INPUT / … / … / Television and politics (session 1)

Very few countries have clauses in their Constitutions which precisely define the role television should play in politics. Yet in this video age, all political campaigns are organized with television in mind. The candidates of minority parties continually protest against the limited air time they receive. Legislative chambers, which are often deserted by their representatives, find themselves suddenly graced with a full house when the debate are televised. The content of the debates and their conclusions are influenced by the invisible presence of the public whose weight must one day be measured. Politics also influence the relationship between televisions and political parties, notably in the case of the ruling party. It is a big temptation to intervene in the content of programs which upset often officially discouraged censorship leaves room for the secretly hoped-for self-censorship. We are devoting two sessions to a review of these problems: censorship, electoral politics, and the ambiguous affair between television and politics