Written by: Argnesë Haxhiaj
Political debates have become the main event in our media, not only during the election campaign. Being part of our daily lives, often our daily conversations, posts on social networks are oriented by what they offer. In election campaigns, political debates serve as a kind of platform for the political programs of the parties, where in addition to playing the informative and explanatory role of the media, the audience must also play its role.
If we look at the reactions of most audiences during and at the end of political debates, the pattern that coincides with this interaction is that of passive viewing. This way, sitting in front of the television, watching and listening to the political debates that appear on it, risks the audience accepting the media's coded messages as given without challenging them and is very likely to be directly influenced by these messages.
What a country in transition needs is an active society that engages, interprets and responds to a media text in different ways and is able to challenge the ideas encoded in it. Knowing how to understand media and communication empowers you to be an active and critical recipient of media content and to demand a better quality of what is served to you, whether by the media or by politicians. With this set of knowledge and skills, the audience is able to analyze all aspects of television debates, from sponsors, to the words of candidates, to images and techniques of media production.
Based on this, what should the audience do to avoid being passive?
Initially, for this, the public must first know or seek information about the circumstances, the positions of the participants, and the preliminary statements.
What to analyze while watching the debate:
- CONTENT: Are the candidates' ideas new or are they previous promises?
- Production techniques: Where does the camera focus? Is there a split screen where other members' reactions are shown? Is there music? What kind: Where is it used? What does the stage look like? How do these techniques affect the viewer's perception of the debate?
- Candidates' language: What phrases/epithets do they use?
- Use of opposition research: Have they analyzed the opponent's 'sensitive' points and does he use these criticisms during debates?
- Emotional language: Candidates often use words that evoke emotions, so you need to analyze what the use of these words tells you about the candidate.
- Body language: Research has shown that a candidate's body language—facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, appearance (like rolled-up sleeves, right) and performance—do as much to influence the public's reaction to debates as what the candidates actually say. So when one candidate criticizes another, the audience should notice if the broadcaster pauses to show us the reaction.
Furthermore, the audience should also analyze the role of the moderator and the media in general in the debate, responding and paying attention to the details below:
► Did the candidates answer the questions asked by the moderator, or did they use the time mainly to repeat statements that are part of their campaign rhetoric?
► How effective was the moderator in trying to keep the candidates “on topic”?
► What new information, if any, did you learn from or about any candidate?
And considering that:
► Who is responsible for creating the debate?
► Who sets the questions?
► How are audience members involved, if at all?
►Who was removed from participation and why?
► Which topics can be left out and why?
► How are symbols, scenes, split screenplays, cutscenes used and why in that form, since the language used is unique to each medium?
► Who is the audience?
► Who benefits from these debates?
► Are they sponsored?
► Who are the advertisers?
If the audience views a debate in this analytical way, they will not fall prey to certain political goals and will understand that the information that appears in the media is not always intended to inform. In this way, not only will we have an educated society that knows how to use the media to achieve great causes and social change, but we will also have increased professionalism in the media.