dominant ideology model

Question 1

what is the dominant ideology model?

Answer 1

it argues that voters are influenced by the ideology of political elites, who through their role in the media and businesses etc are in a position to project ideas that suit their interests

Question 2

how can newspapers influence elections? (with examples)

Answer 2

-the aren’t required to be impartial on political issues
-most newspapers are owned by media tycoons, whose interests are usually best served by right wing parties
-e.g. Rupert Murdoch (the sun and the times) and Viscount Rothemere (daily mail) endorsed the conservatives in the 2015

Question 3

way the media can have an influence upon the outcome of elections: DIT

Answer 3

-direct influence theory
-states that the media does impact voting behaviour in the long term
-e.g. in the 1979 election, thatcher employed the advertising agency saatchi + saatchi
-also argues that the media has an influence upon undecided voters
-e.g. don’t chuck Britain in the cor-bin (2019)

Question 4

way the media can have an influence upon the outcome of elections: RT

Answer 4

-reinforcement theory
-argues that the media confirms views rather than changes them
-for example, voters tend to read newspapers that lean towards their political views rather than ones that oppose them - e.g. just under 75% of those who read the telegraph vote conservative
-also, voters may recognise how sections of the media are openly biased, but choose to ignore it - e.g. in 2017 17% of daily mail readers voted labour, even though it’s a right wing paper

Question 5

way the media can have an influence upon the outcome of elections: AST

Answer 5

-agenda setting theory
-argues that the media decides the agenda of the country, and it has an undeniable influence through headlines etc
-e.g. the daily mail established an anti EU agenda during the time of the brexit referendum