synthetic essay

The impact of the television on the people of this nation has increased through each coming year. Yet, this influence is not necesarily all for the better. While the media does its best to send informatino out to the people, on the topic of presidential elections there is controversey. It apears as though the television has unsuspectedly help make presidential debates focused more on which candidate is more impressive on screen than who is presenting the best ideas.

Presidential candidates are asked to appear on talk shows of all ranges from CNN to MTV. These public appearances through television seems as though it would be of value to the public, but in reality actually backfire on the candidates. "...because of television’s celebrity system, Presidents are losing their distinctiveness as social actors and hence are often judged by standards
formerly used to assess rock singers and movie stars..." (Source B). Presidents judged and evaluated on the same level as movie and rock stars is certainly not the motive or point of their television interviews. The President of the United States of America has histrically been viewed as a person of dignity, honor, and respect. Television interviews change and demean this appearance by making teh President feel more like a peer than a leader. "...because of television’s sense of
intimacy, the American people feel they know their Presidents as persons and hence no longer feel the need for party guidance..." (Source B). Having a personable President is important but one that still stands out as a leader is more important. This is not attainable if teh Presidents are appearing on talk shows that demean their authority.

The image of the President is important but it should not be the governing factor as to which Presidential candidate deserves to be sworn in. Television has made it so that Presidents who have the most influencial appearance during a broadcasted candident debate receive the most support. '. . . “Our national politics has become a competition for images or between
images, rather than between ideals,” [one commentator] concluded. “An effective President must be every year more concerned with projecting images of himself.” (Source C)' Is not the object of becoming President to help create the best nation we can be? Having a President be elected based on appearance on television is not only wrong but terrifying. Poor Presidents could be sworn in simply because they appeared the most impressive. This is not helpful to the nation or its people. Theodor H. White "believed that Kennedy’s “victory” in the debates was largely a triumph of image over content. (Source C)" White had the correct idea that television broadcasted debates were, and are, increasingly unhelpful to the American peoples' ability to elect the best President for our nation. The television screws our views and opinions on who really is the best option.

There is, however, a positive side to all of the negativity. "One of the great contributions expected of television lay in its presumed capacity to inform and stimulate the political interests of the American electorate. (Source A)." Whether the broadcasting source decides to take full advantage of their power for the good of informing the truth to the public is entirely up the the specific news source. All of the potential is there for the television to help inform the American public on the presidential promised contributions to the country, but the news source needs help make a broadcasted presidential debate more aboutt he issues and less about image. Most of the power lies within the networks ability to lay out the raw facts and not scewed data. The cards have been laid. Who will draw the most correct, truthful, and helpful hand?