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As the federal elections are upon us once again, countless hours of debates and attack ads bombard the Canadian population. The fact is, that it is impossible for voters to attend every single event in order to get a full and complete picture of the parties positions and intentions once elected. So this leaves us voters looking for some kind of guidance; which news network will I tune into to get the information on the latest debate?
At the youthful age of 20, this is the first federal election that I am able to participate in. So here I am, scratching my head wondering how in the world I will be able to make such an important decision. Now of course I am only one person amongst millions of voters, but nonetheless, every vote counts. So I have made the decision to vote, and I've started to talk to friends and family, and they each tell me of specific policies that they most closely relate to and agree with. Well yes, I believe that Stephen Harper has strengthened our economy and helped us Canadians bounce back faster that thought possible from the recession. Yes I also believe that the emphasis that the NDP put on the subsidization of post-secondary education is crucial to the development of an educated and knowledgable population. Through a Liberal perspective, I also believe that we should be working to equal out the playing field for the lower and middle class, and subsequently taxing the upper class more heavily. So how do I choose who to vote for when I identify with all three major parties for various reasons?
At the youthful age of 20, this is the first federal election that I am able to participate in. So here I am, scratching my head wondering how in the world I will be able to make such an important decision. Now of course I am only one person amongst millions of voters, but nonetheless, every vote counts. So I have made the decision to vote, and I've started to talk to friends and family, and they each tell me of specific policies that they most closely relate to and agree with. Well yes, I believe that Stephen Harper has strengthened our economy and helped us Canadians bounce back faster that thought possible from the recession. Yes I also believe that the emphasis that the NDP put on the subsidization of post-secondary education is crucial to the development of an educated and knowledgable population. Through a Liberal perspective, I also believe that we should be working to equal out the playing field for the lower and middle class, and subsequently taxing the upper class more heavily. So how do I choose who to vote for when I identify with all three major parties for various reasons?
The Agenda Setting Theory first proposed by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in 1972 puts forth the idea that the media plays a large part in shaping public opinion. The term they use more specifically is "framing" and this is the concept I find most pertinent when assessing the credibility of news media sources. Framing refers to the way in which the media depicts certain aspects of a news story to influence the public to view those aspects as important. This means for example that when CBC is writing an article about the latest debate and they only focus on one main debate topic, the viewers will unintentionally, and often times subconsciously, accept that topic as the most important deciding factor when choosing who to vote for.
As I begin researching the various candidates, I stumble across an article on CBC discussing the integration of various Liberal party intentions once (possibly) elected (link to article HERE). Upon first inspection of the article, it seems to be presenting a relatively objective viewpoint on one of Conservative leader Stephen Harper's campaign speeches. However looking more closely, we can begin to see how the story has been framed to cause the readers to absorb the information in a very particular way. Firstly, the article is written through the perspective of Harper as the only information presented on the Liberal party's intentions are those that have been discussed at the speech. This means that the reader, and subsequently the large audience of voters, are aligning themselves with the Conservative party subconsciously through Harpers viewpoint. More importantly, the two post election Liberal plans that are presented, are ONLY TWO of the changes to federal policy that the Liberals plan to enact. This means as a reader, I am presented with partial information that I begin to believe is most important, when in actuality, it may not be a deciding factor for me at all. So now I, along with millions of other audience members of the CBC have been swayed in an ever so subtle way to lean more closely towards the Conservative party.
Realistically this example may be a bit extreme in nature, but the affects of framing are nothing to be ignored. With the advancement in technology, the Canadian population has increased access to information at such high levels that we are simply are not able to consume it all. This leaves a fraction of information available to us, and the majority of it may be hindering our ability to truly understand what is important to us individually.
What I do ask is that you as an audience member, ask yourself how the information you are reading is being presented to you, and ultimately framed. This awareness may allow a broader picture of the issues facing you individually, your family, and your country.
As I begin researching the various candidates, I stumble across an article on CBC discussing the integration of various Liberal party intentions once (possibly) elected (link to article HERE). Upon first inspection of the article, it seems to be presenting a relatively objective viewpoint on one of Conservative leader Stephen Harper's campaign speeches. However looking more closely, we can begin to see how the story has been framed to cause the readers to absorb the information in a very particular way. Firstly, the article is written through the perspective of Harper as the only information presented on the Liberal party's intentions are those that have been discussed at the speech. This means that the reader, and subsequently the large audience of voters, are aligning themselves with the Conservative party subconsciously through Harpers viewpoint. More importantly, the two post election Liberal plans that are presented, are ONLY TWO of the changes to federal policy that the Liberals plan to enact. This means as a reader, I am presented with partial information that I begin to believe is most important, when in actuality, it may not be a deciding factor for me at all. So now I, along with millions of other audience members of the CBC have been swayed in an ever so subtle way to lean more closely towards the Conservative party.
Realistically this example may be a bit extreme in nature, but the affects of framing are nothing to be ignored. With the advancement in technology, the Canadian population has increased access to information at such high levels that we are simply are not able to consume it all. This leaves a fraction of information available to us, and the majority of it may be hindering our ability to truly understand what is important to us individually.
What I do ask is that you as an audience member, ask yourself how the information you are reading is being presented to you, and ultimately framed. This awareness may allow a broader picture of the issues facing you individually, your family, and your country.