Wild Card

Introduction

Political media in America has changed drastically over several hundred years, advancing with new technology and information used within American politics.

We live in a fast-changing world, constantly erupting with new ideas and changes. As Americans, we are affected by the change, and it is our job to prepare ourselves for the major impacts we will face with each new adjustment. Concerning politics, mass media is a huge factor in America, and continues to affect us every single election cycle. 

The best way to understand political media trends of the future is to understand the past. In this paper, I will be discussing past, present, and future political media trends and how they affect Americans. 

Past Political Media and Its Impact

Before social media, the internet, and cell phones existed, mass media was distributed through "print media". Crazy, right? 

With so much information and news at the tips of our fingers every single day, it's hard to imagine what life was like without instant updates about the world around us. 

During the colonial and revolutionary eras, the first newspapers emerged in major port cities as a way to "provide merchants with the latest trade news". During the 1780s and 1790s, people relied on newspapers for updates pertaining to the political changes in the country, such as the new amendments to the U.S. Constitution. At this point, local newspapers in cities began daily publications, allowing people across America to learn new information faster than ever before. 

When the first political parties were formed in the 1800s, each party created its own national newspaper, establishing a direct line to each party's supporters.  Each newspaper distributed its own pamphlets, posters, and ballots to voters.  

In the Progressive Era, the newspaper industry expanded greatly, due to new advancements in technology. Printing presses and transportation became more efficient, increasing the number of newspapers distributed across the country. This expansion provided investigative journalists, known as the Muckrakers, with more content than ever, exposing corruption within the local and national governments. 

The New Deal era and Franklin D. Roosevelt are famous for the frequent use of radio broadcasting to distribute information across the country. Franklin D. Roosevelt was known for his "fireside chats", where he addressed American citizens about banking/unemployment/fascism, and gave "millions of people comfort and renewed confidence in these speeches". Roosevelt was also the first president to be televised. Roosevelt's presidency created a huge impact and change within political media.

When television debuted in American homes, it quickly became the largest news medium in America. New advertising techniques were created, establishing a shift within political campaigns and elections, forever. Suddenly, campaign funding was a huge component of political campaigns, and used the money to create short 30-second to a-minute campaign advertisements, which proved to be an effective technique that would be used for generations to come.

The first televised presidential debate (1960)

JFK v. Richard Nixon

Political media saw a major shift in news mediums, between the 1980s and 1990s. While television was still the number one advertising medium for campaigns, there was a new trend of political talk shows, tabloids, and "talk radio". Newspapers and even television grew unpopular, as the internet took over. 

This new technology was a foothold to new technology and the introduction of social media platforms. The internet and social media quickly became essential tools within political campaigns, giving the public a direct line to politicians and allowing real-time reactions to events. 

The emersion of social media and the internet lead us to where we are now: the present.

Present Political Media and What to Expect in the Future

Although the first social media platform premiered in the late 90's, social media continues to impact American politics. Social media has become the most effective and popular form of media within politics. The digitalization of media has completely changed the way people observe and react to the political developments within America. This change was noticeably evident during the 2008 presidential election when politicians began to experiment with social media platforms and create an open conversation between the public and themselves. Barack Obama developed a new campaign strategy, changing the "structure of political organizing". 

The "Twitterverse" is a perfect example of the drastic change within political media in America. Through the popular social media app, Twitter, politicians, and voters can create discussions on a public platform in real-time. 

According to Pew Research Center, one-third of tweets from U.S. adults are political. The political content of Twitter ranges from national elections and issues to statewide and local conversations. 

One of the most infamous political Twitter users is Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States. His outrageous tweets led to his suspension from Twitter in January 2021, for "inciting violence at the Capitol riots". 

The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021

 Social media is the future of political media in America. Social media has become a huge component in political campaigns allowing politicians to build name recognition, discuss important issues, and reach new demographic groups. 

Social media has completely transitioned the way Americans receive news about political campaigns. The average American is very dependent on social media, and politicians are counting on that. 

“The power of social media to influence politics is enhanced due to their ability to amplify messages quickly through diverse media platforms. Social media have become a steady source of political content for news outlets with large audiences, especially cable news."

The concentration of social media has unfortunately led to an increase in misinformation and "false news" within politics because once trusted news sources are no longer the main source of news updates for the public.

Social media's rise has led to both unexpected trials and advancements in technology and the development of political media. Social media has become the dominant communication tool for politics, changing the way politicians, journalists, and the public interact.

There is obvious uncertainty about the future concerning social media and its place in political media, but I predict that social media will continue to be a formidable and essential tool for politicians and the public alike to use in years to come.