In life there is the struggle for power, the struggle for power, and the struggle for power. I've made this statement to prove a point as to why our government in these United States is setup the way it is. The American Government has a separation of powers, which means it is divided into three distinct branches that check on each other. The System of Checks and Balances prevents any one branch of the government from becoming too power or getting out of control. This is a good system, but may have one small problem. Our government is supposed to be by the people and for the people, so who checks on all three of these branches on behalf of the people? The answer to this question is the media.
The media has been said to be like the fourth branch of government due to the role it plays in keeping the branches of government in check. Without the media it would be virtually impossible for the general public to know what is going on in and with the government, therefore the role of media is vital to citizens and voters. I'm sure we are all familiar with the expression, "Big Brother is watching you," but what happens when you start watching Big Brother and telling everything that he does? When considering the methods that the media uses to check each branch of the government I would say that the media keeps the public informed by reporting what the government is doing whether good or bad. The media is like a reporting agency always letting the people of our nation know what their elected officials are up to. The method of reporting timely and accurate news helps to enforce the integrity of our governing body. In cases where something bad has been reported, the media can help motivate the government and those in office to correct the error of their ways. Since the media tells all on those who run for office and are elected, and since it largely shapes public opinion and defines the character of a candidate to the masses, it is indeed a powerful type of fourth branch in the system of checks and balances. Now and days with media extended to the Internet, and with just about anyone having the ability to be a content creator we as the people can join in on this checks and balances system provided by the media.
Former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil once said, "All politics is local politics." I'm not exactly sure what he meant by this statement, but I think I have an idea. Everybody is from somewhere, and each local place that we are from has its own distinct issues that are important to that place, initiatives, points of view, and desires for the government to act in a certain way regarding certain things. What this all means is that all the people in Washington, D.C. acting in the political realm are representing the local people from their home town/state which would make all politics local politics. Also, why do you think the presidential candidates go out on the campaign trail rather than just broadcasting to the nation from one central location? It is because they want to reach people where they live, love, and where their families and lives are. For a presidential candidate to be successful, they have to take a local approach for a national effort.
I have to go check out the fourth branch now. I'll speak to you again soon on the blog where Deneene Says...
Excellent point with the current media environment making anyone a member of it. It kind of begs the question that if we can be the news writers, do we really need the media? I'm sure that will be an interesting topic of discussion as we go forward.
ReplyDeleteYes Michael...we are all capable of being reporters. Even being public contributors we need a news media source to know what to report on or respond to. I've always wondered where the news comes from. I know it comes from events that are reported on, but how do journalists find out this information so fast in order to make it news?
ReplyDeleteAs a democratic government the media has given us citizens an opportunity to participate in the checks and balances system by being able to speak our mind on issues that the government is debating through the internet, advertisements, etc. I think that a journalists job is to know in advance when and where specific events are happening to make the news. And remember that our news is censored to a point.. so we might not know everything that is going on in the government.
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