Media impact on politics | Graphic by Alexander Roberts | The Wright State Guardian
As the presidential election draws closer, candidates are using new methods to try and reach audiences, including taking to social media.
Validity of information
A big issue when elections come around is the lack of education among voters. It is crucial to find accurate information, but in this age of the internet, that is becoming more and more difficult.
Anyone can go online and post anything they want without having the facts to back it up. This is seen frequently on social media.
Dave Baxter, a professor of communication at Wright State University, shared his opinion on how false information is being spread online.
“Social media, when it’s not backed up with facts, is just noise. People will eat up whatever they see without fact-checking,” Baxter said.
Social media can be a good way for people to share information when it is used correctly. It is always important to do research of your own on issues, but younger people can hear about lots of current issues from social media.
Kayla Davenport, a student majoring in communication, shared how politics have been positively shared in the media.
“Social media can be a good informative platform for people who don’t have access to the news,” Davenport said.
TikTok
One of the biggest ways candidates have been using social media is by creating content on TikTok. It is currently the most downloaded app in the world and, therefore, a great platform to reach the largest audience.
However, people have very different opinions on how they are choosing to reach their audiences.
“I think it’s a good tactic. They’re using TikTok to play into their young audiences and gain popularity,” Davenport said.
There has been evidence of this on both sides. Donald Trump brought out Bryce Hall, an influencer on TikTok, at a rally to show his support. In the same sense, Kamala Harris went on a podcast hosted by influencer Alex Cooper.
Although this tactic has been successful in reaching younger voters, not everyone is a fan of how candidates are doing this.
Carter Hudson, another communication major, shared his opinion on how candidates are using social media.
“They’re not humans the way we’re humans, they just want to humanize themselves for votes. They use social media because it’s an easy way to manipulate people,” Hudson said.
Influencers
The rise of influencers has contributed heavily to the use of social media in politics. People get a following and assume they need to give their opinions online. Issues occur when people who do not have accurate information start to tell others.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but they don’t always need to be shared online,” Baxter said.
There is also a risk when following the advice and opinions of influencers. There is no way to know if they are being honest or simply looking for views and popularity.
“It is hard looking at celebrities in the media. If you look at public voter records you can see many people endorsing candidates for money,” Hudson said.
Before the upcoming election, make sure to do your research about the issues and make sure the information you get is accurate. Get educated and go vote.
