Friday, 30 January 2015
Media and communications work can make or break a political or electoral campaign. Existing media institutions are fast (and in this digital age, even instantaneous), effective, and cost-efficient channels for spreading information and political messages by any interested party with the means and the energy, from global conglomerates or national governments armed with public relations machineries to a smart-alecky teenager fueled by caffeine and hormones.
An incisive article in a newspaper can lead to the collapse of a government. Video footage shown on TV or viewed on Youtube can fuel public outrage that may lead to lawmakers enacting new laws or doing away with old ones. Effective communications work can produce messages and symbols (e.g. meme, see below) that can consolidate consensus for a particular political perspective, for example, rally public support for a politician or pillory a political opponent.