Control of Media by Politicians

Remember the movie Enemy of the State starring Will Smith? Throughout the movie, we learn that the U.S. government not only watch our every move but are capable of intruding in our personal lives as well. Politicians do in fact control the media. Take into account that freedom of speech does exist in Western countries but I'm sure the U.S. government does take offend to the various punters that take a blow at them but to a certain extent, the government also controls what they say. That whole freedom of speech amendment is in fact being practiced but with a close eye from the government. Take Malaysia for example, freedom of speech is not a luxury. It is supposed to be a right but if there are any bad mouthing going around about a political figure, that person can be thrown to jail. So where is the freedom of speech? To view more about this, please click here. At the end of the day, the government, or politicians can and do control the media and what they want us to hear. This is not a conspiracy theory against any government but just an observation.

Take Hollywood for example. Forbes, 2000 found that the U.S. government had wanted more anti-drug campaigns that will get the publics attention. What did they do? They went to television shows. Shows like Beverly Hills 90210, The Drew Carey Show and Chicago Hope (all used to be prime time shows) filled their shows with anti-drug campaigns and celebrity politicians. Even television shows were invaded. The message was for a good cause, but the point is, when will the government stop invading our heads?

Again, like I mentioned earlier, which one is taking advantage of the other. The media does sometimes blow things out of proportion to sell a story but isn't it all being regulated by the government? And what about countries like Malaysia, where getting ideas or opinions across might end up landing a person in prison?

At the end of the day, politics and media will continue to flourish one another. They need one another. A scandalous story of a politician is likely to turn more heads than a politician trying to get a new Act passed.

The problem and the solution lies in society itself. If we stop paying attention to the events that don't matter and start being pro actively involved, both politicians and the media will have to change their tune.

We don't realize that we have the Trump card and they have to work to our tastes.

Reference:
Forbes, D, Control of Media by Politicians, Ashville Magazine, January 13, 2000