AO1: The media follows and endorses public opinion as opposed to creating and leading it AO2: At its core the media – especially the press, has to sell copy to survive, and it has a tendency to print and publish what its readers wish to hear and what the public are interested in at any given time. AO3: Hence the press can be seen more as a mirror of opinion that as its catalyst. AO1: The variety and sheer number of media outlets and sources means that all shades of opinion have an outlet to provide balance AO2: If we analyse this aspect we can see that although one section of the press imply one political view there is always a counter argument. In addition the sheer breadth of social media now presents a greater diversity of views AO3: We arrive at the conclusion that voters simply read and follow a media outlet which matches their political beliefs and not one which challenges it or seeks to change it. AO1: Certain types of media such as broadcasting have clear guidelines where impartiality and time allocated to political parties is clearly monitored. AO2: It is hard to argue that TV is heavily biased – given the rules on broadcasts. Also, the audience for political party broadcasts is not huge, and there is falling levels of trust. AO3: We can reach a verdict that broadcast media is legally bound to impartiality and is has little power of persuasion. AO1: People have stronger influences in their political compass – such as age, class and region, which often cannot be altered by the media AO2: We can see that the press and social media outlets are biased – but despite this– other parties still enjoy success – the left and nationalist parties fare well despite the media not being in their control. AO3: This is because factors other than the media exert more influence.

AO1: The role and scope of the media continues to evolve and have impact – whether this be the print or social media AO2: Ownership of the press often reflects the political views of their owners. New forms of media still continue to replicate that bias – hence social media outlets again repeat the messages of the press AO3: The role, form and scope of the media changes over time. The decline of print and the rise of social media outlets shows that they remain persuasive, but just changed form AO1: Most people gain their political facts and opinions from the media. AO2: Voters do not live in a vacuum – they absorb the vast bulk of their political information from multiple media outlets. AO3: Thus we can conclude that voters can be swayed by arguments made by the media. AO1: Political parties focus attention on the various media forms as they believe it makes an impact on outcomes. That is why communication experts now are central to political campaigns. AO2: Therefore the money they spend on media campaigns and the influence they exert has a direct effect on their support. This is true for elections and also referendums. AO3: Thus we can conclude the money that parties spend on the media and their visibility in the media affects their electoral outcomes. AO1: Recent elections show that the party that handles the media well secures victory at the polls. If the media attack a leader or party it can cause enormous damage. AO2: It is not only a matter of money – it is also about style and how politicians and political parties handle events and challenge and are thus portrayed by the media. Labour was effective in 1997 as the Conservatives were in the 1980s AO3: We can conclude that how a leader and party are portrayed by the media matters.