The Media And Campaigns

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The Media and Campaigns
In the United States of America, there exist few things more capricious than election campaigns. Although the age to register to vote is 18, that certainly does not prohibit Americans of any age with a television in their home from exposure to the world of politics. As a child it could be the commercial intervals between your after school cartoons, advocating positively or negatively in behalf of a candidate. As an adult this same political exposure comes not only through the nightly news on television, but other facets such as talk radio, magazines, or newspapers. The questions that come to mind are: How do we as registered voters, determine who is telling the truth, and which approach to this political advertising is the most politically correct? In chapter three of Political Parties, Campaigns, and Elections, there are three separate articles that adumbrate the dynamic that exists between the media and political campaigns. After reading these three articles and additional resources I have gathered on the subject, it is fair to say that the general consensus in America is a distrust in politicians. With a veil of distrust towards politicians lingering over society, what avenues are available to the general public in obtaining accurate unbiased information on the candidates running for office? It is fair to say that the majority of America lacks the personal funding and availability to accompany candidates firsthand on the campaign trail. As a result we are left to watch or read in the comfort of our own homes, the interpretations of each candidate and their campaign from the journalists that follow them. The opinion I have derived from my research, is that the media in general leaves us with a skewed and inevitably biased outline of who is running for office, resulting mainly from the partisan views of the organization covering the candidate.
At what point did the focus of political campaigning ...