In communication, media or (medium, singular) are the storage and transmission tools use to store and deliver information or data. It is some times called mass media or news media. It may also be referred to as ‘’singular’’ medium use to communicate any data.
Again, when media and communication is mentioned, it does not only mean one thing. Media comprise of electronic (radio, television, and the internet) and the press (newspapers, magazines, posters, books etc). All collectively refer to as media.
Information is a crucial thing in socio-economic, cultural and political development. The media is a vital instrument in disseminating information and other media activities such as entertainment, education, and informing the public. Another important function of the media is the power to change, filter and shape the political opinions and views of the people.
The political opinion of the people of Ghana started taking shape way back in the 1950s and 1960s, when Ghana gained independence. Before Ghana was granted independence from its British imperialists, the political opinion of the people of Ghana was somewhat different. The socio-political and cultural life of the colonialists was handed down to the people of Ghana.
In the absence of media, the only way to go about changing people’s political opinion was to resort to massive mobilization of the people such as political rallies, symposia, forums, and other public address systems. This strategy was used by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his allies, and it became effective for changing the political opinion of the people at the time.
When the struggle for independence begun, simple massages were given out to the people to prepare their minds and enable them to see the need to take governance (self rule) from the British, and indeed it was made possible by the only newspaper that was established by Africans and managed by Africans (Accra herald).
Dr. K. Nkrumah argued that the people of Ghana needed a new identity. He also said that when the Ghanaian was given the chance, he could manage his own affairs. Therefore, he made it quite Clare that it was time out for the ‘’enemy’’ (imperialists). When these principles were echoed and re-echoed into the ears of the people, it changed their political lives. They began to realize that they had the ability to manage their own affairs.
The question of how political opinion of the people of Ghana can be shaped is very important. It has being accepted that ‘’the media do not represent the realities, but it shapes and filter the opinions of the people’’. There are several ways that the political opinions of the people of Ghana can be shaped.
One of the various ways that the political opinions of the people of Ghana can be changed is through the agenda setting theory. It simply states that, the mass media has the power to set the agenda for the people to discuss through emphasizing on certain issues and de-emphasizing certain issues.
The agenda setting theory comprises multiple functions that make it possible to either change filter or shape the political opinions of the people of Ghana. For instance, media concentration on few political issues and subjects that lead to the public to perceive these issues are more important than others.
In Ghana there are many ways in which the media could shape the political opinions of the people of Ghana.
Gate keeping; control over the selection of topics (political) discuss in the media, thus what the public knows and cares about.
Priming; effects of particular context on retrieval and interpretation of information. The media content will provide a lot of time and space to certain issues making these issues more accessible and vivid in the mines of the people. (Miller 2005).
Framing; it is the process of selective control over media content or public communication. Framing defines how a certain part of media content is packaged so it will influence certain interpretation that is accomplished through the use of selection, emphasis and elaboration.
Uses of Agenda Setting Theory In Shaping The Political Opinion of The People of Ghana.
Political advertising
Political campaigns, discourse and debates
Role of groups, audience control and public opinion
Strengths Of The Agenda Setting Theory
It has the power to explain itself, because it has the power to explain why most people think that the same issues are important.
It has the power to predict, if the same people are exposed to the same media, they will feel that the same issues are important.
It can be proven false; if people are not exposed to the same media they will not feel that the same issues are important.
Its assumptions are balanced on the scientific side.
It has the power to organize; it helps to organize the existing knowledge of media effects (Everett Rogers 1963).
The Dominant Paradigm of Communication/Modernization Theory
The dominant paradigm theory states that there is a necessary fitness between a ‘’modern’’ culture and political development. It argues that the low political awareness coupled with the low participation of the masses around the world can be explained by the persistence and continues adherence to outmoded traditional values and attitudes.
The goals of the modernization theory (Daniel Lerner 1958) were to instill modern political values through the transfer of media and information technology in the people. In Ghana for instance, the modernization theory started taking shape in the 1990s. This became possible when some business magnates saw the need to invest heavily in the Ghanaian media.
The media in Ghana became very vital in the change over between the Ghanaian traditional leadership and modern political structures (democratic processes). This transition has relegated the traditional rule to the background. The transition paved way for democratic rule to take a centre stage in governance in Ghana. This agenda were cautiously perused through the creation of regional FM stations through out the nation.
Democracy had changed the lives of the people of Ghana, including the way we lived and managed our own affairs. A classical example is conflict resolution mechanisms (Betty Rabbar 2004). Socio-political realities of these conflict resolutions are deep rooted in the culture and history of Ghanaian people and are one way or the other unique to each community. (J.J Rawlings 2000) Ghanaians are admonished not to let Ghana sink into the level of other African countries where democracy has become a nightmare.
These realities are factored into the modern democratic process which create modern court systems (tribunal) for the resolution of these conflicts. Democracy has put in place measures to curb the culture of unequal access to natural justice, power, ethnic mistrust (ethnocentrism), inadequate structures, border tensions, and proliferation of illicit arms into the hands of tribal chiefs, warlords, and fellow tribesmen.
Reference:
Accra herald. First African newspaper in Ghana.
Betty Rabbar (2004). Conflict resolution mechanisms.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (1957). People of Ghana needed a new identity.
Daniel Lerner (1958). Goals of the modernization theory.
Everett Rogers (1963).understanding the adoption behaviors of the people.
J.J Rawlings (2000).democracy in Ghana should not to become a nightmare.
Miller (2005).effects of the agenda setting theory.
