Countries having a democratic and republican form of government such as the United States of America have the elections – especially the Presidential elections – as one of the most highly anticipated events. It is through the mechanism of elections where the people can exercise their rights – their political rights to vote and to choose who will represent them for a designated period. Thus, we cannot take away the importance of elections especially in a democratic society. Also, it is the people who make the elections a success. This now brings us to the question: “how do we choose our candidates for the elections?
” When we ask others, and most especially ourselves the question above, the immediate answer would be the media. Without a doubt, the media through all its forms – the television, the radio, the newspaper, and the internet – has impacted us greatly on how we go about our daily lives. Consciously, and even unconsciously, the media is there to dictate us on what we will do, what we will have, and what we will choose. Thus, even with the elections, the media is always there to report us about the happenings of the election process.
Also, the media is there with us, always present to tell us about the candidates for the elections – their backgrounds such as their educational attainment, their platforms, their affiliations, and all the other essential information that will greatly help us in choosing our desired candidates. Thus, I greatly believe that the media has the greatest influence on us, the voters, to make a decision that will determine the success of the elections. With that said, the media has significantly contributed to the success of the recently concluded 2008 presidential election.