EFFECTS OF NEWS DISSEMINATION ON VOTER PERSPECTIVE
Abstract
News refers to critical information about local, national or international events that is broadcasted through various media channels, including radio, television, smartphones, newspapers, and magazines. The transmission of any sort of news can vary widely: some stories might gain rapid attention and go viral, while others might remain largely unnoticed. The likelihood of a news story going viral depends on several factors, including timing, location, the platform used for dissemination, the sensitivity of the information, and the surrounding discourse. All of these factors suggest that news dissemination should be handled with absolute care and responsibility, but this is often not the case. In the digital age of social media, news channels specifically might not be the sole source of information that people encounter. With the increasing penetration of the internet and the use of social media, anyone can act as a news reporter, regardless of whether the person has valid credentials and accurate information to share. This phenomenon, termed as citizen journalism or armchair activism, can have unintended and even harmful consequences. In a democracy, a voter is seen as a rational citizen with the power and responsibility to choose their representative. However, this rationale and decision making is often driven by several factors, not limited to the actions of the political parties. Here is where the news dissemination, via popular social media channels, like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, and WhatsApp, comes into the picture. X is one of the primary mediums for political discussion and dissemination. The focus of this paper is to explore how a voter's perception can be affected and influenced by the usage of these media platforms.
Keyword : News, News Dissemination, Voter, Social Media, Perception
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