MEDIATIZATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL SPHERE

Abstract

This review study gives a clear understanding of the process known as mediatization, how it shapes different societal institutions, organizations, what is its importance and its powers and in which institutions it implies. The article specifically targets politics in this regard and tries to develop an understanding historically and in the new era to how mediatization has influenced it, and how the mediatization slowly turned the politics with political logic to politics with media logic. Creating a clear understanding of the relation that the mediatization has with politics. The politics in regards is discussed in global context and in the context of Pakistan and a firm explanation is given to develop a link to how mediatization of politics may affect policy decisions whether it is policy decision within a country or it is foreign policy decisions. Furthermore, the article examines the advent of new media which reflects on the mediatization in a new form and as a tool for the political entities and institutions. How has it, the new media, specifically social media, revolutionized the mediatization of politics in regards to global politics and Pakistani politics. The article gives the overall understanding of the process of how the political actors and institutions use the media for their own goals, and how the media use them to formulate certain policy decisions and shape the public opinion on those policy decisions. By probing the process of mediatization of politics and the new media revolutionizing the whole process, the article gives valuable insights to the ongoing dissertation revolving around the subject matter.