As the textbook eludes to, the emergence of new media in politics and policy making has forever changed the game. This article I found from the Brookings Institute confirms this thought and explains in more depth how and why this is the case, especially in regard to the immigration debate.
New media, through its ability to broadcast news instantaneously to people around the globe, has the potential to play a very influential role in whether immigration reform happens or not. People take bloggers, talk show host, and other new media outlets seriously, and because these types of outlets are able to spread their message on a massive scale, they’re able to garner tremendous amounts of support and influential power.
Can they truly change the landscape of the immigration debate in the way that the Brookings Institute seems to think they can, or will new media in this case be just another place for the extremists to shout their opinions to the world?
- Austin Ellington
