Media, the plural form of medium, describes various ways in which we communicate in society. A phone call, email, radio, computer, news on TV, etc. are all forms of media. In our society today, the media plays a significantly large role in influencing society negatively, twisting one’s perspective of the truth. In author Brooke Gladstone’s, The Influencing Machine, she discusses how media is looked at as an “influencing machine,” that’s controlling the mind of its viewers. Throughout the reading, Gladstone guides her readers through perceptions of media and how it influences them to get readers to understand the truth about media and the manipulation behind it. In The Influencing Machine, Gladstone argues that the media focuses on putting out news that remotely threatens viewers. In the text she states, “emphasizing bad news is good business…world [seems] more dangerous…actually is.” It is good business considering that it keeps the audience on their toes and makes them think about what is going on. When you visit news sites or look at news stations …show more content…
If you’ve ever noticed, people tend to make comments about the media and the things they put out all the time, “the media is full of crap,” “everything they put out for us to view are lies,” and many more vulgar remarks, but you also notice that these people never seem to walk away from the media. Instead, they continue to go and constantly check the news sites and their social medias and this is because the media has taken control over them and their minds. Today’s society is extremely wrapped up in the media world, so wrapped up in it that if one even tried to give up on it they wouldn’t be able to. This example shows that media is like a drug and society is addicted to it, which further supports the irony Gladstone speaks
Media is a factor in our lives that goes way beyond the television. Through reading Media/Society: Industries, Images, and Audience, by David Croteau and William Hoynes I have come to better understand and see how the media really is a major factor in our day to day lives. Media comes in many forms, is complex and a world wide concept. Media plays a roles in our relationships, it a unique industry that is a very dog eat dog industry and we see how the media so has a negative impact on society with social inequality.
It is of my judgment that broadcasting stations are fixated on the words, "breaking news." It seems today that any circumstance holds as current breaking news as highlighted by Psychology Today. "News programming uses a hierarchy if it bleeds, it leads. Fear-based news programming has two aims. The first is to grab the viewer's attention. In the news media, this is called the teaser. The second aim is to persuade the viewer that the solution for reducing the identified worry will be in the news story" (If It Bleeds, It Leads: Understanding Fear-Based Media, par. 1, 2011). Our emotions guide us through our anxieties and most of the time, things seem worse than they actually are. All the discussion regarding Mexicans are taking our jobs (PBS NewsHour, 20:48-20:54, 2015), and North Korea missiles heading for the Pacific border of America etc., are all heightened by the kind of media we consume. The intention of news is to inform us of what's occurring around us and possibly suggest solutions to how to cope or resolve them. However, the real question that should be asked of ourselves is, is it sensationalized or real news and does it seek to benefit or instill fear in its audience? Editor of the Atlantic, Molly Ball uses news outlet, The Guardian, in agreement and opens up about how the media is like a cloak of protection for Americans. When the anxiety is high, people crave protection (Ball, par. 9, 2016), therefore concise reasoning is almost
In the beginning of the book, Postman establishes the idea of media as a metaphor. This means that media can be viewed as what is important to a society. Postman is very influenced by Marshall McLuhan’s theory of the “medium is the message” (8). Postman then applies this theory to his own findings to form an argument against television. He tries to describe the extent to which media controls the messages we receive. For example, the television is continuously trying to persuade consumers to buy certain unnecessary products through a variety of manipulative techniques. Postman argues that Americans need to learn to differentiate between the different types of schemes used by the television to trick us. He concludes this idea of media being a metaphor by claiming that the media is changing and influencing the American culture.
The term “the media” is somewhat overused in our culture. It is a vague term we use to include any and all ways that messages are portrayed to us, usually in technology. Dr. Cyndy Scheibe, a professor at Ithaca College and media literacy expert, says that media is “messages conveyed through visuals, language, and/or sound that are mass produced for a mass audience. [Media is also] mediated by a form of technology and the producer of the message is not in the same place as the receiver of the message” (Scheibe). This means that media would include things like television, movies, the internet and print. Media doesn’t include things like text messages because they are not intended for mass audiences. For the purposes of this essay, “media” is mostly going to refer to television and video games.
The media is something that you are constantly surrounded by and almost can’t get away from. Everywhere you go there is media. For example, walking to the shop you can briefly look at your smartphone for a very brief second and find out that someone was killed around the corner from you 20 minutes ago. The media is a crazy place where sometimes it can change your perception of how things are. In this essay, we will talk about how
The effects of mass media have been a hot topic for scholars over thepast century. According to a study done by Ballard (2011), “with the rise of film and radio in the early part of the 1900’s,communication researchers began to study what effects media messages have on thosewho receive them.”
In the past few decades, the innovations of technology have created numerous avenues for media outlets to reach the public. While these changes have been able to positively affect society, there are ongoing discussions on the various negative impacts of the media. In the article “Mainstream Media”, Augie Fleras explores the social problems that derive from mainstream media. In his investigation, Fleras is able to demonstrate how toxic media messages can be to an impressionable society. The article takes a five-step approach to corroborate his work, starting off by framing where the problem lies, defining the media, its impacts, the effects on society, and finally proposing a possible solution.
Newspaper, radio, film, television. These are only a few of the various forms media can take. From the moment we open our eyes to the instant we shut them, we are surrounded by media and absorb the information it hurls at us in an osmosis-like manner. The news ranges from the latest terror attack and political scandals to supposed UFO sightings and scandals involving sandals. We as an audience tend to focus more on the message the media relays rather than on the medium in which it is presented to us. “What?” is asked more than “How?” The key claim Marshall McLuhan makes in his book, The Medium is the Massage, is that the form of media influences how the message is perceived. Let’s illustrate this with a scenario: it’s eight o’clock in the morning.
The article “Mind over Mass Media” was written by Steven Pinker; a professor of psychology at Harvard University. His purpose of the article is to explain his reasoning on why he claims mass media has more positive effects on today’s society then negative. Steven’s audience is a mixture of people that have different opinions on the topic “Mind over Mass Media”. His main objective is to persuade his audience to believe in his way of thinking. In the text Steven expresses that, “ Far from making us stupid, these technologies are the only things that will keep us smart. Stephen uses many facts and opinions to convey his idea to the reader.
Media has had an ever increasing role in society for almost a century now; from the introduction of the radio to modern day technologies such as smartphones and tablets that can deliver news—both visually and audibly—instantaneously. The audience is no longer limited to accessing the latest information by being in an area where the signal can be reached, for the worldwide web has made it possible for anyone in the universe to access material from all corners of the earth with nothing more than an internet connection, or merely being in a location that has a television screen. Being a part of mainstream society currently leaves one exposed to all forms of media—even without wanting to come across it—that can be processed and shared to a wide audience in a matter of seconds; whether accurate, incorrect or misleading. Language is already a streamlined interpretation of an occurrence, and with modern day media technologies; the truth is left vulnerable to manipulation that can be transmitted to a global audience.
One example would be how corporate news outlets distract the public with sensational pop culture, rather than educating the public. CEO of The Public Broadcasting Service, Pat Michael claims “ the media pander to youth, giving them what they want rather than what they need. The result is a generation, more concerned about their role as consumers than their role as citizens. ‘They’d rather be entertained than informed’” (Considine). Distraction is a prominent factor in maintaining social order, since it allows the public to be blinded by entertainment, thereby not taking interesting in social change. In a time of vast information, when entertainment dominates the evening headlines, this exemplifies how corporate media prioritizes specific information over others. The freedom of the press is not defined by media manipulation and corporate control,“The way the news media function, the stories they select, the ones they reject, their spin, point of view and bias, whether blatant or subtle, are crucial to the functioning of a healthy democracy”
Media is one of the most powerful tools that a communicator can have. Media can build up empires and also tear them down. It has proven to society time and time again that its power is untamable, as well as unpredictable. It shapes who we are personally and it shapes everyone around us. In order for one to truly understand the concept of media integrated into our culture, we have to first discern what media is, the elements inside of media, and finally how media connects to us and our culture as well as how it shapes it and our responsibility in utilizing this power.
Modern life without the media would be unimaginable for even the most reclusive. They are both so intertwined that any attempt to extricate one from the other would require herculean efforts. And yet, the history of the media is a short one; its evolution into a powerful tool had been swift and unpredictable (Bazalgette, 2000, p. 2). It is not surprising, then, for the media to be regarded with suspicion, and even fear, as society struggles with this rapidly changing construct (Bazalgette, 2000, p. 2). However, what is surprising is the lack of study on a subject which is as ubiquitous as it is significant.
The purpose of journalism is to report a story accurately; simply to tell it like it is. Over the past two decades, with increased tension over political and religious ideologies, the media’s original purpose is being lost. Yes, being well-informed remains an asset in the world today. Our now, globally-focused world will always value knowledge and awareness. With the television, internet, newspaper- all mediums of entertainment- available at the snap of a finger, we have non-stop access to news. One problem with this is the blatant bias of news networks. Every news source has a bias. Viewers typically recognize the platform of the major sources, therefore deterring them from certain networks. When reporters feed viewers the same opinion through different stories, the viewer isn’t getting a balanced intake in terms of overall understanding. In today’s society, viewers are truly at the mercy of what those in authority provide. Think of George Orwell’s 1984 where the all-powerful “Big Brother,” through “The Party” oversees every little piece of information that passes through the telescreen (along with everything that passes by the telescreen on the other end.) The citizens of Oceania are essentially clueless to the truth because they have no access to it. The television: typically a source of entertainment, transformed itself into an instrument for controlling. Yes, the modern technology is
The mass media has played a key role in shaping people’s lives. The modern society’s use of mass media including TV, radio, newspaper, as well as print media has largely influenced people’s ideas regarding themselves and the society at large. This is evident from their behavior towards themselves and their community as well as their treatment of the environment. While some experts believe that the media is to blame for most of the negative behavioral traits among the active members of society, the majority agree that the media makes people understand and develop a positive sense of association with their society within which they live, making it easy for them to identify and get their role in it.