Media Influence on Voters

Our class discussion regarding political participation, including voting, really got me to think about how the media plays a role in the decisions of Americans. The issue of whether exit polls deter people from voting was an issue that was discussed. I didn't really think about it at the time, but if I lived on the West Coast and saw the candidate I wanted to vote for falling behind in the polls, that would encourage me to go vote - not deter me. As Professor Gelbman's blog pointed out, a study has shown that exit poll reporting does not drive down voter turnout. However, this is just one form of media. What about all of the campaigning hype, the early primaries, the Internet, etc? Do these types of reporting influence whether or not people will vote? Someone in class mentioned that some people are so tired of "politics" and campaigning that by the time elections come around they would rather just stay home. With all of the dirty-campaigning, candidate bashing, and inventive "reporting" on the Internet, it does get to be a little much. I think that the media plays a big role in voter turnout - sometimes for the worst. We've had plenty of discussions about voting for the "lesser of two evils," and that is what it turns out to be after witnessing all of the negative campaigning going on for almost 2 years before an election.