Digital Media in Political Campaigns

    Throughout Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman insists that television brings to life a culture that makes less use of its analytical skills and that mindlessly feeds into useless information. On the assumption that this is true, this type of culture would be particularly dangerous in politics, especially during elections. As he points out in the chapter “Reach Out and Elect Someone”, modern day political campaigns are composed of less reason than they once were and are carried out in a manner similar to what one would expect of a product commercial; candidates today manipulate voters by making use to imagery to appeal to their emotions rather than their rationality. Postman’s point of view would lead one to believe that Americans are unconscious of these ongoing changes, and that imagery alone has done enough to completely deprive Americans of any sense of rationality. However, although politicians are selling themselves in this manner, are Americans really buying into it? 

    As television and other forms of digital media become more prevalent in our society, Americans' faith in their government seems to be waning at the same time. Not only this, but they seem to be aware that this sentiment is shared commonly among other Americans. One survey by Pew Research Center found that about ¾ of Americans think that trust in the federal government has declined in the past few years. Postman may be correct in his assumptions against television and how it has negatively impacted politics, but fails to acknowledge that many Americans know that politics are increasingly less valid and less sophisticated than they once were, even if they do not directly correlate this decline in rationale with the uprise of television. 

    What I found most confusing about this issue is why Americans seem to be doing nothing to combat this change despite being aware that it is an ongoing issue? This would mean the problem could lie in Americans themselves; it's not that they don’t know that politics are less trustworthy or genuine but simply that they don’t care. Indeed, television and many forms of digital media today cater to an audience that seek entertainment, and these sources of information are the most widely accessible, yet those are not the only resources available for use. With these things in mind, I’d like to know where you believe the fault in the “decline of politics” really lies. Do the voters and the media each have some share in the blame or does one have more authority over the others? Should voters be responsible for seeking out reliable information on their own or should the media change to do it for them? Finally, what would be the consequences of making changes to the way we receive information in the present?