Evaluate The View That The Influence of the Media in Politics is Exaggerated

Introduction

media can be fined as communication channels that inform the public of political discourse

Paragraph Focus

• Para 1 = Elections

• Para 2 = Holding Government Account

• Para 3 = Democracy

Para 1 = Weaker Argument - Not Significant

• eg. 52% of The Daily Mail’s readership and 47% of the Telegraph’s readership, both of which are key conservatives newspapers, intended to support Labour in the 2024 election

• this shows that voters form their own opinions and are highly unlikely to be swayed by the partisan views of the media during elections

• this may be due to ideological dealignment where voters beliefs and voting patterns stop aligning with specific media outlets

• therefore, the impact of the media during elections can be overstated.

Para 1 = Stronger Argument - Significant

• eg. 2024 election, news of Rishi Sunak leaving D-Day commemorations early spread very quickly on social media, greatly harming the Tories’ popularity

• this shows that the media can be seen as important in shaping voters perceptions of parties and leaders through biased reporting

• through this, voters can make informed decision that can sway elections as seen in 2024 when Labour won a landslide

Para 2 = Weaker Argument - Not Significant

• eg. in March 2026, Kemi Badenoch continuously pressed Starmer about Lord Mandelson’s connections to Epstein

• this shows that Parliament can be seen as playing a more important role in holding the government to account

• this is because MPs have the power to require direct accountability from the government which can effect backbench MPs standing on legislation

• unlike the media, who have no power and can only report and comment on the actions of the government

Para 2 = Stronger Argument - Significant

• eg. Freedom of information requests by media outlets were also crucial in exposing the “freebiegate” scandal in the summer of 2024, when they revealed that the Labour leadership accepted substantial gifts from donor Lord Alli, who was given a security pass to Downing Street.

• this shows that the media plays a key role in holding the government to account and exposing its failures between elections.

• this is because they are not bound by party whips like MPs which can limit their ability to fully scrutinise the government

• the media, however, is independent as incentivised by public interest

Para 3 = Weaker Argument - Not Significant

• In March 2023, The Telegraph published over 100,000 leaked WhatsApp messages from Matt Hancock, which revealed details about the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic

• demonstrates that right-wing media can act independently of the government, prioritising public interest and journalistic integrity over political allegiance

• This means the key democratic role of the media in holding the government accountable, regardless of its political leanings

Para 3 = Stronger Argument - Significant

• In the run up to the 1997 election, The Sun switched to Labour, as Blair showed business had nothing to fear under him, but it switched back to the Conservatives in 2010 after repudiating Brown and back to Labour in 2024

• this shows Newspapers are notoriously partisan and will alter their allegiance in response to changing circumstances and boosting their circulation figures as much as to any ideological loyalties

• This can be seen as having a negative impact on democracy because newspaper owners can’t be held to account in the same way politicians can