Source Type: Personal Reflection & YouTube
Have you ever wondered about the reasons behind the great amount of attention you pay on certain issues? Why are you more anxious on the upcoming reports of particular events and not the others? Well, you bet what I’m going to write about in this post. Yes, we can safely attribute these answers to the pervasive influence of the mass media. We may not be such powerless creatures that succumb to the Powerful Effects Theory nor are we totally resistive to the influence of the media according to the Limited Effects Theory. However, we are somewhere in the continuum of the power of media influence, where we hold the perspective of Moderate Effects Theory. It says that although audiences are not totally manipulated by the media, similarly, the media also do not have total control of our thoughts. Continuing on, I will show the application of the different functions of the media to substantiate my perspective. Enjoy reading on!
Question: Who owns the media?
Answer: The rich and powerful.
You do not buy this statement? Watch the YouTube below!
It features that 95% of the media in United States is dominated by 5 major companies; Time Warner, VIACOM, Vivendi Universal, Walt Disney, and News Corp! They have tremendous monetary resources to extensively inform and educate the public through news and print media. These companies are very self-sufficient as they fund their own production, manufacturing, marketing, distribution and sales. Media Hegemony is more than convincing to account for the ownership of the media. This theory explains that the media represent views of those who hold economic power. When these companies have the capital to market their products through advertisement and feature their success through broadcast news, they gradually influence the audiences’ attitudes. Through the mainstreaming effect of the Cultivation Theory, the media create a way for us to comprehend the world which eventually affects our beliefs about social reality. In this case, through the cumulative deliverance of the information about themselves, it makes us feel that the products they sell are one of the finest. Their marketing strategy becomes a success when viewers like us are compelled to purchase their product. Also, the medium of the message has great potential to change the way we experience the world. This is governed by the theory of Media Determinism. Our perspective will be swayed depending on status of the source which is bringing the message across. If a piece of news originates from an entity like News Corp, whose reputation is well-established, most of us will trust the message even though it may be distorted.
Question: What makes you more concern about a certain issue?
Answer: The media.
Take a look at the YouTube below!
It shows that at one point of time, there was large amount of media coverage on environmental problems like global warming, wilderness destruction, air and soil pollution, water pollution. When media coverage was pervasive, poll shows that the public concerns were very elevated. As the new media lost its interest on that issue, even though these environmental problems were at its pits, the poll study shows that public concern decreased accordingly. Again, this reflects the Agenda Setting Function of the media where through repeated news coverage; it raises the importance of an issue in the public’s mind. Even though in reality, the environmental problems are worthy of our attention, just because the media lessen its coverage, the public’s focus was altered by the media.
Ironically, these analyses that I’ve presented are from a source of media. So has the media set my agenda upon this discussion? Or does it just confirm the fact that we are vulnerable to the information offered by the media?
To you, how much has the mass media affected your way of looking at the world?
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14 comments:
How much am i controlled by the media? i would not dare to say none for as i read on your article, i realise how true they are.
I do believe that the media is being controlled, therefore at different point of time only selective news are being reported.
While but i do not disregard the importance of media for it is really an effective way to communicate. However, i feel that this tool should not be misused and should be used wisely for the good of all! =)
Therefore it is important that we keep up to news but not to take them full swing as we realise the flaws and the responsibility will be for to read more and find out more to conclude on certain issues and not only rely on media especially during this technology advanced era.
In your conclusion you've mentioned using a source of media, in this case "youtube" as a basis and support for your argument. And you question if we may be vulnerable to the information offered by the media.
I personally was unwilling to click on your link provided. Clicking and watching it would mean that I may possibly be the "powerless creature that succumb" (sorry for quoting you out of context).
Media is pervasive, but I feel that each person can make a conscious decision to believe or question the presented information that bombards us each day.
People make choices as to which internet news feed and traditional newspaper to subscribe to if they feel that its unbiased and a view that they agree with. But of course Singaporean media (ST, Channelnewsasia... etc) has been pre-filtered for us so that doesnt count. :)
Thus i am agreeing the Moderate Effects Theory disagree with the ownership of media.
In every reported opinion, image choice and news coverage, there is bound to hidden prejudices, editorial requirements and specific target audiences.
Sometimes the target audiences would react to what the media shows and expresses their opinions on it. That's why large media companies often conduct surveys to know their target audience's likes and dislikes to play and produce programs.
Besides, the 5 major companies are all listed on NASDAQ and they would also have to answer to stock holders who bought their shares and partly own them, providing the funds and financial capital they need.
Technicality aside, Mass media has been my life. I must read the Straits Times everyday (love ST LIFE) and feel a sense of loss if i cannot access my google reader to read my blog and news feeds online. With internet access, my choice of information has become so diverse and wide, which I would have never imagined possible in the past. What more should I be asking for? Really?
I wouldn't mind becoming the "powerless creature that succumb" to the Powerful Effects Theory if I get to see the world through different lens and appreciate differences and be influenced by advertisers who wants my money. haha.
Hello TV ads, Just let me know what's hot this Christmas, I need to start doing my christmas shopping already. :)
To me, media does affects me a lot on how I look at the world. We tend to take things for granted in life. However, it is only through media - educational show, news etc, then only we realised how the real world is like.
I learn a great deal of things through the media. Through news, I am aware of the poverty in other countries, and the environmental problems we are currently facing now.
From there, my perceptions change accordingly. Maybe the world is not as simple as it is. When we are currently enjoying our life now, how many people outside there are suffering?
It is only through the media that we learn about certain issues and mould our thinking.
That really true, silbel! We've also learnt in our communication concept that there are 4 functions of the Media: Surveillance, Correlation, Cultural Transmission, and Entertainment.
You've mentioned the point about CORRELATION that we should be able to decipher, analyze and evaluate the credibility of the information obtained from the media!
And artsywan, I do agree with your point about the advantages that the media brings. Media inform us on the upcoming news, the upcoming Sales and latest trends around the world! That is one of the functions of the media to ENTERTAIN us. I can see its success on you. Enjoy the benefits of the media!
Fen, i see that you are a learned person who uses media for one of its function; SURVEILLANCE. Yes, media do open my horizon about the way I view the world. In fact, we’ve learnt to appreciate the things around us when we realize how fortunate we are. Thanks to the media.
Honestly, I am very influenced by media. With the prevalence of media rooted in our lives, how can we not be influenced by media? Especially as teenagers, we are easily swayed by the latest fashion in the streets. Media is exactly the source where we obtain our fashion updates from.
Our than the trailing of fashion by teenagers, adults also gain much economic and political information from newspapers, which is a highly trusted form of media. This is part of the reason why governments in some countries make use of newspapers along with other forms of media to influence the citizens' view of the government.
Most of us gain insights to the economic slowdown in the world through media. These information will determine how the adults handle their stocks and shares.
Media in the form of shows influences our values and beliefs. From the messages protrayed in the shows, we glimpse and hold on to those values that we stand by.
Internet, which is the worldwide web, plays a key role in election processes. In the recent Malaysia elections, the failure to tap on internet to advocate their policies led to a lost battle for one of the parties.
Rich companies will have a higher monopoly power over media as they have the financial ability to employ eloquents and talents to influence citizens' minds such that it would be favourable for them.
Therefore, careful monitoring processes and appropriate censorship must be implemented. Corrupted governments, whose sole aim is to accumulate wealth for themselves, will eventually lead their country down the pathway of destruction.
To me, i feel that media has both positive impacts and nagative impacts on me.
The positive impacts are it is a place where i can get my sources of knowledge information, latest updates, entertainment, changing my mindset.
For the mind aspect, i am able to get information from news, documentary, dialogue session,this is where i can seive out those knowledge learnt and apply to my life context by the level of maturity level and creating awareness from our surroundings.
For the soul aspect, to me, media strengthens or builds the society by being a political watchdog, having educational programs and creating solidarity/building an international community.
For the body aspect, there advertisement and other forms of entertainment where i began to be wary of my inner and outer beauty, the first impression i give, the way i present myself, etc. This is largely influence by the celebrities and well known figures.
However, there are down sides to media too. I feel that media is not reliable because news is always subjective and culturally biased. It is inevitable that people or news groups view things from their own lenses, and therefore makes it pointless for us to discuss whether the media is actually conveying the truth in that respect. At the end of the day, it is still up to us on whether we would follow the media blindly or process it carefully and come out with a sensible conclusion.
In my perspective, media is like an double edge sword. It depends on how the user controls it.
Media's huge impact to our lives is just inevitable.
The reason is, we just can't know exactly what's happening arond us without the media. Maybe I can put this way; media sereves as people's "window" to see the world.
Thus, if the media inform faulty informations, so do the way people see a problem.
Like from the example regarding the environmental problem. The media declines to put articles about that; so, people might have thought that environmental problems weren't worth talking about, just because the media has stopped reporting about it...
In fact, people know everything happening from medias, don't they?
To me, media somehow do have an impact on my life.
Because of the news and other educational show, I realise how much things I do not know about the things around us. These shows do widen our knowledge and let us know more about the world and also the things that are happening.
However, media also has negative imapact. Like violent shows, children who watch these type of shows with no parental guidence may think that it is alright to be violent.
Therefore, I feel that media do have impact on our lives but we can choose whether to believe what we see or hear.
Media--- what exactly is it? Oxford lexicographers subscribe to this: The main means of communicating with large number of people. For people who are familiar with scientific jargon, the term ‘medium’ comes in close parallel in meaning. It’s a mode, a way, a vehicle of transmission of waves, light, sound etc.
While we focus on the discussion about the media’s manipulative ability, we tend to also neglect the fact that our 5 senses are basically our ‘windows’ to the world. The form where we get our information WILL indefinitely influence us, and the media is but ONE of the ways of getting quick, convenient updates from around the world. Others like daily experiences, talking to seniors, learning at school, studying in the library etc are also means where we obtain and constantly shape our worldviews. If we were to incriminate the media for the negative influences on our younger pliable minds, would we also in the same breath imply that our direct social contact with them proves to be less of an influence? In other words, when parents blame the media for the children’s outcome, do they also imply that the media has a stronger hold on their children’s minds than the direct parental influence that they have on their children?
On another note, I profess that the media has its way of sensationalizing the news. News is meant to be objective--reported without the slightest hints of partiality. But let’s not forget that the news that DOES get reported, has been carefully selected according to the times and the tastes and their lingering tantalizing appeal to the audience. This is what we call… Publication bias. Why do we see spades of scandals splash across the newspapers when politicians are readying for elections? Do they not already exist before they were published? Was it not already known? Oh no... the time was not ripe for the impact to be catastrophic! Did AIDS suddenly appear in the world when the media spotlight was casted on it? Evidently not! HIV made its media debut when most countries begin to grapple with population control policies. Coincidence? I leave it to you.
Many fascinatingly-similar trends strewn the medical world. Many doctors are curious about the 5-yearly peaks in cases of dengue fever reported. And this is despite the flood of measures that the National Environmental Agency employ against the Aedes mosquito to curb this trend. Why? There’s an interesting theory. As many general practitioners have been well-informed of the 5-yearly trend of dengue peaks, once every 5 years, they switch on to ‘high-alert’ mode, and their diagnoses of dengue fever takes on a lower threshold. Naturally, more cases of dengue that would have usually been passed off as common flu, would be detected. We see the same for hand-foot-mouth disease too. It’s the media again, you think?
And there are the rich and powerful others that use the media as propaganda. Indeed, we see this trend not only in the advertising industry, but also in dictatorships, communist societies of the past, and even of the present. How do we draw the line between media and propaganda? Theoretically, it’s easy. But being able to discern objective news from propaganda with an ulterior slant requires a great deal of insightful discrimination. This is precisely the reason why people mistrust their media.
What do you all think?
wow!
It's so interesting to read all your comments about the media and see that many of you take different approach to reflect on the media.
There are people who look at media's advantages and the disadvantages,some mentioned about the influence media brought to their personal life, and people who look at media as one of the many windows that we open our senses to. =)
Media is everywhere. the abiliy of media to influence mindset can be good or bad, its also depends on how ignorance the audience are. If the viewer is an intelligent being, i believe he/she can use his own disgression to judge. =)
hi beattie.
I agree with your points. In fact, the media influences a major part in our decision. Politics is one very good example since we do not get to attend the parliament sessions daily.
However, people should also be more conscious about the media influence and not become a slaves to the media influences.
Media has definitely affected a great deal of how I view certain issues.
But i will like to add that when we receive information, it is good to take it with a pinch of salt until we have verified it with other sources.
It's pretty hard to find neutral sources nowadays. And I guess being influenced is part and parcel of our lives.
Definitely kr,
That's why there is this nature or nurture issue in psychology for the reasons behind our current society.
And i guess media now plays a prominent role in nurturing our generation through the different agendas they set.
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