ek399011@ohio.edu
With the next presidential campaign looming right around the corner, once again the media dominates and seemingly controls the race for the White House. This past year of campaigning and the media have taken the media's affect on politics to an new level, especially in regards to republican party candidate Donald Trump.
As Trump himself stated, "If you get good ratings,--and these are monster--and these aren’t good, these are monster—then you’re going to be on all the time, even if you have nothing to say.” In other terms, Trump believes what others, also believe, the media plays what is going to benefit them, not necessarily all sides of the campaigns. Furthermore meaning, if Trump pus on a show they will air his platform and thus further his campaign.
According to a Pew Research study though, Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie possess the most media coverage in this most recent presidential campaign. This seems contradictory to the what we ingest daily in the media and to what Trump stated. Overall though GOP candidates have been mentioned more (202) over democratic candidates (105). The Pew Research study suggests this difference may stem from the sheer amount of republican candidates over the fewer quantity of democratic candidates.
But the question still remains, if the media controls the course of the election. Trumps race began with almost a laughable quality. While some took him seriously as a GOP candidate, most considered his run for the White House a joke. But as we get closer to election time and Trump gets more and more air time, his political stances and initiatives gain more and more air time as well. Media and air time does not necessarily correlate with validity, but it certainly gives it the sensation of it.
In a Media Matters article, the other GOP candidates weigh in on the coverage of Trump during the campaigns and election season. According to them, they relate Trump and the way he is absorbed by the media as moths to a flames. Most of them felt almost slighted, as the media overlooks their platforms for the more entertaining and rating based Trump. In order for them to get their views out, they feel as the traditional method of just going out and talking to the voters is the biggest option for them as the news coverage seemingly will not cover them, choosing instead to get the ratings off the show that is Donald Trump.
People criticize the media when it comes to campaigns regarding covering either to much of one side or the other. Yet in this most recent case of the presidential election, the show and ratings has taken over and the media has almost become a spectacle. Candidates lose precious airtime which they need in these critical months leading up the the prime election season. This raises the question of the media's place within elections and campaigns as some campaigns gets more publicity than others. Will this affect the overall outcome of the election? We will find out in 2016.
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