The role and effect of the mass media during electioneering

Abstract

The role of mass media, especially television, is pivotal during electioneering as it brings to the society information that relate to the election. By so doing, it successfully shapes the opinions and attitudes of society members towards political candidates and parties. In order to gain an insight into the various roles that the media play during electioneering, the study reviewed various published research studies on the role of the media in setting news agenda. Agenda-setting theory was used to clarify who set the agenda between the media and political parties. The findings from the content analysis of the reviewed literature provided a comprehensive and detailed discourse of media effect on society during electioneering. The study concluded that the more the emphasis on a news item, the more the electorates will regard the issue as significant and consequently act (effect) as directed by the news item. The study recommends non-partisan political news coverage by mass media that give equal chance to political parties.