The media as political actors

This chapter describes the key ways in which media can seek to influence and intervene in the political process, and outlines the different forms of political journalism, such as punditry, editorialising and access programming. In recent times online pundits have grown in importance as political actors, during and between election campaigns. Bloggers such as Guido Fawkes in the UK have placed stories in the public sphere which have led to major political crises and resignations. Expert pundits are used with particular frequency in coverage of eco­nomic policy, obscure or faraway places, and military policy, where retired generals and admirals are regular contributors. The chapter explores the impact of digital media outlets on political communication. In the emerging online political communication environment, further­more, the networked community of user-participants acquires enhanced influence through the combined force of their opinions as articulated on networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.