Study Of The Influence Of The Internet Media On Policy Process

Media play an important role in policy process in a modern political system,not only in a policy process but also in more fields such as political socialization.In western countries,the governments and people often use media to claim interests or to promote policies.The internet-based media are more independent and are not limited by time and space and bring new changes on the policy process.Contemporary China's political life by the influence of the internet-based media has become increasingly prominent.Instead of to abandon or refactor the original policy process completely,it is rather the product of new technology and social structure under the effect of multiple factors embedded mutually.The authorities,interest groups,elites and citizens all play an important role in the policy process,together with the internetbased media,and show different functions.In this study,the author use the methods of literature analysis,case analysis and Marx's interest analysis to study the problem of this problem on the two dimensions of vertical and horizontal.On one side,it discusses the function and the role of the internetbased media in each step of the public policy process.On the other side,it discusses the mutual relationship between the internet-based media and the government,the interest groups,the elite,the public and other structural factors in the policy process.Based on a brief summary of the policy process theory in the domestic and foreign,this thesis adopts Easton's theory of political system to study the policy process.It is divided into three parts: policy agenda setting,expression and aggregation of interests,implementation and feedback.The theories of media effect and public opinions also help in this study.Researches have showed the importance of media in the agenda-setting of public policy.In china,there are three patterns or models of agenda-setting: the outside initiation model,the inside initiation mode,and the mobilization model.Each associates with a particular type of the media's role in agenda-setting.While traditional mass media may be used by government,parties and interest groups to control public opinions,the internet-based media can be more independent and make citizens set a public agenda more freely.Interest is one of the most important problems of human society,and it's also an important observation of Marx historical materialism perspective of social life.The internet-based media have showed different functions in the expression of the 4 kinds of interest groups.They became important agents of some weak groups and changed the public policy sometimes.While public opinions on the internet may make issues risk further polarization,they may also lead to compromise.The internet-based media play roles as mobilization,education,evaluation and supervision in policy implementation,which is the outcome of the internet governance by Chinese government.The feedback through internet may be more convenient,but it also exists some problems.