How much of a impact does the media have on an Election?

[Egaladeist]

I don't know if it's ever been tested...but if you were to take an election campaign ( like the 2 year presidential election ) and place the emphasis on one side winning, only showing poll results that favor that side winning, make special efforts in news stories that relate to that side winning...

would you in effect be responsible for that side winning?...eg. for the last 6 months or so it has been constantly reported that Obama was ahead in the polls, and I wonder how much that impacted on his being ahead in the polls...

do you think that ' speculative election reporting ' should be stopped...in other words should the media not report in such a way as it may manipulate or impact upon the results?

[rapier57]

It would only have an impact if the consumers of the message actually believed, trusted and respected those putting out the message. Unfortunately, we in the US no longer hold the delusion that our broadcast or print media are anything more than shills for corporate and political interests. Much less respect them for their professionalism or journalistic standards.

So, it is highly doubtful that the media would have more than anecdotal influence on any political outcome.

[Aspman]

Much of the public are stupid and they fall for the company line in the press. It's a problem over here.

Even the BBC is hopelessly biased in favour of the current gov. It's has admitted it's got a liberal, left wing, metropolitan bias in internal minutes. this is pretty much pissing off everyone who doesn't live in London.

[rapier57]

We have a similar problem with our media. New York seems to be the center of the universe, according to them. So, if it doesn't happen in New York, it didn't happen or it didn't matter. Just pisses off the rest of the country.