its ultimate human resource.It is difficult to provide a clear-cut definition of youth that would describe with accuracy the lived experience of all young people. For a general understanding, however, and for achieving some clarity the term young people refers to individuals belonging to the age category 16 to 30 years, a life-stage that is characterized by common challenges regarding opportunities and risks in life domains, such as education, training, employment, welfare, housing, health/ mental health issues as well as regarding issues of identity formation.

P.Russo and Stattin note that ‘political interest is a key for the survival and development of democracies.’⁴ Political interest can simply be explained as how much politics is attractive to someone.⁵Same author further explains that ‘a politically interested citizen will give particular attention to one or many subjects linked to public space or collective concern, such as the environment, public policy, human rights, or an election, to name only a few.’ Political interest among youth is important because it is one of the most consistent predictors of political participation.⁶

But how intrinsically are the youth,media and politics actually entwined? Does the media help the youth in taking their political stands in the true sense or in a desired one? Do they have the ability to distinguish whether they approve of what is being presented on the platter? And does the media recognize the inherent responsibility it carries of the entire democracy?

As observed previously, media today is increasingly in motion towards polarization of its content and presentation. A kind of polarization which also divides the politics of India in two. With the government, and against it. A kind of polarization which cumulatively will not help in the betterment of the society. Naturally, the young minds find themselves inclined towards a certain bloc after acquiring information which is heavily prejudiced, if not distorted. This leads to either a politically extremist or a completely unfazed mind. In addition to this, today’s youth harbors a premeditated scaffold of political opinions and media plays a major role in it, since its duty is “serving”, in a true sense. The relationship between the media, the youth and politics is essential for the destiny of the country heavily banks upon its people. As a part of the integrity of media, a major responsibility is hereby assigned to it, the responsibility of the truth. Truth has 3 aspects today. First the truth, absolute as it is. Second is the projection of truth, and the third is the perception of truth. While the truth in invincible, its projection by media is subjective, depending upon its intention, capability and commitment towards the betterment of the society. Perception or inference of the same is dependent upon the maturity of the receiver. Consequently, the uprightness of media brings forth with itself, a state of enlightenment.

IV. Sources of influence

People use social network sites basically to maintain contact with friends and associates, make new contacts with friends of friends or people with common interests, content sharing, engaging in self-expression, consume commercial and user-generated content, get information and casual learning and forinformal and formal youth engagement opportunities.

‘The wide availability of communication technologies nowadays such as social media has provided young people with more channels than ever to find out about, discuss and engage in politics’⁷.Lately,many researches have questioned the impact of the Internet on political participation among the younger population, a task motivated by the increase in political interest and electoral participation among young people across mature democracies⁸. When social networks and political interest are viewed together a conclusion is such drawn that social networks allow even the political disinterested users to ‘uniquely experience politics through politically mobilizing action and messages by their peers and incidental expo-sure, which could help promote political interest’.

“Online media is an important point in the space of social media, having a large followership of young individuals, youth networks or groups as well as youth appeal for information gathering and dissemination. Young people's everyday political conversations, as expressions of political citizenship in social media, are minimally researched when approached from a non-formal understanding of politics and citizenship”⁹

“The news media is useful not only for mobilizing voters but also in integrating all other facets of campaigns, including rally organizing and delivering campaign communications to potential voters on a consistent basis, at almost no cost to them. New ways of communicating, using the social media, has a democratic potential that opens for new forms of political participation and conversations. Research that tries to make a connection between democracy, young citizens and Information and Communication Technology(ICT) is limited but growing”¹⁰. Increased accessibility through ICT too is a medium of growing communication, since an average teen still has a phone in their hand despite of their economical status. This constant connectedness helps the spread to be more fast than it already is.”

V. Psychology behind the madness

Political campaigns in today’s era are not limited to rallies, speeches to deal with crowds and masses rather social media is an emerging tool to share information, influence and engage people for political participation. Political leaders and officials are realizing the importance of social media as it becomes a powerful tool to spread political information as well as contacting citizens.

The Internet affords to seek out like-minded partners for political discussion but to comparably avoid non-like-minded partners when they are inadvertently exposed to them. More and more people have access to the Internet and social networking sites and as such have platform to air their political views mostly from the comfort of their homes or privacy. Furthermore, an average Indian has become more politically conscious and uses any medium available to participate and express political view. Hiding one’s identity on social media is easy, for people especially who feel inexpressive otherwise, now find an option to release all their political energy out through social media. In a day and age where forming and carrying a political opinion is considered as brave, it is of utmost pride in getting others to follow the same principles as well. Through newspapers columns, magazines, and editorial articles, a strong hold on the nation’s politics can be acquired. However, reading these analyses and comprehending them are time consuming and tedious. Today’s youth is such that it wants everything at a click of their fingers, the average attention span of humans being 8 seconds. Lack of patience, lack of time and investment and the yearning for having something to say are important factors behind success of propagandizing.

Russo and Stattin note that ‘political interest is a key for the survival and development of democracies.’ Political interest can simply be explained as how much politics is attractive to someone. Same author further explains that ‘a politically interested citizen will give particular attention to one or many subjects linked to public space or collective concern, such as the environment, public policy, human rights, or an election, to name only a few.’Political interest among youth is important because it is one of the most consistent predictors of political participation. Ilišin V. explains that youth in contemporary society at the same time represent a great political potential and latent problematic part of the population whose political behavior is less predictable than other social groups.

VI. New media – a solution

A new political media should be a form of “communication that facilitate the production, dissemination, and exchange of political content on platforms and within networks that accommodate interaction and collaboration”. “They must evolve rapidly, and continue to develop in novel, sometimes unanticipated ways. New media must have wide-ranging implications for democratic governance and political practices. They must radically alter the ways in which government institutions operate and political leaders communicate, transforming the political media system, and redefining the role of journalists.” They must redefine the way elections are contested, and how citizens engage in politics.

Legacy media consisting of established mass media institutions that predate the Internet, such as newspapers, radio shows, and television news programs must coexist with new media that are the outgrowth of technological innovation. While legacy media maintain relatively stable formats, the litany of new media, including the websites, blogs, video-sharing platforms, digital apps, and social media, must continually be expanding in innovative ways. Mass media designed to deliver general interest news to broad audiences have been joined by niche sources that narrowcast to discrete users. New media can relay information directly to individuals without the intervention of editorial or institutional gatekeepers, which are intrinsic to legacy forms. Henceforth, new media has introduced an increased level of instability and unpredictability into the political communication process.”

“The relationship between legacy media and new media is symbiotic. Legacy media have incorporated new media into their reporting strategies. They distribute material across an array of old and new communication platforms. They rely on new media sources to meet the ever-increasing demand for content.” Despite competition from new media, the audiences for traditional media remain robust, even if they are not as formidable as in the past. “Consequently, new media rely on their legacy counterparts to gain legitimacy and popularize their content. Ideally, the media serves several essential roles in a democratic society. Their primary purpose is to inform the public, providing citizens with the information needed to make thoughtful decisions about leadership and policy. The media act as watchdogs checking government actions. They set the agenda for public discussion of issues, and provide a forum for political expression. They also facilitate community building by helping people to find common causes, identify civic groups, and work toward solutions to societal problems.”¹¹

VII. The business of fake news

“The graphic of the concept of post-truth reporting is the rise of fake news. The definition of fake news has transformed over time, and continues to be fluid. Fake news stories cater to people’s preexisting beliefs about political leaders, parties, organizations, and the conventional news media. “While some fake news stories are outright fabrications, others contain elements of truth that make them seem credible to audiences. Conspiracy theories, hoaxes, and lies were spread fluently through Facebook, Snapchat, and other social media, and reached millions of voters. They make use of social media interactions and algorithms to disseminate content to specific ideological constituencies.”¹²

Fabricated stories are spread virally by social bots, automated software that replicates messages by masquerading as a person. The cost of producing and distributing information on a wide scale have been reduced. The logistics and skills necessary to create content are less formidable. Social networking sites make it possible to build and maintain audiences of like-minded people who will trust posted content. Fake news proliferates widely through social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. In fact, fake news stories are spread more widely on Facebook than factual mainstream media reports. Audiences are fooled and confused by fake news, which confounds basic facts about politics and government with fiction.”

The notion of the press as a political watchdog casts the media as a guardian of the public interest. The watchdog press provides a check on government abuses by supplying citizens with information and forcing government transparency. However, there are aspects of the media’s watchdog role that have become more difficult to fulfill. Countering outright lies by public officials has almost become an exercise in futility, even as fact-checking has become its own category of news. This tendency is exacerbated by the fact that there is a revolving door where working journalists move between positions in the media and government. Some scholars maintain that this revolving door compromises the objectivity of journalists who view a government job as the source of their next paycheck.The media acts as a mouthpiece for political leaders by publicizing their words and actions even when their news value is questionable.”

VIII. Constructing narratives – media and elections

Mainstream media don’t cover public opinion so much as they construct narratives about public opinion. When media cover polls, they tell a story about what public opinion is, shaping the very way we understand it in their choice of questions, what they exclude, their lack-of follow-up and specificity, and their reliance on mainstream political stereotypes and labels to tell a good story. Media coverage of public opinion does not recognize the gap between a public that tends to be more liberal than mainstream politicians. Media has an "elite" orientation – a built-in bias toward the views of those in positions of power – because elites have the greatest access to media. In this way, politicians, who tend to have power, control and money, set the media stage for what we talk about and how because politicians are more conservative than the public, their power and access alter and shape the media narrative in more conservative directions. Polling and the interpretation of poll results therefore tend to steer away from nuance and specific measures of ordinary people’s views on issues, focusing instead on so-called "horse-race," candidate-centered polls. Candidate-centered polls and coverage reduce politics to image, steer people in one predetermined direction or the other, and in this way set up a narrow range of artificial choices while excluding alternative views about policy. “Media plays an agenda setting roll, with public concern about issues tending to follow media coverage of those issues – rather than any changes in the real world. Shifts measured in so-called "public concern" about problems such as drugs and violence have nothing to do with the scale of these problems, and everything to do with the amount the media cover them. The power of media to define what issues are important has to do with what they report, and what they don’t. The overall effect of media omissions is "to suppress active public support for changing the current course."¹³

While many are afraid that a biased media will shape people's views during elections, the media is more effective in dictating what issues voters should view as important and less effective in shaping those views. Since the media is practically the only way to get campaign information widely distributed, they influence what issues people should consider when evaluating a candidate and what criteria to judge them ,their viewpoints do not drastically change and the media has more of a reinforcing role than it does in shaping viewpoints .The media has a strong influence on the issues the public views as important because repeated coverage of certain issues become priorities for the viewers and can affect the evaluation of candidates.”

IX. Media's influence on government

Even after the election, the media still plays a large roll in influencing the government's agenda through spotlighting issues and directing public and political concerns. Experts argue that while the media may not be a source of new ideas for the government, it still has an effect on policymakers because "the public's familiarity with political matters is closely related to the amount and duration of attention these affairs receive in the mass media". It can be argued that in some incidents the media can set the political agenda by covering issues the government does not want to focus on. "The mass media can be seen not only as a driving force behind cultural and social change but also as an index for political mobilization, both domestically and internationally”. Just as the media can help to shape the political agenda, the government can equally influence the media's coverage. The government can dictate political media coverage to a certain extent, because the media regularly uses officials as sources in news stories and they are able to express their views and set their agenda on a regular basis. The media has become dependent on using officials because of "the nature of newsgathering routines and the need for regular easy access to legitimate sources who possess valuable information".The government can shape the media's agenda by providing the press with briefings, background, press releases, interviews and press conferences.”

“Political parties have used big data analytics techniques for increasing mass outreach and conveying their key messages for the general elections. An expert said social media has served as the most important source of information for political developments, surpassing other mediums. There is a wide-spread belief that there is a strong political bias in the media and while that may be true to some extent, it doesn't have a significant effect on shaping the voter's views. One area that newspapers do take a stand on is in editorials, which has largely dictated by how people view certain publications. Page argues that various media outlets take distinctive stands, which can remain consistent over a period of time The people's perception that certain publications are bias can have a negative effect on journalists as a whole. While the public demands that the press question politicians, there is public discontent when bad news is reported due to the public’s distrust in news and a "kill the messenger syndrome." At times, the public will assume all media is the same and when one publication is guilty of inaccurate or bias news, it can hurt all the media. But it is impossible for any political coverage to be completely free of opinion or objectivity. The media is forced to make decisions when covering politics about who to interview, what quotes and facts to select and how to interpret information.

There are many different forms of media that affect the political landscape, but the two primary types of media are paid media and free media. Paid media can make or break a campaign depending on how much a candidate has to spend on television, posters, fliers, etc. "To a large extent, campaign spending is driven by the behavior of the challengers; when the challenger is well-funded, the incumbent will spend more in response". Paid media can be expensive and because voters have learned to tune-out political propaganda, free-media can be much more effective. With paid media it is not always easy to get the message heard by voters. Viewers are impatient now more than ever and political messengers must work in a 30-second commercial to break through cynical viewers who flip through channels and live in an entertainment-filled world.”

X. Conclusion

In the world we are living today, more than any materialistic, most basic, or essential requirement, the need for truth still remains absolute. People living in one of the most diversely democratic nation want and deserve the truth. The political impact of media on people,its power to influence the young generation of leaders, and the faith built between both of them is going to decide the future of India, because from today’s youth will come – The President of India, The Prime Ministers, The Cabinet and Parliament and the oppositions. Therefore, having a sound political knowledge and opinion are both essential for the Indian democracy to be a just one, a true one. This would lead to giving people what they want,as aforementioned, the truth. Because what is democracy, if not of the people, by the people, for the people.

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Journals

1. Prior, M. ( 2005). News vs. entertainment: How increasing media choice widens gaps in political knowledge and turnout. American Journal of Political Science, 49, 577-592 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2005.00143.x

2. The Economic Times-Social media plays key role in influencing first-time voters: Report. May 12, 2019, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/social-media-plays-key-role-in-influencing-first-time-voters-report/article show/69295605.cms?from=mdr

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