Political news is the information related to politics, public issues, and policies. It is usually published in the form of a newspaper, news magazine or on television. It covers the activities of individual politicians and collective actors (e.g., political parties, interest groups, social movements, and citizens) as well as the public discourse among these actors.
As the most important source of public affairs information in modern societies, media coverage of political events is widely perceived to serve essential functions for a democratic society: it reflects and shapes political opinion, discloses political misbehavior, facilitates public discourse, and encourages civic engagement. These normative requirements are best fulfilled under conditions of free press freedom, which ensures the existence and availability of a plurality of sources of information and the equal access to these sources for all citizens.
The emergence of global news logistics – regular newscasts on many radio and television programs, 24-hour news networks and the Internet – made political news continuously available for a large audience. However, research shows that the vast quantity of mediated political information is often difficult to process and understand. As a result, people’s political knowledge remains low, in spite of the massive increase in both news supply and media exposure over the years.
One way to help overcome this problem is to provide a different angle on political issues. For example, instead of covering the presidential race as a contest between the two major candidates, journalists should also focus on the issues that are most relevant to local communities. This can help bring the political process down to a more realistic level and make it more accessible to all audiences.