Technology and the Media

With digital media and new technology, media workers are seeing their responsibilities shift with each change. With technology such as phones and social media, media workers are seeing fewer job necessities and fewer jobs (Lareau, 2010). There are fewer jobs for video and audio technicians because much of news is done with social media and short videos that can be recorded with more advanced cameras that do not require an entire crew (Lareau, 2010). Of course, this does not mean there is no need for these individuals but the need for them is decreasing as technology advances, which poses problems for the specialized media job market. Entry into this job market is becoming increasingly difficult, as a result. Also, "citizenship journalism" is making the need for reporters less because, again, technology such as phones and the internet make it easier for just about anyone to report on a given topic (Lareau, 2010). This is not to say that there are no reporters but there

The media is one of the largest contributors in understanding our world and knowing what is happening around us. This is especially true when it comes to politics. The media allows any of us to know what is happening at a moments notice, which means when anything happens in the world of politics we immediately know about it (Suter, 2011). With this being the case, it causes issues in how we consume political information. There are so many opposing news organizations with polarized viewpoints on political issues that it causes political divide within its audiences (PBS, 2017). With the media at the forefront of politics, in many ways it contributes to the way politics are conducted. Media outlets influence the way that politicians approach certain issues and political understanding because of the image associated with news media (Suter, 2011). Politicians are more likely to adjust stances in favor or against issues based on media coverage of the topic and the response from media

New media technology such as the internet and social media sites have attributed to news ways for politicians to care out their political campaigns. With the birth of social media, politicians have found it to be a useful resource in reaching a larger audience. This has been especially useful since, in the U.S., political campaigns are funded by fundraising (Karlsen, 2010). Social media accounts have made it easier for politicians to raise money for campaigns with things such as GoFundMe and posting to social media. In 2008, Barrack Obama got much of his campaign funding from online, with the use of social media and fundraising websites (Karlsen, 2010). With being able to raise money on social media, politicians are able to spread their campaign further. This is to say with having an online presence, they are able to reach people they would not have reached otherwise. Those who support a politician share their funding page, and friends of that individual are then "exposed"