Institutional bias: blog tasks

1) What does the article suggest was the main media influence on the 2015 general election?

- Suggests that newspapers of the UK had a large influence on the elections of 2015. As the Rupert Murdoch owned two newspapers, conservative ideas were largely promoted on the newspapers and so would affect many readers votes

2) What examples are provided of how social media was used during the 2015 election campaign?

- The hashtag JesuisEd was used to make Ed Miliband look unskilled in eating a sandwich and so look like a idiot. Criticism was given towards the Labour party while as the Conservatives were praised more highly on many social media platforms and so voters views who used social media would of been influenced to change their votes. 

3) Does analysis of the 2015 election suggest that new and digital media has challenged the power of traditional 

- Yes, to an extent, as traditional media such newspapers still read by many of the middle upper class and so still influence others of higher power status. However, new media would impact others who have access to it, digital media does impact traditional institutions as Russel brand's was able to bring a lot of people debating on who to vote for and showed his ability to sway others. Those with minimal political knowledge will be influenced by the bias views on newspapers and may vote for the Conservative/Labour Party without getting primary evidence of the parties and just vote for the sake of voting. 

Now read this Guardian article on social media influence in the recent 2017 UK general election. 

4) Why does it suggest Labour "won the social media election" in 2017?

- As Labour used social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter etc. to show a more positive campaign and thus would sway the younger generation votes towards them as they use social media than the more older generations. Showing it was a major impact in enabling Labour votes and getting the title of '[winning] the social media election'. 

5) What examples are provided of how the parties used social media during the 2017 election campaign?

-Twitter was used to impact Labour votes and were promoting #ForTheMany to gain more younger votes. Social was being used by them near the end of elections by the Conservatives to target Labour and bash them than actually try to promote themselves. 

6) Does analysis of the 2017 election suggest that new and digital media has challenged the power of traditional institutions?

- As technology continues to grow,so does influence on others and impact on institutions and challenged them. However, we are able to see others realise print is a dying media which does not as much impact as digital media, which is able to sway youths ideas. 

7) Finally, write a paragraph summarising your own opinion on this debate: Have the inequalities that characterise old media ownership extended into new media ownership? Is the internet run by powerful media institutions?

-I think technology will continue growing and making impacts on institutions and over lap with print and people's ideologies. Traditional media outlets remain highly significant and influential in the marketing world, so this will obviously mean it would be used by the Government to promote parties, ideas and such to sway the public views.