Medias Place in Government - Essay Example

However, the greatest weapon of media is that it can magnify the truth of an act or incident, sometimes to the point of exaggeration. It is because of this power that media can keep checks and balances on political leadership. Besley, Burgess, and Prat (2002) observed that suppose “a politician is thinking of taking or making a bribe and that the probability of this will become public depends on the efficacy of the media in both discovering it and broadcasting it widely” (p.5). It is agreed then that the media can influence and persuade politicians to do their proper roles for fear of bad publicity.

However, the media also are victims and are even a mark suspect for political corruption or political advantages. Walgrave and Van Aelst (2004) stated that 

“symbolic political agendas are more, and more immediately, affected by the media than substantial political agendas” (p.8). This fact cancels out the effectiveness of media as an aspect that provides a check on government actions. For the media to maintain its effectiveness in keeping watch over political affairs, it has to maintain a strong level of integrity and professionalism, while being impartial with regard to political matters.