The influence of the media | Edexcel A-Level Politics
Updated: 7 days ago
For Specification 9PL0
Edexcel A-Level Politics | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 55–65 minutes
This The influence of the media A-Level Politics revision page examines how print, broadcast and social media can affect UK politics during election campaigns and between elections. Edexcel requires you to assess the media's role and impact, including the importance of opinion polls, media bias and persuasion. A key debate runs throughout the topic: does the media actually change political behaviour, or does it mainly reflect and reinforce opinions voters already hold? Answering that well requires links to demographic voting patterns.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Explain how different forms of media may influence politics during and between general elections.
Explain the potential political effects of opinion polls.
Examine the significance of media bias across different forms of media.
Distinguish between media persuasion, reinforcement and the reflection of existing political views.
Analyse how media coverage may affect parties, leaders, governments and voters.
Evaluate whether the overall political influence of the media is significant or exaggerated.
Revision Notes 📚
The influence of the media A-Level Politics revision: what does Edexcel require?
Edexcel specification section 4.2 requires an assessment of:
the role and impact of the media on politics
media influence during key general elections
media influence between general elections
the importance and relevance of opinion polls
media bias
persuasion.
This wording is important.
The topic is not only about newspapers at election time. The media can potentially influence:
voters
political parties
party leaders
election campaigns
governments
political debate
pressure groups.
Edexcel's 2022 examiner report specifically noted that some candidates understood media influence on elections but struggled to explain its influence on governments more widely.
What is meant by "the media"?
The Edexcel mark schemes and examiner reports distinguish between several forms of media:
print media, including newspapers
broadcast media, particularly television
social media.
This distinction matters because the different forms of media do not necessarily operate in the same way.
For example:
newspaper content can express strong political positions
broadcasting is subject to impartiality requirements
social media provides a much wider range of political viewpoints and sources.
The 2021 examiner report found that stronger students considered the media in this wider sense, while weaker answers relied too heavily on newspaper examples.
How can the media influence politics during elections?
Election campaigns concentrate political attention into a relatively short period.
During this time, the media can influence politics through:
coverage of political parties and policies
presentation of political leaders
reporting of campaign events and mistakes
publication and discussion of opinion polls
positive or negative treatment of parties
giving political messages greater visibility.
The Edexcel 2021 mark scheme notes that parties themselves behave as though media coverage matters. They devote resources to communication and media campaigning because they believe visibility and presentation can affect electoral support.
This links directly to the role of campaigns examined in the most recent election case study.
Media influence on party presentation
Political parties need voters to know:
what they stand for
who their leaders are
what their policies are
whether they appear credible.
The media provides one of the main channels through which this information reaches the public.
The Edexcel 2021 mark scheme argues that a party's handling of media attention can affect its electoral fortunes. It identifies Labour's handling of the media in 1997 and Conservative media performance in the 1980s as examples.
This means the media can act as an intermediary:
party message → media presentation → voter receives information → possible effect on political perception
The word possible matters. Receiving a political message does not automatically mean accepting it.
Media influence on political leaders
Modern election campaigns place substantial attention on party leaders.
The media can affect how leaders are perceived by:
scrutinising interviews
reporting speeches
highlighting mistakes
repeatedly showing particular campaign moments
presenting leaders positively or negatively.
Edexcel's 2024 mark scheme identifies examples of campaign incidents receiving intense media attention and argues that media scrutiny can be unforgiving when politicians make mistakes. It also notes that Theresa May declined to participate personally in a 2017 leaders' debate, while Boris Johnson declined an interview with Andrew Neil, illustrating the potential risks politicians associate with difficult media appearances.
The analytical point is stronger than the examples themselves:
Politicians' behaviour suggests they believe media exposure can affect public perceptions of their competence and leadership.
Can the media "make or break" political parties?
The 2019 Edexcel election source presents a strong interpretation of media influence, arguing that the media can make or break political parties and linking successful leadership with the capacity to manage media attacks and communicate effectively.
There is also historical evidence that parties have themselves treated media support as politically important.
Edexcel's 2023 mark scheme notes that Labour believed hostile media treatment had contributed to its problems in 1992 and that Tony Blair subsequently sought better relations with parts of the press before Labour's 1997 victory.
This can support the argument that media relationships matter.
However, there is a problem:
A party believing that the media matters does not prove that media coverage actually changed enough votes to determine an election.
That distinction is at the centre of this lesson.
Media influence between elections
Media influence does not disappear when a general election ends.
The specification explicitly requires you to assess its role between elections.
The Edexcel 2022 mark scheme identifies several ways this can occur.
Media organisations can:
scrutinise government decisions
provide an arena in which ministers must defend their actions
give political controversies sustained publicity
influence public attitudes over time
increase the visibility of political campaigns
create pressure for governments to respond.
The important distinction is therefore:
During elections | Between elections |
Influencing perceptions of parties | Scrutinising governments |
Reporting manifestos | Driving political stories |
Presenting leaders | Affecting public attitudes |
Publishing opinion polls | Increasing pressure on decision-makers |
Covering campaign mistakes | Giving campaigns and pressure groups publicity |
Potentially influencing voting choice | Potentially influencing policy and government behaviour |
The media and government
Government ministers cannot simply ignore media coverage.
Edexcel's 2022 mark scheme argues that prime ministers and ministers need to defend their actions publicly and that strong opposition expressed through the media can contribute to pressure on a government to change direction.
This creates a possible chain of influence:
media investigation or criticism → greater public awareness → political pressure → government response
However, you must not assume that this chain always occurs.
The 2022 examiner report specifically warned against claiming influence merely because a political campaign or media event happened. Students needed to demonstrate that it actually affected government behaviour.
This distinction is essential for AO3.
The media and pressure groups
Media coverage can also increase the influence of pressure groups.
A pressure group may use media coverage to:
raise awareness of an issue
attract attention
reach a much larger audience
place an issue on the political agenda
The 2025 mark scheme identifies obtaining media coverage as an important pressure-group tactic because publicity can increase a group's political influence.
This provides a useful link to how pressure groups seek political influence.
However, the relationship can work both ways.
A campaign may attract extensive media coverage without achieving its political objective.
Therefore:
publicity is evidence of visibility, not automatically evidence of political success.
Opinion polls
Opinion polls measure the expressed views or voting intentions of a sample of people.
Within the Edexcel specification, their importance lies in their potential effect on:
voters
turnout
political parties
electoral strategy
election campaigns
perceptions of who is winning.
The 2021 examination devoted an entire 30-mark source question to whether opinion polls bring more advantages than disadvantages to elections and referendums.
This demonstrates just how evaluative this part of the topic is.
How can opinion polls benefit politics?
The Edexcel 2021 mark scheme identifies several arguments in favour of opinion polls.
They can show changes in public opinion
Polls may identify trends in support for parties and policies.
During the 2017 election campaign, Edexcel's source notes that polls recorded:
Theresa May's ratings declining
Jeremy Corbyn's ratings increasing
declining Conservative support following the social-care controversy
increased Labour support following its manifesto
declining UKIP support
movement from the Scottish National Party towards the Conservatives in Scotland.
This suggests that polls can help identify movement, even if they do not forecast the final result perfectly.
Opinion polls can inform political parties
Polls can act as a way of measuring public reactions to:
policies
party leaders
political issues.
Edexcel's 2021 mark scheme describes polls as potential "sounding boards" for policy choices because parties can use them to identify public attitudes.
The political process could therefore be:
poll identifies public concern → party responds → policy adjusted → party becomes more responsive to voters
Supporters of opinion polling may view this as democratic responsiveness.
Critics may see it very differently.
Opinion polls and turnout
Opinion polls may potentially increase turnout when an election appears extremely close.
If voters believe their participation could make a difference, they may have a stronger incentive to vote.
The Edexcel 2021 source explicitly states that close opinion polls can improve turnout.
However, polls may also have the opposite effect.
How can opinion polls damage turnout?
The 2021 mark scheme identifies two possibilities.
If polls suggest:
a voter's preferred party is certain to win, the voter may feel voting is unnecessary
a voter's preferred party has no chance of winning, the voter may conclude that participating is pointless.
Both could reduce turnout.
So opinion polls can potentially produce contradictory effects:
Poll shows a close election | Poll shows a clear winner |
Voting may appear more important | Voting may appear unnecessary |
Turnout may increase | Turnout may decrease |
This is a useful example of why media effects should not be treated as automatic.
Opinion polls and tactical voting
The Edexcel material also identifies tactical voting as a possible consequence of opinion polling.
A voter may discover that their preferred party is unlikely to win in their constituency.
Instead of voting for their first choice, they may support another party with a better chance of defeating a party they dislike.
The process is:
poll information → voter assesses likely result → changes voting strategy → tactical vote
The 2021 mark scheme presents the criticism that this may mean voters abandon their primary preference, potentially weakening the extent to which election results directly reflect first-choice political support.
Opinion polls and party policies
Polls can influence parties as well as voters.
The 2021 Edexcel source argues that parties may:
change policy
alter political positions
abandon principles
work harder to change public opinion
because of polling evidence.
This creates another contested interpretation.
Positive interpretation
Parties are listening to voters and responding democratically.
Negative interpretation
Parties may sacrifice consistent political principles simply to remain popular.
So exactly the same behaviour can be interpreted either as:
democratic responsiveness
or:
opportunism.
Are opinion polls accurate?
Accuracy matters because polls may affect political behaviour.
If a poll is inaccurate but voters or parties respond to it, then behaviour may be influenced by misleading information.
The Edexcel 2019 election source uses the 2017 general election to question whether opinion polls are reliable predictors of final results.
However, the 2021 source provides the counterargument that polling during 2017 successfully identified several important trends in party support.
A strong answer therefore distinguishes between:
accurately forecasting the final election result
and
accurately measuring changes in public opinion during the campaign.
A poll could perform well at the second without perfectly achieving the first.
Media bias
Media bias occurs where political information is presented in a way that favours or disadvantages particular political viewpoints, parties or politicians.
Bias matters because voters receive much of their political information through media sources.
But Edexcel expects much more than simply claiming:
"Newspapers are biased."
Different media forms need to be considered separately.
Print media and bias
The Edexcel 2021 mark scheme recognises that the political views associated with newspaper ownership may be reflected in the press.
This creates the argument that newspapers can:
select stories favourable to their preferred political position
criticise opposing parties
frame political events differently
influence how readers perceive parties and leaders.
This is potentially important during elections, especially when repeated coverage builds a strong impression of a party or leader.
However, even obvious bias does not necessarily demonstrate persuasion.
Broadcast media and bias
The Edexcel 2021 examiner report highlights an important distinction between print and broadcast media.
Stronger candidates recognised that different rules apply to broadcasting, particularly concerning political impartiality.
The 2021 mark scheme states that broadcasting has impartiality requirements and that political-party exposure is monitored.
This limits the argument that all forms of UK media are equally politically biased.
A strong essay should therefore distinguish:
biased press coverage
from
broadcast media operating under impartiality requirements.
Do not treat "the media" as a single political actor.
Social media
Edexcel examiner materials recognise social media as an increasingly important form of political communication.
Its growth changes the media environment because it provides:
a much larger range of viewpoints
alternative political sources
communication outside traditional newspapers and broadcasting
additional channels through which political arguments spread.
The 2021 mark scheme argues that this diversity can reduce the importance of bias in any single outlet because competing views are widely available.
However, it also presents the alternative argument that political bias can be reproduced in new media forms.
So the rise of social media does not necessarily mean that bias disappears.
Instead, the form through which bias operates may change.
Persuasion
Persuasion is central to assessing media influence.
The most important question is:
Does media coverage actually cause people to change their political beliefs or voting behaviour?
There are three useful possibilities.
1. Persuasion
The media changes a person's political opinion.
media message → changed political attitude → changed behaviour
2. Reinforcement
The voter already holds the view and consumes media that strengthens it.
existing belief → matching media choice → belief reinforced
3. Reflection
The media responds to what its audience already wants.
existing public opinion → media publishes content appealing to audience
These produce very different conclusions about media power.
The media as a mirror rather than a catalyst
The Edexcel 2021 mark scheme gives an important argument against strong media influence.
Newspapers need readers. They may therefore publish material that reflects what their audiences already believe or want to read. In this interpretation, the media follows public opinion rather than creating it.
The media becomes a mirror of political opinion rather than its cause.
This means:
newspaper supports Party A
may occur because:
Party A supporters choose that newspaper
rather than:
the newspaper turns people into Party A supporters.
The 2017 newspaper-readership evidence
The Edexcel 2020 election source gives striking evidence of the relationship between newspaper readership and voting.
In the 2017 general election:
73% of Guardian readers voted Labour
79% of Telegraph readers voted Conservative.
This clearly establishes a strong correlation.
But what does it prove?
Interpretation 1: persuasion
The newspapers may have influenced how their readers voted.
Interpretation 2: reinforcement
People may choose newspapers whose political outlook already matches their views.
The 2020 mark scheme explicitly raises this problem, noting that newspaper choice may reflect readers' views rather than alter them.
Therefore:
correlation does not automatically establish causation.
This is one of the most important analytical ideas in the whole topic.
Why might persuasion be limited?
The 2021 mark scheme identifies several reasons why media persuasion may be exaggerated.
Existing political beliefs
Voters may select media sources that match their existing opinions.
Demographic influences
Factors such as:
age
class
gender
region
may have stronger effects on political behaviour than media coverage.
Competing media sources
A wide variety of sources means voters can encounter conflicting political interpretations.
Broadcast impartiality
Rules governing political broadcasting limit the extent to which it can openly promote one political party.
These arguments link directly to long-term demographic and partisan influences.
Why might persuasion still be important?
The alternative case is also strong.
The 2021 mark scheme notes that people obtain a large proportion of political information through media sources. Voters do not make decisions in an information vacuum.
Media can potentially affect:
which issues voters know about
how political events are interpreted
perceptions of party leaders
confidence in governments
attitudes towards policy choices.
Therefore, even if the media does not directly tell someone which party to support, it may still shape the political information on which that person bases a decision.
Confirming versus changing political preference
Edexcel's 2021 examiner report specifically says that candidates needed to examine whether the media can both confirm and change political preferences.
This distinction is crucial.
Media influence does not have to mean converting:
Conservative voter → Labour voter
or:
Labour voter → Conservative voter.
Influence might instead involve:
strengthening enthusiasm
increasing likelihood of turnout
reducing confidence in an opposing party
altering views of a leader
changing which issue is considered most important.
Therefore, a voter can remain loyal to the same party while still being influenced by media coverage.
Media influence and demographic factors
The media competes with other explanations of political behaviour.
For example, the 2017 data showed a strong age effect:
each additional ten years of age was associated with a nine-point increase in likelihood of voting Conservative
Labour support displayed the opposite pattern.
This creates a challenge to the claim that the media determines voting behaviour.
If age, class and region consistently predict voting differences, then media influence may be only one factor among several.
However, demographic factors and media exposure can also interact.
For example:
demographic characteristics → political interests → preferred media → reinforced political attitudes
So it may not always be possible to isolate one cause completely.
Media influence and class or partisan dealignment
Class dealignment and partisan dealignment may increase the potential importance of media.
If fewer voters automatically support a party because of class or long-term loyalty, more voters may become politically available to:
campaign messages
manifesto coverage
leadership presentation
opinion polling
media narratives.
This links media influence directly to the broader changes examined in voter attachment and dealignment.
However, it remains necessary to demonstrate actual persuasion rather than assume it.
Does media ownership prove political influence?
No.
Ownership may help explain why a media outlet presents politics in a particular way. The 2021 mark scheme recognises the connection between press ownership and political viewpoints.
But there are two separate questions:
Is the outlet biased?
Does that bias successfully persuade its audience?
The first does not automatically establish the second.
This is a common examination trap.
A strong answer therefore separates:
bias → content
from:
content → political behaviour.
Comparing different forms of media
Media form | Potential influence | Important limitation |
Print media | Can provide strongly framed political coverage and support or criticise parties. | Readers may choose papers that already reflect their beliefs. |
Broadcast media | Reaches large audiences and scrutinises parties and leaders. | Political broadcasting is constrained by impartiality requirements. |
Social media | Provides rapid and widespread political communication with many competing voices. | Diversity of sources may make overall influence difficult to identify. |
Opinion polls | Measure political attitudes and may influence turnout, strategy and tactical voting. | Polls may be inaccurate or may themselves affect the behaviour being measured. |
The strongest answers distinguish these forms rather than talking vaguely about "the media".
Is the media more influential during elections?
There is a strong case that media influence becomes particularly visible during election campaigns.
At elections:
political coverage intensifies
leaders receive greater scrutiny
opinion polls receive greater attention
manifesto announcements are widely reported
campaign mistakes may receive intense coverage.
The 2022 examiner report notes that some very good candidates distinguished between the media's especially strong influence at election time and the different kinds of influence operating outside elections.
However, media influence between elections may be more continuous.
Edexcel's mark scheme argues that the media can affect attitudes over the long run, meaning its cumulative influence may be substantial even when an election is not taking place.
Assessing the overall influence of the media
The question is not:
"Does the media have any influence?"
The Edexcel material clearly treats it as politically relevant.
The stronger question is:
How much influence does it have compared with other factors?
Argument: media influence is significant
The case includes:
political parties invest heavily in media communication
leaders manage their media appearances carefully
media coverage provides most voters with political information
newspapers can display clear political bias
media presentation can strengthen or damage leaders
opinion polls may alter party strategies and voter behaviour
media scrutiny can influence governments between elections
pressure groups use media coverage to increase political pressure
social media has expanded the reach and variety of political communication.
Argument: media influence is exaggerated
The counterargument includes:
media outlets may simply reflect their audiences
voters often choose sources matching existing political views
demographic characteristics may be stronger predictors
broadcast media is constrained by impartiality requirements
multiple competing sources create political diversity
opinion polls can be inaccurate
correlation between media consumption and voting does not prove persuasion
political behaviour can be shaped by events, policies, leadership and governing competency independently of the media.
Mirror or catalyst?
A useful way to frame the entire topic is:
Is the media a mirror of political opinion or a catalyst for political change?
Media as a mirror
The media:
reflects existing political preferences
gives audiences the content they prefer
reinforces beliefs
follows rather than creates political opinion.
Media as a catalyst
The media:
supplies political information
changes perceptions
shapes political debate
increases pressure on governments
influences campaign narratives
changes voting or turnout behaviour.
The most convincing judgement is likely to vary according to:
the type of media
the political context
whether an election is occurring
the strength of existing voter attachment
the issue being covered
the audience.
A stronger overall judgement
The supplied Edexcel material supports a qualified rather than absolute conclusion.
The media can clearly matter because voters, parties and governments operate within a media environment. Political organisations devote time and resources to it, governments respond to scrutiny and opinion polls can affect electoral behaviour.
However, proving persuasion is much harder than proving exposure or bias.
A useful hierarchy is:
Media can clearly provide information.
↓
Media can clearly frame and reinforce political opinions.
↓
Media can sometimes contribute to changing political behaviour.
↓
Proving that media alone determines an election or political decision is much more difficult.
This distinction is the heart of high-quality evaluation.
Hints from the Examiner Reports 💡
Examiner hint: Do not reduce "the media" to newspapers.
The 2021 examiner report found that stronger candidates considered print, broadcasting and social media. Weaker responses relied excessively on newspaper examples.
A stronger structure is therefore:
print → broadcast → social media
or, even better, compare their influence directly within each argument.
Examiner hint: Understand media bias precisely.
Only a minority of candidates in 2021 correctly distinguished the different position of print and broadcast media regarding impartiality. This distinction was identified as a crucial part of the question.
Examiner hint: Analyse whether the media changes or confirms political preferences.
Edexcel specifically identified this as central to answering questions on persuasion.
Do not simply write:
"The newspaper supports Labour, so it influences Labour voters."
Ask:
Did it create that preference, change it or simply reinforce something already there?
Examiner hint: Develop opinion-poll arguments rather than naming them.
The 2021 report found that many candidates identified advantages and disadvantages of opinion polls but failed to develop the implications fully. Examiners wanted students to explain why lower turnout matters, why tactical voting might be problematic, how polls may mislead and why parties might change policies in response.
Examiner hint: Do not assume an event produced an effect merely because it received media coverage.
The 2022 report found that candidates sometimes treated publicity itself as proof of political influence. Better answers demonstrated whether government policy or political behaviour actually changed.
Examiner hint: Use contemporary material alongside historical examples.
The 2022 report accepted older examples from 1992 but warned against relying on them alone. Stronger answers used a broader range of evidence and recognised the changing media environment.
Examiner hint: Avoid spending too long defining types of media.
The 2022 report noted that some students became sidetracked into definitions instead of developing their political argument.
Precise terminology matters, but it should support analysis rather than replace it.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Treating all media as equally biased
Why this is incorrect: Print, broadcast and social media operate differently. Edexcel specifically expects students to recognise the different position of broadcasting regarding impartiality.
How to improve: Always identify the type of media before assessing its bias or influence.
Mistake: Assuming bias proves persuasion
Why this is incorrect: A newspaper may strongly favour a political party while its readers already share the same political outlook.
How to improve:
Separate the argument into two questions:
Is the source biased?
Is there evidence that this bias changed political behaviour?
Mistake: Saying newspaper readership proves how newspapers make people vote
Why this is incorrect: The 2017 relationship between Guardian or Telegraph readership and party support demonstrates correlation, not necessarily causation.
How to improve: Discuss both:
persuasion
and
self-selection or reinforcement.
Mistake: Saying opinion polls are either accurate or inaccurate
Why this is incorrect: Polls can fail to predict a final result precisely while still successfully tracking changes in political support.
How to improve:
Distinguish between:
predicting an outcome
measuring current opinion
identifying trends.
Mistake: Discussing media influence only at election time
Why this is incorrect: The specification explicitly requires media influence during and between elections.
How to improve: Include government scrutiny, long-term changes in public attitudes and the media's relationship with pressure-group campaigning.
Mistake: Saying "the media caused the government to change policy" without evidence
Why this is incorrect: Publicity does not automatically produce political change.
How to improve: Use a causal chain:
coverage → public reaction → political pressure → government response
Then test whether each stage can actually be supported.
Mistake: Listing examples instead of evaluating influence
Why this is incorrect: Knowing media examples demonstrates AO1, but stronger responses need AO2 and AO3.
How to improve: Use the structure:
example → mechanism of influence → alternative explanation → judgement
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Define media bias. (2 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Answer:
Media bias is the presentation of political information in a way that favours or disadvantages particular political viewpoints, parties or politicians.
Question 2
Explain one way opinion polls may reduce electoral turnout. (4 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative answer:
If an opinion poll suggests that one party is certain to win, supporters of that party may believe their vote is unnecessary, while supporters of another party may believe voting cannot affect the result. Either response could reduce turnout.
Question 3
Explain two ways opinion polls may influence political parties. (6 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative answer:
One way is that polls can show how voters react to party policies, allowing parties to alter their political strategy.
A second is that poor polling may cause parties to reconsider policies or positions that appear unpopular. This may make parties more responsive to voters, although critics may argue that they are abandoning principles merely to gain support.
Question 4
Study the following data from the 2017 general election.
Newspaper readership | Voting behaviour |
Guardian readers voting Labour | 73% |
Telegraph readers voting Conservative | 79% |
Analyse what this evidence demonstrates about media influence. (8 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative answer:
The figures show a strong relationship between newspaper readership and party support. A large majority of Guardian readers supported Labour while a large majority of Telegraph readers supported the Conservatives.
However, the evidence establishes correlation rather than causation. Newspapers may persuade readers, but people may also choose newspapers that reflect political views they already hold. The evidence therefore supports a relationship between media use and political behaviour but cannot by itself prove media persuasion.
Question 5
A student states:
"Broadcast media and newspapers are equally likely to be politically biased."
Evaluate this statement. (6 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative answer:
The statement is too broad. Edexcel's material distinguishes the press from broadcasting because political broadcasting operates under impartiality requirements. Newspapers may express stronger political preferences. Therefore, media bias should be analysed separately according to media type rather than assuming that all media operate in the same way.
Question 6
Explain why partisan dealignment could increase the potential influence of the media during election campaigns. (6 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative answer:
Partisan dealignment reduces voters' long-term loyalty to particular political parties. This can increase the number of floating voters who have not decided automatically how they will vote. Media presentation of leaders, policies, manifestos and campaign events may therefore have greater potential to influence their final decision.
However, this does not prove that the media necessarily persuades these voters.
Question 7
Study this original source.
Source
One view is that media influence on political behaviour is substantial. Voters receive large amounts of political information from the media, parties devote considerable resources to managing their media presentation and opinion polls can affect turnout, tactical voting and campaign strategy. Media scrutiny may also place pressure on governments between elections.
An alternative view is that media influence is exaggerated. People frequently choose media sources that already reflect their political preferences, broadcasting is constrained by impartiality requirements and demographic characteristics such as age, class and region may provide stronger explanations of voting behaviour.
Using the source, evaluate the view that the media has substantial power to persuade voters and shape political behaviour. (30 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
Arguments supporting the view could include:
voters obtain political information from media sources
parties devote resources to media campaigning
presentation of leaders can affect perceptions
negative coverage can damage parties or politicians
opinion polls can influence turnout
opinion polls can encourage tactical voting
parties can alter strategy because of polling
media scrutiny can place pressure on governments
social media has expanded opportunities for political communication.
Arguments challenging the view could include:
audiences may choose media matching existing views
media may reinforce rather than create preferences
print bias does not establish successful persuasion
broadcast impartiality limits direct partisan influence
multiple media sources provide competing viewpoints
age, class and region may provide stronger explanations
opinion polls may be inaccurate
correlation between media consumption and party support does not demonstrate causation.
Higher-level responses should:
distinguish between forms of media
distinguish bias from persuasion
compare persuasion with reinforcement
consider both elections and the period between elections
make sustained judgements about the extent of influence.
Question 8
Evaluate the view that opinion polls do more harm than good to UK democracy. (30 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
Arguments that opinion polls are harmful:
they may provide inaccurate information
voters may make decisions based on misleading predictions
they can reduce turnout where an election appears predetermined
they may encourage tactical voting
parties may abandon principles in pursuit of popularity
polling itself may influence the political behaviour it is attempting to measure.
Arguments that opinion polls are beneficial:
they provide information about public attitudes
they can identify changing political trends
they help parties understand public reactions to policies
they may make parties more responsive
close polling can encourage turnout
competing polls form part of a free political media.
A strong conclusion should judge whether the main democratic value of polls as a source of political information outweighs the possibility that their publication can itself alter behaviour.
Question 9
Evaluate the view that the media reflects political opinion rather than creates it. (30 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
Arguments supporting the view:
newspapers need to appeal to existing audiences
readers may select sources that match their beliefs
newspaper-vote correlations do not establish causation
demographic factors may be stronger predictors
availability of many competing sources allows voters to choose compatible viewpoints
media coverage may reinforce rather than change attitudes.
Arguments challenging the view:
voters depend on media for political information
media framing can affect perceptions of issues
repeated coverage can affect perceptions of political leaders
parties actively seek favourable media treatment
political actors alter behaviour because they believe media coverage matters
opinion polls and campaign reporting can potentially affect turnout and electoral choices.
The strongest judgement should recognise that the media may be particularly effective at framing and reinforcing political opinion, while evidence that it independently converts large numbers of voters is harder to establish.
Question 10
Evaluate the view that the media is more influential during general elections than between elections. (30 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative mark scheme:
Arguments supporting the view:
election coverage is concentrated and intensive
leaders face greater scrutiny
opinion polls receive greater attention
party manifestos are presented through media coverage
campaign mistakes can dominate political reporting
voters are making an immediate electoral decision.
Arguments challenging the view:
media scrutiny of governments continues throughout the political cycle
sustained reporting can build public pressure over time
ministers must continuously defend decisions through the media
pressure groups depend upon media attention to raise issues
long-term media coverage may gradually influence public attitudes
political reputations can be established or damaged well before an election campaign begins.
A strong conclusion could argue that election-time influence is more concentrated and visible, while between-election influence may be more continuous and cumulative.
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