Reserch method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reserch method - Essay Example The domain of internet mass media systems has only recently been recognised but it is without a doubt a prolific form of mass media in its own right. While mass media has affected other aspects of modern life, there is little deniability that mass media has had an overwhelming effect on contemporary politics. This is all the more true for nations that pursue the path of democracy since the average citizen is an important part of the democratic structure. The opinion of the ordinary person in a democratic system makes all the difference between success and failure in regards to political issues. It has been argued that the mass media tends to bear an overbearing influence on the modern man in a democratic system so that the democratic process is biased. On the other hand, it has been advocated that mass media outlets only have the power to present people with the issues to think about while people decide on the issues themselves. The American Presidential race for example has come und er scrutiny time and again for it being tilted to favour one faction or the other due to overarching mass media influences. These mass media influences are chosen by a handful of mass media organisers who tend to exert sizable influence on the overall political process. This is only possible due to the very nature of the mass media structure that provides limited input exposure to the common man. Mass media gurus and bosses get to choose what is shown and what is not. Arguably, this should tend to subside with the introduction of more free mass media outlets such as the internet. Previous mass media streams whether print, broadcast or digital have been controlled exclusively by the mass media bureaucracy due to the inherent design of the overall process. However, the internet is highly differentiated from all of these mass media streams given that it is as accessible to the common person as it is to mass media gurus. The average person can simply go ahead and publish his views as he sees fit which was not possible under the conventional mass media regime given the limitations on what material to publish. This would also tend to indicate that the mass media in the form of the internet is free from the influence of overarching political structures. Hence, it could be assumed that the internet would serve as a means of liberation for the mass media that has been in the clutches of organisational structures for decades. The recent uprising in the Middle East sponsored by internet mass media especially social networking media has exposed a new dimension to mass media and politics. Mass media has been shown to be linked to political change without any remaining doubts since the Arab domino effect was able to remove three deeply entrenched dictatorial regimes. These regimes namely Ben Ali in Tunisia, Hosseni Mubarak in Egypt and Muammar Kaddafi in Libya had overwhelming control of mass media outlets except for the internet. Throughout the entire conflict, none of the se dictators were able to subject the internet mass media machine to their wishes. Consequently, internet mass media was used to disseminate information and to rally support against these political machinations. It could be inferred from these changes that the internet mass media has independence and potential for open and fair change. However, neither before nor after the Arab uprisings was internet mass med