Title: Six ways the media influence elections | School of Journalism and Communication
Headings: Six ways the media influence elections
Six ways the media influence elections
1. To cover or not to cover
2. Bias, scripts and the polarization of America
3. Social media: Echo chamber and direct line to the masses
4. A picture is worth 1,000 words
5. Data journalism: Fact-checking, polls and the self-perpetuating cycle
6. Watchdogs of democracy

Content: Six ways the media influence elections | School of Journalism and Communication
Six ways the media influence elections
Story by Andra Brichacek. Video by Ryan Lund and Aaron Nelson. Photos by Schaeffer Bonner and Karly DeWees. Ask Donald Trump and he’ll tell you journalists wield a lot of power over the U.S. political process. It’s true that the media have played an important role in politics since the First Amendment established freedom of the press as a cornerstone of American democracy. Voters need information to make educated decisions, and it’s journalists’ job to give it to them. But can the media really alter the outcome of an election? In addition to widespread voter fraud, which most experts agree would be impossible to accomplish, Trump is alleging the election has been "rigged" through biased media coverage. Recent shifts in the media landscape have changed how the press interacts with candidates, campaigns and the voting public. And, at a time when trust in the media is at an all-time low, the fourth estate has come under fire from critics on both sides of the aisle for its coverage of the 2016 elections.