Introduction
The "Welfare Reform Bill" was passed after the heated discussion and debate
done on the powerful media. The popular media themes looked like a chorus
exaggerating the load of wellbeing programs on the federal budget by making
the poor the black the female and other down trodden as a scapegoat. So the
comparatively toothless groups became the prey of policy maker and most of
the media men, while their supporters were normally barred from discussion.
Long-time critics of "welfare" from the women's movement, trade unions and
the left were sidelined.
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In the wake of the
passage narrated above one can assume that media plays an important role in
making or breaking of opinion of the public or the government. Media can
critics fuel the talk of responsibility, dependency and shame in the context
of welfare. How media plays its role to cost its effect on the opinion of
general public, service providers, welfare recipients and an assortment of
policy analysts, will be seen in subsequent paragraphs. The media’s role is
of course so important, and its impact is so great that journalists will
have a duty to give it careful, thorough attention when they pursue a
particular theme on powerful media.
How Media Stereotype Welfare Mother
It has been observed over a period of time that the assortment of certain
women to symbolize "welfare mothers" did much to strengthen the misleading
stereotypes, especially with regard to girls of young age and welfare. It is
interesting to note that when the age of welfare recipients was made public,
it was generally 17, 18 or 19 years old, meaning thereby that only 6 percent
of mothers who received aid for the families with dependent children were
still the teenagers, of which just one percent were 17 years or younger than
that (Report, 11) The irony of the fate is that media use negative technique
of confirming their baseless assumptions as some recipients of welfare aid
were used to confirm the so called "expert" opinion, that, explained that
some legislators wanted to decrease pregnancies by cutting off
reimbursement, and it was seconded a reporters who declared (News Item,
94)12/12/94): "Sure enough, Julia, a 17-year-old welfare mother from
Elizabeth, N.J. says that if the government abolished aid, 'I would prevent
myself from having more children.’ Similarly one can find many sympathetic
stories that confirm the conventional wisdom and term poverty as a personal
problem, and “dependency” as a curable ailment. Welfare dependent single
moms could have been presented as of heroines, who are bold, painstaking and
imaginative," wrote Ann Mannering: "I would like to hear stories of these
women in the media. Not just the ones who graduate from college and become a
'success,' but the ones who keep on doing their best for their kids under
conditions that would daunt some of their better-off sisters."
Effects of Media Images, Sources & Context Effect Public Opinion on the
Issue
Difference
in Opinion; Media and Masses
Media may have opinion different than popular sentiments of the masses or
reality. The baseless believe that poorer people receive something for
nothing is much harder to tolerate than the noticeable good luck of the
better-off, (McCrery, 7) But opposing to such claims from media pundits, the
general public is not believed to be so cruel. A study" (Fighting Poverty in
America survey was carried out by the Center for the Study of Policy
Attitudes (CSPA) in December 1994, according to which, 80 percent of
respondents approved that the government has "a responsibility to try to do
away with poverty. Favor for "welfare" was found lesser than the favor for
"assistance to the poor," but when CSPA asked people about their support for
AFDC, (The federal welfare program which provides monetary support for
jobless deprived single mothers with children), only about quarter of the
people opined that funding should be slashed, while about 30 percent of them
were found in favor of increase.
Change in Attitude towards Refugees
Australia has recently refused to give entry to large influx of refugees and
detained them in a camp. The Government of Australia succeeded in doing so
due to favorable reporting of Media.
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Media Exposes
Politician’s Claims
Media can effectively expose the politician’s self-interested claims i.e. no
one will go hungry under the new law, or that private charities will fill
the gaps left by cutbacks. Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, for example,
claimed a success but the press discovered that the change wasn't due to a
decline in demand for housing, just a decline in supply: Many homeless
shelters had been forced to close down for lack of state funds. (Gordon, 11)
Media can help raise the Fund
When the press reporters on the "welfare beat" begin documenting the
increased pressure on a particular issue i.e. food, housing and medical
service providers for low-income families, it can help service providers to
get additional help from the Government and a superficial style reporting
(Without sustained scrutiny) in negative sense can similarly damage the
cause.
Effect on Larger Social & Policy Issues
Media’s Role in Passage of H.R. 3734 Passage of H.R. 3734, since was an out
come of official sources and ideologically driven think tanks in the run up,
having vested interest in declaring their programs a success. Reporters in
this case have the responsibility for molding the opinion of general public
without letting the people most directly affected by the changes
participates in the debate.
Reporters Responsibility to Research Policy Issues
Due to deep effects of media on social and policy issues, they are expected
to investigate contrasting claims about the effects and influence the
government decision, not by pointing fingers at politicians but by provoking
serious, open discussion of what is really needed to alleviate poverty and
provide meaningful work for people. "Citizens can make a difference in what
happens in their state," writes Peter Edelman, the former Clinton
administration official who resigned over H.R. 3734 (Atlantic Monthly,
3/97), But only if reporters keep them informed.
Effects on Policy Decision
Media’s role can be better understood if it is viewed, while Congress was
debating various welfare proposals, Capitol Hill discussions drove reporting
even more than usual (Extra! 5-6/95) and much of the welfare responsibility
for welfare provisions was passed to the state level. All this was made
possible due to effective role played by the Media.
Conclusion
The implication of stories like the New York Times' profile--headlined
"'Mother Teresa of Houston' Fights Hunger and Government Aid"--is that we
can have either "communities that care" or government spending on programs
are determined for the poor. The Media’s effectiveness can similarly be
better understood by viewing critically the on going war against terrorism
that is gathering impetus due to Media’s ability to change the public
opinion.
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