Much of politics takes place in our heads; that is, it is shaped by our ideas, values and assumptions about how society should be organized, and our expectations, hopes and fears about government. Ultimately, what we believe about the society in which we live may be more important than the reality of its power structure, and the actual distribution of resources and opportunities within it. Perception may not only be more important than reality; in practical terms, perception may be reality. This highlights the vital role played by what is called 'political culture'. People's beliefs, symbols and values structure both their attitude to the political process and, crucially, their view of the regime in which they live. However, there is significant disagreement about the nature and role of the political culture, not least over whether it sustains democracy or is aligned with the interests of dominant groups. Others have highlighted concerns about the political culture's (apparently) declining capacity to foster civic engagement and a sense of social belonging. The issue of the political culture also draws attention to extent to which the politics of modern societies is conducted through the media – newspapers, television, the internet, mobile phones and so on. The media constitute much more than a channel of communications; they are part of the political process itself, affecting, and not merely reflecting, the distribution of power in society at large. Long-standing debate about the media's relationship with democracy and styles of governance have been given a fresh twist by the advent of electronic-based 'new' media, while media influence generally has been associated with a growing emphasis in politics on 'news management' and what is called 'spin'. The mass media has affected governance in various ways. These include that they have transformed political leadership and, in the process, reapportioned government power. They have also changed the political culture and, some have warned, contributed to declining respect for politicians and politics in general. Finally, the growing influence of the media is evident in a policy-making process that has to react more rapidly and make sense of a vast amount of information

1. POLITICAL
CULTURE AND
THE MEDIA

2. • Almond and Verba (1963, 1980) identified 3 types of
political culture:
• PARTICIPANT: citizens play close attention to politics
and regard popular participation as desirable and useful
• SUBJECT: characterized by more passivity of citizens
and a recognition of little ability to influence government
• PAROCHIAL: marked by the absence of a sense of
citizenship, with people identifying more with their locality
than their nation
Civic culture

3. • PLURALIST: an ideological marketplace in which a wide
range of political views are debated
• DOMINANT-IDEOLOGY: a politically conservative force,
aligned to the interests of economic and social elites
• ELITE-VALUES: media’s political bias reflects the values
of groups that are disproportionately represented among
its senior professionals
• MARKET: the media reflects rather than shapes the
views of the general public
Models of the mass media

4. • The ‘information age’ has affected governance in a
number of ways:
• Transformation of political leadership through growing
interest in personal lives of leaders at expense of serious
ideological debate
• Media-driven ‘culture of contempt’ and increasing
disenchantment with politics
• 24/7 news leads to 24/7 government – less time for the
analysis of policy options and their implications
The media and governance

5. • Electronic mechanisms have altered the conduct of
elections and campaigning
• Citizens have wider and easier access to political
information and political comment
• New media have supported the development of political
and social movements and increased their effectiveness,
giving rise to a new style of activist politics
• However the trend towards e-democracy has been
linked with a growth of a privatized and consumerist form
of citizenship
New media and politics

6. • Electronic mechanisms have altered the conduct of
elections and campaigning
• Citizens have wider and easier access to political
information and political comment
• New media have supported the development of political
and social movements and increased their effectiveness,
giving rise to a new style of activist politics
• However the trend towards e-democracy has been
linked with a growth of a privatized and consumerist form
of citizenship
New media and politics