Name: Areesha Nadeem

Roll no: 201520147

Positive Impacts of Media on Political Participation

The social lives of citizens and their political engagement are significantly influenced by

the internet and various forms of social media. Politicians (candidates, government officials, and

members of political parties) now have a place where they can continue to exist, in the form of a

space provided by social media, a form of digital communication. Social networks help and

provide a platform for young people to learn the fundamentals of politics. Therefore they are

playing a critical and active part in their development (Muzaffar, 2019). New media can relay

information directly to individuals without the intervention of editorial or institutional

gatekeepers, which are intrinsic to legacy forms. Thus, new media have introduced an increased

level of instability and unpredictability into the political communication process.

Credibility of Government

Ideally, the media serve 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. In the same

context, Kang (2010) argued that credibility should be considered a key factor in order to

enhance public participation and make communication more effective when it comes to social

media.
Accountability of Elected Representatives

Political participation is vital in democratic countries because it allows people to keep the

elected representatives accountable and have a role in how their country is governed. By sharing

political events and actions, social media can increase transparency and hold politicians

accountable in front of the public. Social media enables the public to scrutinize and discuss the

actions of politicians. This scrutiny ensures that politicians are aware they are being watched and

evaluated by a broad audience. One of the primary roles of the media in holding elected officials

accountable is to provide accurate and timely information about their activities. This includes

reporting on their policies, decisions, and actions in office. The media is also responsible for

investigating potential abuses of power, exposing corruption, and highlighting issues that affect

the public interest.

Accountability, as understood by the democratic method, is achieved when both houses

of parliament operate normally and the electoral process is open and transparent. For these things

to happen, freedom of speech must be respected, journalism must be fair, and citizens must be

able to speak out and participate in political discourse. The purpose of the media is to educate the

public on important political and social topics. Not only does it provide people with the essential

background knowledge they require, but it also connects them to the wider world of knowledge

(Anwar & Jan, 2010).

Access to Information

Media provides unprecedented access to information, and can reach even disinterested

audience members through personalized, peer-to-peer channels, like Facebook. The use of social

media in politics has created various ways for young people to discuss politics through online
media and various features of social media such as accounts, groups, and pages on Instagram and

Facebook. Thus, there is a significant role of the internet to influence the citizen perception of

politics. This increases the political efficacy and political participation of online and social media

users. As average people join forces with the established press to perform the watchdog role,

public officials are subject to greater scrutiny. Issues and events that might be outside the horizon

of mainstream journalists can be brought into prominence by ordinary citizens. (Bimber &

Copeland, 2011) argued that there is a significant impact of social media use in politics on

political efficacy and participation

Public Opinions

Social media platforms have allowed young people to communicate with individuals who

have same ideas and to share their views on political issues. They have also provided platforms

for young people to participate in public debates and to express their opinions, often in ways that

were not possible before the arrival of social media (Omotayo & Folorunso, 2020). It is agreed

that social media has significant impact on ensuring political development by providing

opportunity to create an environment where people can voice their opinions about the

government with ease, given the public ability to perform checks and balances on public

officials, made it possible and simple for regular citizens to demand probity, transparency, and

accountability in government, and promoted greater levels of political engagement among users

(Joshua, 2020). For instance, young people who may feel excluded from traditional political

activities, can utilize social media to express their views and to participate in political

discussions on their own way.

Political Communication
 Social media generated new trends for political participation and changed the patterns of

political communication. According to (Tortorella, 2016) social media is an instrument of

communication where large range of websites enables people to interact with one another. These

media are social networking (like Facebook, LinkedIn, My Space, WhatsApp, and Twitter

among others). Social media provides more opportunity to reach a community, target specific

audience and given chances to interact with users.

Attract Voters Attention

Social media has been utilized by nations, organizations, and people all around the world

to attract voters' attention and increase public political participation. Organizations use social

media to educate voters about the voting process through campaigns, promotional content, and

advertisements. By circulating information about election dates, voter registration, and polling

locations, media can help increase voter turnout (Pew Research Center, 2012).

Transparency

Social media creates a permanent record of politicians' statements and actions. Social

media provides opportunity of information to the public on political events, engaging its users

and encouraging them to get involved in offline political activities. The social media has become

vital for political discussions and political participation. Since they enable the reporting and

exposure of wrongdoing, they may also help to lower the frequency of human rights violations.

Mass Mobilization

Protestors may utilize social media to reach a large audience and encourage mass

mobilization against policies or choices that could restrict democratic freedoms and the rights of

citizens. (Akindele, 2004) underlined that political mobilization could mean the determined
process of emotionally bringing people together and making them internalize the communality of

societal values, attitudes, and orientation in order to achieve specified holistic objectives.

Political campaigns use media to mobilize supporters, organize rallies, and promote events. This

helps build momentum and encourages people to take an active role in political movements

(Vitak et al., 2011).

Understanding of Political System

Educational programs and content available through media can help citizens understand

the political system, their rights, and the importance of their participation. This interaction fosters

a sense of community and encourages civic participation. Studies have shown that social media

can act as a "balancing force" to traditional media and increases visit to opposition party

websites, which is particularly important in environments with controlled traditional media.

(Tutel, 2015) averred that social media play a vital role in allowing politicians, citizens to reach

out one another and to provide them with the information that they need in a very accessible

way.

Youth Engagement

In Pakistan, young people are turning to social networking sites like Facebook and

Twitter to acquire knowledge, heighten their political consciousness, and float their political

ideas. People from all walks of life, students, political figures, and even political parties have

started to use social media to share their opinions on various national and international problems

and rally public support (Saboor, 2022).

Real-time Updates
 Increasing your District’s social media presence can help increase public awareness and

engagement. This includes sharing links to video of public meetings or other events,

encouraging public participation. Another benefit is providing real-time updates, such as

emergency alerts and public service announcements. Information is shared quickly and citizens

can provide feedback nearly instantaneously.

References

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