The Role of Media in Governance and Society

The Role of Media in Governance and Society

Introduction             

Referred to as the 4^thestate, media plays a key role in societal development and governance. The 4^thestate terms is derived from the fact that there are three arms of government namely legislature, judiciary and the executive. Media is hence seen as the fourth arm playing the watchdog role in society. Media is independent and the freedom of the media is enshrined and guaranteed by the constitution. However, there is also media law which governs and regulates the manner in which media operates. In this discussion some of the issues discussed include media freedom and the law that governs such freedom. Further, the discussion has delved into matters policy in media seeking to establish the balance that needed between playing the role of informing the society and playing the watchdog role. 

Backgrounder             

Media plays an instrumental role in ensuring that the public stays informed. The manner in which media operates,however, must be regulated to ensure that it remain within the confines of the law of the land. Sometimes, as media seeks to fulfill its wholesome purpose of informing, educating, entertaining and criticizing, it may go overboard hence the need for regulation (Price, 2014). As a tool of communication, media has a special place in society, playing a crucial role in shaping public opinion and perception on various issues. This is not just through the information that they disseminate to their audience, but also through the interpretation and analysis that they provide.     

Agenda Setting             

This is perhaps the biggest role that media plays in society. This entails telling people what to think about and how to think about it. Research shows that scholars of policy often ignored the role that the media plays in shaping public opinion.However, with recently conducted studies which have seen the need to integrate studies on policy making and media, scholars now see the need to have a combined relook at the two. Institutions of politics such as the media have a culture that shape day to day interactions with the process of policy making.             

In this regard, media is seen as a formal organ within the process of policy making and hence the need to understand and appreciate the implications of interactions of media actors in the process of policy making. The media is part of a process that is considered complex in processing of information whose effect is seen and felt in policy making. 

Comparative Approach                        

In studies of media and public policy, agenda setting as a theme has become common in the last two decades due to the similarity in their foundation. The influence that media has in shaping public opinion is represented in a straight model which gives an illustration of the link between the manner in which media frames a certain message and what the public considers to be true (Doreen & Young, 2017). The structure adopts a high hierarchy in that media as an organ distributes information which the public receives based on the gate keeping and priming techniques employed by the media. Scholars have taken up this structure to test the content that news stories have, looking at the attributes and their tone. One of the struggles that scholars in media grapple with is the limitation of the frame regarding the relationship between the public and media. Scholars of policy on the other hand struggle to understand the place of media in an otherwise ‘untidy or disorganized’ environment. The media has the power to affect the process of policy making and this would be a mechanism for both negative and positive feedback.  

The studies of both media and policy in agenda setting is likely to benefit from analysis that looks at how the two can be integrated. The role of the media in agenda setting cannot be ignored not just in the priming process for public trust and believability, but also the effects that the members of Congress will look at in coming up with media laws. The actions of the legislators in creating and passing media laws does not end once the law is enacted. Instead, the ripple effect extends to the public within which the media is engulfed. The media comes in as the middle organ between the Congress and the perception held by the public .

Although it is clear that media plays an agenda setting role in society, scholars are yet to unanimously agree the extent to which this role influences the process of policy making. One advantage that media as a tool of information dissemination enjoys over all other organs in the public domain is the ability to reach masses. The media as tool of information caries within it the power to communicate to multitudes of people in different parts of the globe. There is not any other organ that possesses such huge power. 

Integration of Media and Policy             

With the appreciation of the complex nature of the relationship between the two and especially in the role they play in agenda setting, it is more prudent as scholars now agree to integrate media and policy making. The two must not be treated as separate entities as they integrate in more ways than one (Goldberg, 2014). Scholars note that there has been a divide between the two disciplines and research conducted separately yet the two are directly related. As such, there is need to bridge the two. Further, scholars note that besides the integration, they also interact and rely on each other from time to time. There are four strategies that scholars have suggested that can be used to integrate policy and media. One strategy is the appreciation of the role that media plays in agenda setting. With this understanding, media will be brought in as a key stakeholder in the policy making process and not an outsider. Appreciating the integration of media with politics will ensure that media is allowed her rightful position in the decision and policy making process.             

The second strategy is understanding that media a source of information dissemination is more often disproportionate (Eko, 2014). This means that although the media ideally ought to be balanced, fair and impartial, most times they tend to be bias. Interests such as commercial sometimes may come in the way of being proportionate. As media seeks to balance the feedback cycles (negative and positive feedback) more often they lose balance and end up being skewed. Scholars argue that the imbalance may not be intended, but it happens anyway.            

 The third strategy is getting past the assumptions that have been long held in regard to both the media and the process of policy making. The assumption of the relationship that exists between media and policy making or media and the public and vice-versa must be ridden off (Packard, 2015). Assumptions that are not backed by facts has been the reason why the two have failed to fully integrate. It is such assumptions that have continually acted as a barrier between the two aspects which if allowed to interact would be mutually beneficial.            

 The fourth strategy is viewing the media as institution when it comes to policy making. Media has role as an institution with political affiliation (Nhamo, 2017). As apolitical institution, media shapes norms in society. They also influence the process of policy making thereby playing a critical role that cannot be ignored. Media interacts with other public institutions and especially the political ones on a daily basis. As such the role and input of the media must be carefully considered in the process of policy making. 

Conclusion             

The media is one of the gate keepers in society. They play that extra role that the government or the public is not able to. For many years, media and policy making have operated parallel almost as if in competition to outdo one another. Better still, they relationship has been seen as one of indifference, yet they interact every so often. With this realization scholars argue that there is great need to bride the two concepts as they heavily depend on each other. Media is greatly affected by the policies and legislations that are made. On the other hand, policy making process require media’s input as it is the media that has platform to reach a large number of people. It is for this reason that the two must no longer be spate entities but one that co-exists. 

References 

Doreen, W & Young S. (2017). Media Law and Policy in the Internet Age. New York: Prentice        

Hall. Eko, L. (2014). New Media, Old Regimes: Case Studies in Comparative Communication. California: California University Press. 

Goldberg, D. (2014). Media Law and Practice. London: Sage 

Nhamo, M. (2017). Media Law, Ethics and Policy in the Digital Age. California: California University Press. Packard, A. (2015). Digital Media Law. New York: Prentice 

Price, M. (2014).  Handbook of Media Law. London: Routledge