Session 8-The mass media and political socialisation

Political socialization is defined as the process by which political ideologies and values are transferred for one generation to another. We do not come into the world with pre formed political opinions; powerful factors influence our political perceptions and therefore define our political belief system. With the advent of a global technological age, the mass media has become an increasingly powerful tool in political socialization.

 Our interaction with mass media such as the internet, television, newspapers etc. provides access to a wide variety of information. We can obtain information not only through official sources but through informal blog posts and informal internet forums as well. This information then tends to shape our political attitudes as well as voting behavior

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Secondly, media portrayal of different politicians can affect our opinions of these figures. Research by Byrne proved that children who had exposure to primarily television news tend to think favorably about the government and feel that it is effective.

Moreover, neo Marxists such as Althusser and Gramsci suggest that the elite owners of media transfer an ideological hegemony through the mass media which includes the propagation of political ideas.

In conclusion, research suggests that the mass media does indeed shape our political opinions but the extent that which it does so is debatable.