Why Study Media? (due 1/30 by 10 p.m.)
Ch. 1
". . .we must point a critical lens back at the media. Our job is to describe, analyze, and interpret the stories that we hear, watch and read daily to arrive at our own judgements about media's performance."- Media and Culture, p. 4
1) Why do social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media? Do you believe it is important for you, as an individual, to study the media? Why or why not? Give specific examples.
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ReplyDeleteSocial theorists believe that it is important to study the media because they “help us to understand the events that affect us” (Media & Culture p. 5). They also believe that the media are “powerful dynamics” and are “central forces in shaping culture and our democracy” (Media & Culture p. 5). They believe that by studying media “we will be better able to monitor the rapid changes going on around us” (Media & Culture p. 5). As an individual, of course I think it’s important to study the media. In order to be a normal functioning member of society, you need to know about instances that are occurring that have an effect on your life. The media are all around us, there is rarely a time when media is not relevant. Media is studied by social theorists in a similar way that scientists study the environment. If something is constantly surrounding us, it only makes sense to learn all we can about it. A specific topic where the media are extremely relevant is politics. Without the media it would be much harder to learn about vital occurrences such as presidential elections for example. It is important to know about the media because we as people are part of it. The media provide us with perspective that leads us to make choices, therefore having an effect on the world around us.
ReplyDeleteSocial theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media so that we can critique the media, “not as detached cynics or entrenched partisans - but as informed audiences with a stake in the outcome” (Campbell 4). In other words, in order to be active participants in the media of our society, we must be knowledgable in how to critique and analyze it properly. The benefit of being an active participant is that we can be aware and understand what is occurring in the world we live in and how that impacts our life. With this understanding, we also must “accept part of the responsibility for the shape and direction of media culture” (Campbell 5).
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that it is important to study the media for many reasons. By studying the media, I can better assess how and what impact different types of media have on my life and whether that impact is a positive or negative one. Different forms of media can have a different impact depending on the content how it is presented, so being more aware of which forms of media are beneficial to my life is a result of studying media. I realize the importance of being knowledgable about our country when it comes to political campaigns and such, and being able to be critical rather than cynical is another benefit of studying media. According to Media and Culture, “To become literate about media involves striking a balance between taking a critical position (developing knowledgable interpretations and judgments) and becoming tolerant of diverse forms of expression (appreciating the distinctive variety of cultural products and processes)” (Campbell 30).
Some media may have an ulterior motive or bias that leads the public to believe one thing that corresponds with their own beliefs. One example of this is various news stations that spin stories in a certain way that is favorable to them. Even though this can happen, it should not discourage viewers to not watch the news. By studying media, I can take whatever news I am receiving and be critical about it, make sure I get all sides of the story, and interpret it without blindly accepting whatever it a news station may be saying. This doesn’t just happen with political news either, it can happen with any type of news by making a story more dramatic in order to make a story more interesting or attract more viewers. This type of news must be interpreted as well. Justin Lewis and Sut Jhally explain that, “Media literacy...should create sophisticated citizens rather than sophisticated consumers. In order to do so, classes in media literacy must convey that the mass media are to be ‘understood as more than a collection of texts to be deconstructed and analyzed so that we can distinguish or choose among them. They should be analyzed as sets of institutions with particular social and economic structures that are neither inevitable nor irreversible’” (Mackey-Kallis 218).
Overall, media is important to our society and is beneficial to us in many ways. For example, it allows people to be more connected and provides numerous options for communication. Facebook, texting, e-mail and voicemail allows us to converse with another person without them having to be right in front of us while they respond at a time that is convenient for them. Media also gives us the opportunity to be up to date with political information and hear directly from our political leaders, resulting in more educated voters. The last major benefit of media is that it creates more jobs and expands businesses connection with their customers by having a website and online advertisements (Cunningham 356). By studying different media outlets, we can use these resources to its fullest potential, while also being aware and cautious of their impacts on ourselves as well as society.
Works Cited...
...Works Cited
ReplyDeleteCampbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media and Culture. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print.
Cunningham, Carolyn. "Social Media" Encyclopedia of Gender in Media. Ed. Mary Kosut. Los Angeles: Sage Reference, 2012. 356-359. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX4195100159&v=2.1&u=newpaltz&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w
Mackey-Kallis, Susan. "Media Literacy." Encyclopedia of Gender in Media. Ed. Mary Kosut. Los Angeles: Sage Reference, 2012. 216-221. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX4195100105&v=2.1&u=newpaltz&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w
Social theorists believe that it is crucial to study media for several reasons. One of which being that the role media has in telling the world about daily events and current news is tremendous. People rely on daily news reports, daily newspapers, daily magazines, etc. for updates on current events around the world. Media experts believe that it is a smart idea to study the media because media now has revolutionized the way people communicate and receive information. “Newspaper and tv news has lost a lot of it’s audience to smart phones, social media, and the internet” (Pg. 4 Chapter 1). For me as an individual, I think that is a very smart idea to study the media. As previously stated, the media has evolved into something that at very few times is irrelevant to daily life. Whether someone is listening to their ipod, driving to work with the radio on, watching tv, listening to a podcast, media is a great part of this day’s culture. That is why I think its a good idea to study the media.
ReplyDeleteSocial theorists and media scholars believe that it is important to study the media for a number of reasons. One of these reasons is the fact that “if we can learn to examine and critique the powerful dynamics of the media, we will be better able to monitor the rapid changes going on around us” (Media & Culture, p. 5). Information presented by the media surrounds us in our everyday lives, from the music we listen to on our I-pods or the radio, to the news stations we come across on television or the radio, to the billboards and advertisements that we pass in our daily travels. The information presented by the media is not only presented to the small towns or big cities that we live in, but it is presented across the country, and even further, across the world. It is extremely beneficial for us to understand everything we can about this information that is being so rapidly spread. While it has been noted that “At their best…the media try to help us understand the events that affect us (Media and Culture, p. 5), it has also been noted that “at their worst, the media’s appetite for telling and selling stories leads them not only to document tragedy but also to misrepresent or exploit it” (Media & Culture, p. 5). If we study the media we are exposed to, we will have a better chance of being able to interpret and comprehend the information being presented. In understanding the media and the information presented, we will have a better chance of being able to recognize the truths and the lies, as well as the stories that have missing pieces and the stories that have added information. As the theorists and scholars have shaped the importance of studying media, they have introduced its relationship to culture. “Culture links individuals to their society by providing both shared and contested values, and the mass media help circulate those values” (Media & Culture, p. 6). Not only is culture shared through the media, but politics, religious affairs, economic matters, advertisements, and so many other aspects of daily life are shared with us through the media. This is one of the reasons that I feel it is important to study the media. With the rapid growth of the way media information is shared, many more people have access to the events going on in the world than the amount of people who used to. This is a good thing when it comes to sharing and learning information. However, when so many aspects of our lives are presented in the media, and when so many aspects of our daily activities include use of the media, it only makes the importance of understanding the media that much larger.
ReplyDeleteSocial theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media through the form and impact media has upon society. It is important to look at the way media is portrayed because throughout history the way media is presented has been changing but the effect upon it audience remains the same. The evolution of the media to what it has become today is important in knowing how people’s thought and actions were influenced by the invention of the printing press, Socrates’ preaches, and the digital revolution. Also knowing the societal structure would benefit while learning about the history of media and its affects because the forms of media would be different compared to the wealthy and the poor, for example, during the time of the printing press. Since those of wealth such as the “royal families, church leaders, prominent merchants, and powerful politicians” (page 7) could afford this means of media, while the poor would resort to oral methods of spreading media.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is important for people on an individual level to study the media because in the technological based society we live in, media is all around us and if we do not comprehend it at some level, and then we are letting the media create our own thought and judgments. In the beginning of this chapter the author wrote about Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert’s movement called, “The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear”. The author says in the last paragraph of his introduction, “In the end, the role the news media play in presenting the world to us is enormously important. But we also have a job that is equally important. Our job is to describe, analyze, and interpret the stories that we hear, watch, and read daily to arrive at our own judgments about the media’s performance.” (Page 2) For example, if a person watched Fox News, they are not considered a media literate person if they just regurgitate the information they show to the world, we must have a personal comprehension or interpretation of stories Fox News tells to create our own thoughts on the recent events, not what a corporation is trying to persuade us to think. This is due to the fact that media is widely available now, “this means that the media must target smaller groups with shared interests- such as conservatives, liberals, sports fanatics, or shopaholics- to find an audience”, (Page 1) ultimately shows that media must twist their stories in ways to appeal to their audience, and if we as the audience do not have the capabilities of making our own decision based on the media we expose ourselves to, then we are controlled by the media.
Social theorists believe it is important to study media because “the media try to help us understand the events that affect us” (Media and Culture pg. 5). While media has tendencies to focus on tragedy and may often exploit it, theorists believe by studying media we can see past it and monitor the changes around us (pg 5). Many of the theorists don’t agree with the way media hops to and from tragic events from day to day, and I can believe there are many viewers as well who believe the same thing. Watching the news has become depressing and sad. It can seem over exaggerated at times too which doesn’t help which in my belief can lead to individuals leaning away from media and block it. I believe it is very important to study media because I believe with more and more knowledge on how media works, I’ll be able to cypher through the heavy hearted stories and get real answers to the worlds problems. I believe it is necessary to receive views from different biased media on certain subjects of matter so you can see the problem from many views. Media has also become a focal point for many substantial movements in today’s times. Therefore, I think by understanding how to use the media as a strong ground, getting messages across to people will become more efficient. The book mentions the revolts in the Middle East and Occupy Wall Street and how they all started through social media, which I find really interesting and find important to study. Another reason I find it important to study media is having an understanding of what exactly is going on in the world. We have the tools at our fingertips not only to learn about the events that are affecting so many people in the world but also tools to do our best to fix these problems and help out in any way we can. As a young generation I find it critical to study the media and learn of the ways we can shape a better world for us and future generations.
ReplyDeleteThe media is one of the most powerful forces in the world. The media showcase society’s values, choses what we are talking about, and even can affect how we interact with other human beings (medialit.org). It is essential to analyze and study the media in order to look at how the world operates. It is no coincidence to see social revolutions to occur simultaneously with radical change in the world of information and media. Societies have progressed from giving stories orally to having access to news within their fingertips (Media and Culture Chapter 1 Page 7). To understand the impact of these changes allows for us to truly see the significance of these social revolutions. The media has been integrated into everyday life with the rise of the internet. If we do fail to look at the progress of the media, as a society we are endangering ourselves to the propaganda that mass media can produce. Comparing two countries with different media standards, the United States and China, we are able to understand cultural differences between them. The Chinese are restricted on the types of stories they can release and are prohibited from producing articles insulting the Chinese government (aasc.ucla.edu). Compared to the free press of the United States, that has minor restrictions restricting speech in schools (uscourts.gov). The point is that two different cultures set their media standards very differently and that reflects the society’s values. The United States prides itself on free speech and allowing all voices to be heard, while the traditional Chinese choose to go with the status quo. Media is more than news; it is one of the most important powers in the world. The United States media has the power to make elected officials rise and fall; they have become to be known as the fourth estate and are even referenced as the gatekeepers of politics (usfca.edu). The media’s growing power in political endeavors has changed how we perceive information. Just as social changes have occurred with the rise of new media, political news has changed significantly as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is important for me to study the media because it impacts my life on a daily basis. Whether it be watching television programs, see advertisements, or looking something up on the web, my life has been changed. The media has dictated this image of who people are and this has been reflected upon and accepted by the masses. You are now considered to be judged by your look and that was increased significantly by what you watch and what you look up. Media provides information, stories, and news that have impacted most people on Earth. By studying media, we are able to accept and understand their impact on the global community. With such an impact on the world, people should want to study the media in order to understand how much their lives are truly affected by this mega force on a daily basis.
Works Cited
Media and Culture Textbook
http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/20-important-reasons-study-media
http://www.uscourts.gov/EducationalResources/ClassroomActivities/FirstAmendment/WhatDoesFreeSpeechMean.aspx
http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/uschina/mediainternetmain.shtml
http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/boaz/pol326/feb12.htm
Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media in order to understand and “discuss the media as a central force in shaping our culture and democracy” (Campbell 5). I believe that the basis behind studying, criticizing and analyzing the media has become the main purpose to understanding our culture and our society better. As Katherine Hamley states in an article “I believe this to be an important element in the argument for media education as nowadays the world in which we live is completely media saturated and there is no way anyone can grow up or develop in a world devoid of any media.” I completely agree with her statement because everyone living in the world should be informed of what the media is trying to accomplish. Often times you see the news have bias opinions on certain stories and as a viewer it is important to be educated in order to make your own decisions. Harvard graduate student John Culkin analyzes a dehumanized view of the media. He says, “The power of the moving image to manipulate, to editorialize and to form values and attitudes makes it imperative in this age of film and television that the audience be equipped with the competence needed to understand the rhetoric of the projected image.” The media is certainly a very powerful industry and it’s pretty obvious since they have the attention of so many Americans and people around the world. I am very interested to begin my introduction to media and society because it has become such an important component in the lives of many. I’d say that it will become crucial in a few years if it already isn’t by now to understand and take a course about the media. Each year it grows and it basically comes down to understanding why the media does a certain thing or presents one way over another way. As an individual, the knowledge of the media and its practices will give an advantage over others.
ReplyDeleteMedia & Culture Textbook
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/klh9803.html (Hamley)
http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/why-study-media-thoughts-john-culkin (Culkin)
The media consumes our culture. It tells us how to dress, what music to listen to, who to vote for, who is guilty and who is innocent; the media influences our lives. Most of us like to go ahead and do whatever the media convinces us to do because it seems socially acceptable, but this is not acceptable. Social theorists believe that we must become media literate because we have an impact on the media and can shape its outcome, “accept part of the responsibility for the shape and direction of media culture” (Campbell 5). So we must analyze and criticize the media to better understand how the media influences us.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the University of Michigan, on average kids from the ages of 2-5 spend 32 hours per week watching TV. Within those 32 hours, commercials are constantly playing between shows. These commercials attempt to convince these children that their lives will be more exciting if they get the latest video game or Barbie. I remember being one of these kids that would cry if I my mom didn’t give me the latest peeing and crying baby doll. At the time, it seemed so important to have that toy. Now, P!NK convinces me to buy Cover Girl’s newest clump free and volumizing mascara, when in fact P!NK is wearing fake lashes in the ad (Cover Girl). Will I buy it? Probably. It is important for me to be media literate so that I can decide how the media will influence what I buy. Not only that, but to receive the full story on the news and to just become a more informed individual in general.
Resources:
Campbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm
http://www.covergirl.com/beauty-buzz/no-clump-mascara
According to media scholars and social theorists studying and analyzing media aids individuals in our society to better understand crucial events which help mold our democracy and culture as a whole (Media and Culture 5).These events are conveyed through many outlets of mass media, such as social networking sites, TV programs, radio and newspapers. As an individual studying the media has become more necessary to survive daily life. Being a young adult in today’s world, it is now become a part of everyday routine to check on the media. Following on the different means of mass media is how I stay in touch with the world around me. I use the internet to seek out news from regions all around. I access social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with my friends. I feel it’s really important to study the media because it has become so much a part of our culture and world today. By keeping up and tracking the media we are taking advantage of everything modern society is giving us.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe lives of individuals in society today revolve around social media and technology. With technology rapidly progressing worldwide, past customs have almost become obsolete. Here in America the younger generations of individuals are 100% engulfed in the technological world with the older generations slowly finding themselves to become immersed in it as well. Technology and social media is everywhere and it only continues to progress and tighten its grasp on our society. Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media simply because it is what our society revolves around. The cultural industries or “mass media” encompass the channels of communication that produce and distribute songs, novels, TV shows, newspapers, movies, video games, Internet services, and other cultural products to the public. (Campbell 6) Without mass media our society today most definitely would not be able to operate. As stated in Campbell’s Media & Culture studying the media and being able to critique it as informed individual is essential (Campbell 4). Myself being a young adult growing up in todays world find it extremely vital to engulf myself in media. It is the way of our country and its inhabitants and doing otherwise in my opinion would be trivial. I am currently a college student still being supported by my family and having school as my only main responsibility. In a few years however, this wont be the case and I feel that it is essential to have a plan for the future. In studying the media and staying up on current events and progressions or regressions in society, you could have an idea of where you will stand in the future and what moves regarding your life and economic decisions would be optimal to move forward with. Another reason I feel it is important to study the media, is simply because you become more knowledgeable. Different media outlets have different views and opinions of events and ideas in our nation and around the world. In studying the media as I stated earlier, you will in fact be able to critique the different outlets as an enriched partisan and could in fact have a stake in various outcomes if action was put forth. (Campbell 4) The media is more then just a beneficial outlet to our society, it is the way of the world and how it interconnects, and all aspects of life today are in one way or another intertwined with it.
ReplyDeleteCampbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media because of its ability to understand, question, and express situations towards rapid changes that constantly occur in society today. Media extracts important or low profiled information around the world and brings it to attention in order to raise awareness.
ReplyDeleteThis distribution and constant strive for media has created what we call media convergence. “Media convergence involves the technological merging of content across different media channels – for example, the magazine articles, radio programs, songs, TV shows and movies now available on the Internet through laptops, ipads, and smartphones” (Media and Culture 10). This convergence has been applied to people’s daily ongoing lives, which in reality has enhanced their ability to come to sudden realizations dealing with certain issues or subjects in society as a whole.
Connecting media and its development in the electronically mass-produced world comes this powerful need to make connections with other people through culture as well. “One way to understand the impact of the media on our lives is to explore the culture context in which the media operate… This idea of culture encompasses fashion, sports, architecture, education, religion, and science, as well as mass media” (Media and Culture 6). This expresses how important media is because of its ability to share and bring peoples experiences together inspiring them to embrace their culture. We live in a very diverse world so understanding and learning about other people’s cultures wouldn’t hurt us and would instead help us to cope with each other.
Overall media is a drastic improvement towards society as a whole because it inspires people to express themselves, brings them to sudden realizations on topics or issues that are ignored or usually overlooked, and provides connections with people around the world through similar experiences or interests. “If we can learn to examine and critique the powerful dynamics of the media, we will be better able to monitor the rapid changes going on around us” (Media and Culture 5).
As an individual I believe that it is very important to study media because it helps us understand what is going on around. In a highly diverse and astronomically fast paced society media is the only thing that is keeping is on track and up to date. Having a better understanding on it will only present itself as an advantage.
Social theorists believe that it is important to study the media because of the effect that the media has on our society and culture. “Throughout the twentieth century and during the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, for instance, courageous journalists covered armed conflicts, telling the stories that helped the public comprehend the magnitude and tragedy of such events” (Campbell 13). The media, through its various outlets, has transformed our society in many different ways and it is important to understand how. I do believe that it is important to study the media because it has such a large impact on my everyday life. The media is a huge part of who we are and we are able to choose what type of media outlet we want to use, when we want to use it and what kind of information we want. For example we can choose to read People magazine rather than the Wall Street Journal, or turn on CNN as opposed to Fox news. “Media can promote confidence or cause despondency in a country through news reports. It can empower citizenry to hold governments to account on development and governance” (Mwathane Business Daily). The media plays a large role in politics (as well as many other aspects of our lives) and helps to deliver important information that helps us to make decisions about our lives. Another important part of media is social media which has changed the way we have communicated with one another and this is an extremely important thing to study because human interaction has changed drastically since social media has taken over. In my opinion, with all of these things being such large parts of our everyday lives, it is extremely important to study the media. Anything that makes such a large impact on society is worth studying.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion---Analysis/Media-role-in-society-very-crucial/-/539548/1670426/-/mh4ev5/-/index.html
Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication 8th edition 2013 update
Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media because people should be able to understand the different ways the media impact us. “After all, the media have an impact beyond the reporting of news stories…the media try to help us understand the events that affect us” (Media and Culture 5). Media impact us in a number of ways. Through the cultural aspect of media, we can see that “culture encompasses fashion, sports, architecture, education, religion, and science, as well as mass media…It also encompasses a society’s modes of communication” (Media and Culture 6). Just by living our everyday lives media have an impact on us. Through advertisements that we pass by in magazines to using our phones to communicate with someone, media show how much they play a role in our lives. People are constantly looking at media whether they want to or not. It is practically inescapable. Even language and the symbols we use to convey information are apart of media so no matter what, media is present. Therefore, media scholars and social theorists think that if we become more familiar with and try to understand it we can understand the different ways media try to deceive us. We will be able to decipher what the media really mean.
ReplyDeleteThrough our knowledge in how to critique and analyze media we can gain an understanding of what is occurring in the world around us. “If we can learn to examine and critique the powerful dynamics of the media, we will be able to monitor the rapid changes going on around us” (Media and Culture 5). The world is constantly changing and the media only aids to change it faster by increasing technology and increasing the means by which we learn about the world around us. As an individual, I believe media is very important to study. I don’t think the world could manage without it at this point. We use it in almost everything we do. With a better understanding of the way media work comes a better understanding of how our society works. We wouldn’t get very far in our society without having at least some knowledge of how media work and how to critique media. Thus, I agree with social theorists and media scholars and also believe it is very important to study media.
Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media because it helps us understand the affect it has on us. Media is around us 24/7 whether we like it or not. As a human race we rely on such media to get information and entertainment. You can hardly go anywhere with out someone having an iPhone, aka media at their fingertips. The goal is to become media literate – critical consumers of mass media intuitions and engaged participants who accept part of the responsibility for the shape and direction of media culture (Media & Culture pg. 5). It is very import for not only me as an individual but for the world to study media. Media can be found through television programming, the Internet, radio shows, and newspapers and magazines. Personally I receive all my news and information via the Internet and television programming. I’m constantly logged on to Facebook so I don’t miss out on any important news, and I watch an average of 4 hours of television a day. According to Internet World Stats, there were 245,203,319 Internet users in the US at mid-year 2012. Some shows and programming attempt to change social issues. It is important to keep and open mind and to listen what others are saying. Media is forever changing with the times. It leads us to make different decisions and have different values. It impacts society and even the world. Media is constant. It is there when you are sleeping and when you are awake.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
http://www.newmediatrendwatch.com/markets-by-country/17-usa/123-demographics
http://influence.bafree.net/how-does-the-media-influence-the-way-people-behave.php
Campbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
I do believe that studying media is very important for many reasons. One reason is everyone is exposed to media and I think it is a good idea to be able to think critical to the information that you receive. Studying media can also be beneficial because there is a lot learned that could help with future media experiences. The media in my experience could be used as a tool for good or bad. The media can be good for example it can spread news that encourages community and wellbeing. The bad that can be spread is certain stereotypes can be passed along that might be wrong. Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media for many reasons but one is culture. “Often culture is narrowly with art the unique forms of creative expressions that give pleasure and set standards about what is true, good and beautiful. Culture however, can be viewed more broadly as the ways in which people live and represent them self’s at particular historical times.” Culture is a very interesting area to study because culture and be very different from one person to the next. “The earliest media theories were based on the concern that media could be an all-powerful source of influence. Scholars assuming this approach believed that audiences were passive consumers of the media that had direct impacts on viewers” This was an early theory and is still very compelling. Another reason why studying the media is so important is because they can target certain groups of people. “The media is so varied that a community group or organization can closely target almost any sector – and through them, almost any section of the public - by looking closely at where it is directing its media focus.” This is very important because one group of people can get certain information and other groups get other information.
ReplyDeleteClass text book
http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/48649_ch_11.pdf
http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/marketing/marketing_article.jsp?articleId=1593
The media as a whole can be thought of as a mirror of society. Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media because it provides a link between various groups and modes of communication. The media has the potential to guide a society in various ways through its various mediums and the way messages can be interpreted by the recipients. Studying the media allows us to “trace important cultural values in both the modern and post-modern societies (Media and Culture 5)”. It also allows us to view patterns in society, or deviations from patterns that have been established. I think that studying media gives us the ability to view how the messages we are being sent affect us, positively and negatively. The “Sleeper Curve” theory and the “Big Mac” theory are strong examples of this idea, and give an explanation as to why there is a difference between individuals of the same culture when media plays a role(Media and Society 21). While mass media is monitored, the effect of its power to influence the public through its messages is a concept that definitely needs to be analyzed, especially with today’s most powerful form of media being the television (Heibert). Studying the media is important because it gives us the ability to see the effect of thousands of messages bombarding society through different mediums, and the ability to decide what we want to be affected by and how it impacts society as a whole.
ReplyDeleteHeibert, Ray Eldon. “The Growing Power of Mass Media”. SCSU Journalism Department. 2001.
http://www.southernct.edu/~seymour/cases/heibert.htm
Campbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media because there are different types of media in today’s day and age. “The historical development of media and communication can be traced through several overlapping phases or eras in which newer forms of technology disrupted and modified older forms.” (Media and Culture; pg. 6) This basically means that because there are newer technological advances that are created over time, there are easier and more accessible means for the media to communicate with the people of the world. An example of this can be how the iPod has advanced over time. It first started off as just an mp3 player that can only play music. But now, it has become an mp3/phone/internet source/app holder. Many people today who have iPhones use their iPhone as a source to get their news from. It is important to study these new trends in order for the media to get their news and information out to the public in the most efficient way. I think it is important to also study the media myself because it will help me find out new and easier ways of learning about what is going on in the world. The more we know about what is going on in the world, the more we can contribute and help society.
ReplyDeleteSocial theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media “because it tries to help us understand the events that affect us.” (Campbell 4) Media affects each of our lives directly and deeper than we realize. Media consists of TV programs, movies, music, billboards, newspapers, magazines and ads seen just about everywhere. Every person comes in contact with one or more of these types of media every single day. With technology rising, media are able to reach very large and diverse audiences. It is important to know about the media and its content, so that its possible effects on all of the people that it is able to reach out to can also be observed. (Campbell 6) Technology is advancing so quickly that almost anyone can find or read about things immediately after their occurrence by picking up their cell phone. Media keeps people intact with what is happening around them and why. Personally, I think it is important to study the media because it has such a large impact on people. As a girl, I can say that it is easy to see how women are exploited in the media. For example, Cosmopolitan magazine often portrays women as sex objects and puts pleasing men over any other goal for a woman to achieve. So many girls, especially younger and more curious girls are able to pick up an issue of Cosmo at any grocery store and see skimpy pictures of women while reading articles with inappropriate subliminal messages. It is important to study the media and be knowledgeable about it to be able to see past their negative messages. A lot of the time, women are offended or upset when they see the type of half-naked models on billboards, but they should not be. They should know that it is instead a media tactic to attract others and make clothes look attractive. Unfortunately, media has an effect on how many women view themselves and their level of self-esteem. If media is studied by more people, this could possibly closer be controlled. This is one personal example of why studying the media is significant- it is very capable of effecting any and all types of people.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.beautyredefined.net/cosmo-magazine/
Social theorists and media scholars feel that it is important for us to study the media for a number of reasons. One reason argued by Richard Campbell is to become more “media literate”, or in Campbell’s words, “critiquing the media-not as detached cynics or entrenched partisans-but as informed audiences with a stake in the outcome” (Media & Culture p.4). More simply put, we need to study the media and understand how it works and how it applies to us before we can really participate in it and affect its outcome. Another reason mentioned in the textbook is that “If we can learn to examine and critique the powerful dynamics of the media, we will be better able to monitor the rapid changes going on around us” (Media & Culture p. 5). This quote states that once we understand how the media works, we can use that knowledge in our own observations and assumptions of the world around us, the way we perceive it. For example, if I read an article online saying its 80 degrees in Tampa, Florida right now from a credible news source that has a reputation for accurate reporting, I would assume it’s correct, and that I personally would feel very hot there. However, since I’m not actually experiencing the heat myself in New York, it’s still just my assumption based on what the media has told me. It all seems to boil down to the credibility of the source. I personally believe it is very important for the individual to study and understand the media. As well as agreeing with the quotes above, another from the textbook stating we must “Accept part of the responsibility for the shape and direction of media culture” (Media & Society p.5) sums up how I feel about the study of media. It’s immensely important that the audience understands the media it’s presented because, as Campbell says, we are responsible for the outcome. The media may present the information, but how we interpret it and then act based on it is solely our own responsibility, and I feel that studying and understanding the media before we do so is crucial to our society.
ReplyDeleteSocial theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media as a central force in shaping our culture and our democracy. The media have an impact beyond the reporting of new stories. At their best, in all their various forms, from mainstream newspaper and radio talk shows to blogs, the media try to help us understand the events that affect us.(Media and Culture 5). As an individual, I think media is really important for our daily life. We can know about national and international affairs and listen to the voices from the outside of the world and widen our horizon through the media. Also, media can make a popular culture and change the traditional culture. The media has a potential to change the politics of a country. Getting information is more and more important in this world, so we cannot live without media. For example, when you go shopping, media help us to make choice. When you plan to go travel, media help you to know the weather, the map and the custom of that place. We can get political and cultural information from the media and we need it to live in the society. However, there is so much information surrounding us like an air and the media is not totally reliable. Sometimes the information from the media is not true and the media try to attract people by exaggerating news. Therefore, It is important for us to get a skill to recognize which information is reliable or not. Media literacy is the important skill to live in this globalizing world. Every person is different, so each person receives and understands information from media based on their own belief, value and interest. I think a person should objectively interpret the information to live in this world flooding with information. My purpose of studying media is not only to be media literate, but also to use media. I want to give a good impact on people in the world by using media. I want to make people in the world happy.
ReplyDeleteMany social theorists believe it is important to study the media because it helps us understand what is going on around us. According to theorists, media "is the central force in shaping culture and our democracy (Chapt 1 pg 5). "The media helps us understand the events that affect us (chapt 1, 5). Although this is the case, it is important for us as a society to study the affects of media because there are some negative parts to it, and definitely some positives. As much as the media has changed, the attention that the audience has is still the same, maybe even worse. Theorists convey the importance of studying the media because it is important to find that line where media is okay, and where it can lead to bad where we make judgements based off of what we hear.
ReplyDeleteAs an individual, I think that it is important to study the role of media. Without the understanding of the media, we let the media construct what we think about different issues rather than ourselves being HUMANS apart of a society. "We need to point a critical lens glass at the media. Our job is to describe, analyze, and interpret the stories we hear, watch and read daily to arrive at our own judgements" (chapter 1, page 2). Without the media, I can honestly say that I would be lost. Facebook, twitter, and tumblr have all become a huge part of my everyday life as well as many others. If one were to really think about it, these social medias are a way to circulate information that we MUST know in order to either stay safe, make decisions, and just becoming aware of the outside world. Without Facebook, the connections made to the outside world would not be as easy. "Facebook has more than 500 million users worldwide. Basically, social media are digital applications that allow people from all over the world to be in contact (Chapter 1, 5)." An example of this and how it applies to me is a few years ago, my cousin who I have not heard from, or seen in 10 years friended me on Facebook who to this day I speak to constantly.
The beauty of Facebook is to connect the outside world into your own life. Although there are some faults with the media, it is important to study the role of it because it is easier to figure out which forms of media are either negative or positive; what part of media is appropriate, and what is not appropriate. Another example as to why media is important for me to study is because as a musician, the media is the perfect way in order for me to give out music, and receive feedback, to hear about certain auditions/shows, and most of all to figure out how to create a persona for my musician talents.
According to social theorists and media scholars, they believe it is becoming more important to study the media due to the progression towards advanced communication. Media and Culture states “A key reason for the recent rise of partisanship in today’s news media is economics.” Due to the rapid technological enhancements, televisions and newspapers are beginning to dwindle while smartphones, the Internet, and social networks are beginning to boom. Due to this sudden shift, it is beginning to shape our culture and change the way we live. Our source of communication has become immediate and is now at the tip of our fingers. Previously, newspapers, newscasts, and radio stations were our primary source of information and news. Today, we have YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks that stream information instantaneously. This new technology is changing the way the human race is working. People no longer write letters or talk on the phone, instead they e-mail and/or text one another to communicate. The media are around us, every second of the day and that impacts society as a whole.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, as an individual it is important to study the media because that is the future. I say unfortunately because I believe that these new methods of communication are hurting our social skills. Children are getting these smartphones at such a young age and instead of socializing with others they stay so in tuned to their phones. However, although it is destroying our social skills it is building the amount of communication and news that we share with one another. Media is a constant thing and because it is so abundant and used so frequently we need to study it in order to use it properly. In this generation, we are used to getting answers quickly whether it is searching it on Google, watching a video on YouTube, or reading a tweet on Twitter. As a result of that, we need to study the media to utilize it fully and properly.
Media scholars and social theorists believe it’s important to study the media because of how significantly it affects today’s society, both culturally and economically. The recent advances in technologies, such as computers, smart phones, tablets, etc., have made media more accessible to our society than it has ever been before. The increasing dependency society now holds over these technologies has allowed the media to impact and influence multiple aspects of our everyday lives. For example, today American mass media industries are earning roughly $200 billion per year, while media outlets are able to influence everything from how consumers shop to how they vote (Campbell 15). The growth of these industries and modern technologies increased consumer culture and shifted rural populations to urban setting through mass communication. Mass communication is the process of designing cultural messages/stories and delivering them to large and diverse audiences through media channels. In addition, the media’s influence has further shifted society’s interpretations of culture by providing shared and contested values that are circulated by the mass media (Campbell 6). This is enabling society to categorize their media experiences based on individual preferences, interests and pursuits. I personally agree with the studies of media scholars and social theorist and think it is important to study the media. I feel this way because the media is only going to continue playing an even larger role in modern and future society. Also, studying the media allows society to have a greater understanding of our culture. A large factor in how media does, and will continue, influencing and shaping society is through the Internet. In modern society, almost any book, magazine, newspaper, radio station, television show, in addition to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc., can be found on the Internet (Campbell 9). The Internet is probably the most important and influential media channel that already impacts society in an incredible way. The media in modern society, especially through use of the Internet, has ultimately become, and will continue to be, a part of our culture. Therefore, studying the media gives society the opportunity to understand our culture more thoroughly and predict the influence media will have on us in the future.
ReplyDeleteOne could easily argue that society has continually progressed since the Industrial Revolution. Even prior to the Industrial Revolution, the society was advancing. The printing press encouraged literacy, the telegraph allowed for long distant communication, national broadcasting provided a source of entertainment and knowledge, the internet facilitates global information, in addition to cell phones which enable communication without the restriction of location, such as with the use of land lines. All of these examples compose media. Media is defined as, “an intervening substance through which something is conveyed or transmitted” (Campbell, 11). Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media because, “if we can learn to examine and critique the powerful dynamics of the media, we will be better able to monitor the rapid changes going on around us” (Campbell, 5). Through the media, we are able to reaffirm our culture. The media has the ability to promote our values and interests. The mass media helps “circulate those values” we share in society as we “assign meaning” to what we are viewing, hearing, etc. (Campbell, 6, 14). I believe it is important to study the media as we come into contact with it every day. Being a college student, there is not a day that goes by that I do not use the internet, both for school work and for enjoyment, in addition to watching the morning news, and relaxing after studying by watching television. I would argue that the media is inescapable. Even for those who claim not to watch television, partake in social networking, or read magazines, the media is active in our lives. While standing on the checkout line at the grocery store we are confronted by the magazine rack. As we walk or drive around we are sure to see advertisements for the “next greatest, most innovative” commodity. Some argue that the media has ruined society by lowering what was a high-culture, however I would contend that the advancements media has directly influenced, such as increased literacy and access to knowledge, have further progressed our society and culture (Campbell, 20).
ReplyDeleteAs far as why I want to study the media and think it is important, I found the two quotes on page 13th of the text help explain: Joan Didion, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” (The White Album); and Frank McConnell, “Stories matter and matter deeply, because they are the best way to save our lives.” ( Storytelling and Mythmaking). To connect that to media, the news had been without a real storytelling approach for some time now, as alluded to in class. I believe it goes back to sometime in the nineties when an FCC law expired that had previously made it a requirement for any TV channel to show a certain amount of “educational” TV. This had always been filled by the nightly news that most Americans watched when they could. We are currently without a reliable source of mass information, (or storytelling) which makes it a very good time to study the media.
ReplyDeleteA reviewer of Why Study the Media (R. Silverstone 1999) calls it, “an appeal … for taking the media seriously as a resource for being both human and humane in the late modern period”. The media are often overlooked as they deliver their message. The author is quoted agreeing: “It is…extraordinary to note how often the media are distinguished by their marginalization, if not their complete absence, in so many of the critiques of the current state of global society”. (p.144)
Our textbook posits the obvious in its intro: “by learning to look at the media – whether “old” or “new” – through a critical lens, students will better understand the complex relationship between the mass media and our shared culture and become informed critics”. (p. vii) I have to agree with that and also the first sentence of the Preface: “ It’s no secret that the media are in a constant state of flux and changing faster than ever”(p.vii), which also makes the study worthwhile. The title of my favorite website/blog is relevant too. It’s called Media Matters, and it’s important to realize that it does, in fact.
Social theorists and media scholars believe that it is important to study the media for many reasons. Media has changed greatly over time and has always played a huge role in everyday life. Although media has changed throughout history, its outcomes and motives have not. “After all, the media have an impact beyond the reporting of news stories. At their best, in all their various forms, from mainstream newspapers and radio talk shows to blogs, the media try to help us understand the events that affect us.” (page 5) With a better understanding of media a person will be able to see through all of the exaggeration that is put into the news and just see the details that are important. A person must be able to see through this because “the media’s appetite for telling and selling stories leads them not only to document tragedy but to misrepresent or exploit it.” (page 5) I think that it is important for me as an individual to study the media because I want to be able to see through the exaggeration in news stories and not be blind to it. Our society these days is all media and it is important that the children of this generation also understand the concept of media. If they do not understand this they may “believe news stories to be completely unbiased and true to life which of course can never be wholly true. There will always be an element of bias in news stories depending on whom the stories are reported by. This can be seen if you watch a news report on one television channel and then compare the report with a different channel.” (Hamley) Media is one of the most powerful things in our society today and it plays a huge role in children’s lives. “Children already spend more time watching television than they do attending lessons in school. We need to accept the impact of the Media and appreciate their importance as elements of culture in today's world.” (UNESCO Declaration on Media Education) It is important for all people to study media and not fall into the media trap of believing everything they hear.
ReplyDeleteMedia & Society Textbook
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/klh9803.html (Hamley)
http://www.waikato.ac.nz/film/NAME/main/teach.html (UNESCO Declaration on Media Education)
Social theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study media so that we can critique it. The point is that regardless of what we think as individuals, all aspects of media affect us and it is our job to be aware, and able to analyze and clearly understand in order to critique media in the best way. In order for us to do this we must first become well informed of the various events that are occurring around us. Once you are aware of these events you can begin to dissect them until you gain a clear comprehension and with said comprehension become active. In the text there is a point made about the fact that people are often “detached” or “cynical” in the way that they address media (Campbell 4). In reality people should view every part media as if it affects them directly as an individual because it does. From the way we look, to our views on the rest of the world, even to our own perceptions of ourselves as people, media plays a massive role in all of it. The only way for people to take control of media’s role in our lives is to accept the fact that its ability to flourish and the “.. direction and shape..” of it is actually in our hands as critics (Campbell 5).
ReplyDeleteAs an individual I do believe it is very important to study the media mostly because I am a a firm believer in the saying “Ignorance is bliss”. To me the less some people know about the actual goings on in the world, the more content they are and the easier it is for them to be manipulated, since they don’t really know any better. Those that inform themselves however, actually live the more difficult but individual lives. They do research, observe different opinions, and are able to sufficiently construct their own thought processes. An example of the previous mentioned manipulation can be seen in the constant mudslinging that occurs every four years during presidential campaigns. The commercials that are aired by each candidate in order to slander the other are always completely biased and one sided; They are created to make one candidate look like the answer to all of the problems that the other is supposedly causing. Those that lack personal research and are not well informed are then sucked into the biased images and make their decision based on that alone. We then may have the wrong official in office simply because we as citizens did not take full responsibility and care.
You wake up: a local radio news show is blasting from your alarm clock, the morning news is on as you read the paper and eat breakfast, NPR is on your car radio as you drive to work, Yahoo! is your homepage on your work computer, you’re on Facebook on your smartphone as you eat lunch, and listen to NPR again on your way home. The afternoon news, the evening news, the late night news, round the clock news, FOX news, MSNBC news, CNN, ABC: the media is an ever present side-kick to our lives, spending more time with us than many of our closest friends or family.
ReplyDeleteIt surrounds us. This is not necessarily a bad thing, unless one fails to look at the media with a “critical lens”(Media and Culture, 4). Social theorists and media scholars aside, common sense tells us that to not understand something that so wholly consumes and accompanies our lives would be foolish, even dangerous. But without studying the media, it may not be so easy to interpret the media, or to distinguish what information to trust, and what to discard.
Sometimes I feel more secure about the information I get from parody news shows than from primetime news programming. Besides their entertainment value, shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, or The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert, offer people a chance to look critically at the media, rather than merely accepting it. These shows criticize media outlets for their various indiscretions, transgressions, and faux pas. I like watching these shows because they make me laugh, but also because they allow me to view the problems that come from the media, and from viewing the media as an entirely trustworthy source.
Adopting this ability to critique the media is important because it is key to our understanding of events and how they shape our lives. The study of media is a means of navigating through life more efficiently, with better information, and with better critical and analytical skills on the whole.
And, as Chris Worsnop of the Center for Media Literacy points out, you should study the media “because the media go to great lengths to study you.”
Media and Culture: an introduction to mass communication
http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/20-important-reasons-study-media
Social theorists believe that it is important to study the media because you need to know what's going on around you and around your society. Big events are going around us and the world is changing day by day. If I am a part of this society so, it's important for me to be understanding about the news. As written in (Media & Culture) finding news became to easy for us as techology is growing up nowadays (e.g) you can use TV, PCs/Laptops, Phones ... etc. You can get any news any time you want. Unfortunately, for me is to hard to get right news most of time especially in my hometown. The royal family in my country they're controlling the whole media in my country so, they publish whatever they like in different words, they hide whatever they want to hide. As an audience you don't have right to get the right news. However, now we have the internet even though, we have hard time to get the right news. In fact, if you want to work alone to publish the truth you'll get arrested. I knew many people got arrested just because they want to say to the government " this is wrong, you need to fix that". We are living in the world controlled by media so, if you got the media in your side that means you own the world.
ReplyDeleteFor Annamaria:
ReplyDeleteAccording to social theorists and media scholars it is important to study the media because it is known as a “central force in shaping culture and our democracy.” This means that it has the power to influence society’s beliefs and opinions. Any single magazine article or newscast has the power to change someone’s views on almost anything. People’s minds are extremely open to change. But our minds aren’t just open; they thrive on outside influence. This influence is the media, which could warp our thoughts both negatively or positively. On the positive side, I believe it is important for us to study media because it helps us understand events that happen around us. Media informs us about things that happen all around the world. Newspapers and news channels help us, as individuals, to stay connected to society. Without the media’s input in our lives, we would be disconnected from any information in which we wouldn’t originally be in direct contact with. Media is the one thing that everyone keeps up on and because of this, it works as glue for all of society. The media is what keeps us connected and up to date; it’s what unifies each country in the world.
Works Cited
Media and Society textbook
Media has been around for centuries. Recently, it has been turned on fast-forward. Invention is about making things quicker and easier. From the invention of the radio, the modern media has radically increased the rate at which humans receive and exchange information. People should study the modern media because like any invention, it has consequences. To study media is to study communication, and why not study communication? Everyone communicates, and therefore anyone can identify with the media to some degree.
ReplyDeleteAdvances in Media Technology are inevitable and historical. The print revolution was one of the earliest major accelerations of human non-verbal communication. “People started to resist traditional clerical authority and also to think of themselves not merely as members of families, isolated communities, or tribes, but as part of a country whose interests were broader than local or regional concerns.” (Mass Communication 7-8) Advances in media decentralize rule because they connect giant regions people. If I can chat freely with someone in Australia, I can to a degree become involved and learned in Australian politics even though I live on the other side of the planet. This concept has shaped modern society.
A classic example of influence by communication is the American Revolution. Pamphlets such as “Common Sense” inspired people to rise up against a government and form their own. Even more recently, a revolution in Egypt was fueled by the use of social media. “’Facebook helped to organize the activists inside the country, he said, while Twitter functioned to help get the message out to the broader world.’” (Rafat Ali) The technological advance was not the cause of these revolutions, but it was a nifty tool for their successful execution.
Since the media can be a tool, it should undoubtedly be studied. There are many questions regarding its effect on society. Has it ever truly changed us? It has been said that memory and ability to recite stories has diminished with the written word. Media place a part in evolution. “With the advent of printing, learning by memory and “slavish copying” became less necessary.” (Carolyn Jensen) Our bodies change based on exposure. The media changes our exposure. In the same way, things like etiquette, attention span, and literacy have been discouraged because they are slow processes in the ever accelerating society of media.
Works Cited:
Campbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print.
http://www.wired.com/business/2011/02/egypts-revolutionary-fire/
http://rhetoric.sdsu.edu/lore/1_3/jensen_eisen.htm
John, can you give us a link to your blog?
ReplyDeleteJoshua,
ReplyDeleteExcellent Post. Can you further elaborate on what you mean by "social revolution?"
Sorry about the delay of a response. A social revolution is an even that has occurred that has changed the world of politics or social interaction. Events such as the American Revolution, the industrial revolution, and the Crusades have all significantly impacted the world. The French and the American Revolution occurred as an indirect result of the printing press. As books and newspapers began to become cheaper to produce, more were able to get the material. More people learned how to read and the evolution of the newspaper gave people the ability to receive news quickly. If newspapers were not available, the colonists would have not received information quickly enough and radical change may have not occurred so quickly.
ReplyDeleteSocial theorists and media scholars believe it is important to study the media because media encompasses the culture (s) of our world. Similar to the aspects of the theory of evolution - communication, technology, political, and social aspects are in a constant continuum of change. The increase of technology, such as the Internet and worldwide broadcasting of television has made it much easier to display information out to societies citizens. With the Internet, and widespread creations such as Facebook and Twitter has not only fashioned the ability of worldwide communication, but given a textual, individualistic voice as well. Media, as of now, is the driving force that manipulates or is able to change the way we perceive the world we are living in. As time progresses, there seems to be no possibility of escape; the enlargement of mass communication is all around us, “Yet how much the media shape society – and how much they simply respond to existing cultural issues is still unknown.” (Media & Culture, Pg. 15)
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it, media contains a multitude of positive and negative aspects. For instance, a main problem with the new world of media is its attack on telling us who to be and what to wear. They do so by advertising mixed meanings and thwarted symbolism, which are concealed by attractive models and heartening words. For example, a make-up ad shows the person you can become, an idealistic form of perfect skin and a promise to make you young once more. There is also biased newspapers, television talk shows – overall every aspect of who you are and your individual thought processes are in some way being influenced by this two hundred billion dollar corporation. However, through this wide access of information and newfound “social media” voice, social movements have been created. Twitter has been the catalyst for organized protests; these social media sites are the creation of worldwide expression and opinions on global matters. In a way, our ability of selective exposure – peoples desire to produce meaning based off of individual beliefs and interests – is exponentially thriving. “Media stories put events into context, helping us better understand both our daily lives and the larger world” (Media & Culture, pg. 13).
I strongly believe in the importance of media, as convoluted and cynical it may seem. Like us, it is going to continue to grow and become even more entangled within our daily lives (if that’s possible). We shall grow with our continued access of knowledge and learn to differentiate and hopefully categorize the farce from reality. As culture transfers into the age of advanced technology, continuing to study will grant us the opportunity to understand more about our ever-changing culture, and even see how the media’s influence will affect/effect us in future days. The rest of the world and I are the direction and interpreters of what we are given – hopefully we are learning to read it the right way.
Like any other scholarly individual would do when asked a question such as, “Why is it important that we study the media?” I plugged it into Google. Choosing just the second option, “20 Important Reasons to Study the Media” I figured this was a good place to start. Sure enough it gave me 19 good reasons that I could side with and agree upon, but only 1 of the reasons struck a chord in me. “BECAUSE THE MEDIA GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO STUDY YOU!” I found this reason extremely interesting and very true, it’s such a simple statement. The media is almost like a visual outlet for sociology, psychology, and any other form of study. They study what people like, who they like, and most importantly why they like what they like. Companies sell data that consumers provide them without the consumers even knowing. Google records what you search and which links you click on and Facebook records what you type in to your status’ and comments. This kind of information is sold to companies so they know exactly who is interested in their products. Once they have a demographic of people who are interested then they can work on how to market to that specific group. While the reason I chose stands simple I think it’s an effective reason among many as to why should study the media. It’s important to know where these companies are coming from with the media that provide and the reasons or motives behind all forms of it. They’re generalized towards people, with a good amount of knowledge of what we’ll listen to and what we won’t.
ReplyDelete