Blog Post 1: Political Communication

Political communication is the way that candidates, the press, and the public interact in the political system. The way these three main players communicate with each other helps shape public opinion and is a driving force in politics.

The candidates employ content and attempt to manipulate public opinion in their favor. Their communication goal is to present themselves in a way that is favorable to the press and the public. This is important especially during cases in which a candidate does something that is seen as unfavorable. When a candidate makes a decision that is seen as unfavorable to the public eye, a candidate will try to spin it in a positive light. When Hilary Clinton’s email scandal came out, she held a press conference, where she justified her reasoning, and answered everybody’s questions. Some candidates also take to going on late night talk shows. This provides a more casual, accessible medium to get their image out to the public. For example, Donald Trump appeared in a comedy skit on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. This helped make him more accessible to people who might not necessarily watch political programming. It also presented him in a more human light, which helped make him more relatable to viewers.

The public consumes, processes, and shares the information they are given from the press and the candidates. Citizen journalism emerges as people write their opinions on candidates on their blogs, post tweets on Twitter using hashtags like #GOPDebate, and create memes and info graphics that influence public opinion.

The press acts as a medium between the candidates and the public by producing and disseminating information. Their goal is to engage the audience and attract a large amount of viewers.  Another goal of the press is to encourage freedom of speech and expression; political cartoons have been a driving force of political commentary in the United States for ages. However, their main goal is (usually) to report the truth.