The Invention and Introduction of Media in Society - Essay Example

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication By Journalism, Mass media and communication The invention and introduction of media in the society has had a tremendous impact on the lives of the individuals who they reside. communication has been made much easier and efficient and technology has played a vital role as well. Today, the contemporary media landscape is extremely rich, seep and complicated that communication around the globe has been likened to one’s palm. Televisions are functional around the clock; music videos are accessible anytime, documentaries, social networks, the internet, reality shows about fashion, modeling, and talent are available for streaming on the internet and the list is so long to put it down. To summarize a brief history of media technology, media can be traced back to the 15th century and until Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of a mobile printing press, books were handwritten then and you could not find two similar copies of the same material. The printing press was responsible for easier mass production of mass media (Sagepub.com, 2006). Other than print media being cheaper, the invention of new means of transport made it possible for and easier for information to reach a wide audience. This invention of a printing press cannot be overlooked for it ushered in massive cultural movements in Europe and consequently all over the world. In this study, we look at the role played by media technology in the lives of the people in a societal set up, the impact it has on the societal class of the residents and its importance in the society as far as the democracy and ideological domination in the society is concerned. It should be noted that today’s society has assimilated media and technology to the levels that it is almost impossible to stay without it (Sagepub.com, 2006). Media has been proved to play a significant role in shaping socialization and shaping reality in our societies hence helping people to foster conceptions about social classes, wealth and poverty (Sagepub.com, 2006). It is true that cultures around the world consider their individual traditions, belief, norms and values very important, media has linked the people around the world regardless of the geographical distances. The social media, twitter, facebook, written media, visuals and the rest have made the world look like a global village. People can interact with each within a matter of seconds; people use social media to learn new cultures, establish and maintain relationships and stay on par with most current information around the world. Interactions and communication are therefore key factors in determining how media impacts the society. Media has been instrumental in shaping the political sculpture of the society in the past few years (Koo, Chung and Kim, 2014). They provide people with information through which the public shape their opinions and attitudes on making the very important political choices. New actors including the talk show hosts and reporters have ventured into the political communication and this where the issue of democracy comes in. This has altered the way in which leaders, journalists and the general public negotiate on the matters pertaining democracy and politics. On the same note, electronic media dominate in the new media and technologies such as internet have increased the fronts from which information can be accessed with ease (Koo, Chung and Kim, 2014). Print communication has been rendered electronic; news organizations have established electronic or online counterparts to their original newspapers, magazines and documentaries. Modern day electronic formats of communication like the online chat rooms; discussion groups on the internet create new public outlets through the public voice out their concerns, suggestions, proposals and unprecedented opportunities for political discourse. It is very clear that media has had positive implications for democratic citizenship in our societies and especially now that the relationship between the public and the mass communication has been greatly influenced by the new media (Koo, Chung and Kim, 2014). In this section, we examine how electronic media shape the political attitudes of our society, an overview of current political communication in our societies and how political communications shape up citizens’ attitudes and the impacts of electronic media on the socialization of the young generation. Some observers have attributed the introduction of the new media as the reason for and the catalyst of populist political movements where the citizens have a greater access to the political arena than ever before (Rojecki and Meraz, 2014). It should be noted that democracy in any political set-up is very important for the well being of political health of any nation. In this context, media has been the tool to realize that democracy through the social network and easier communications as well as the ease of reaching leaders in discussions online and through live TV shows. In this same view, mass media serve to accelerate political interest and activism among the mass public and they are, therefore able to establish meaningful and interactive effective roles for themselves in the political battlefield that has been primarily exclusive for the elites in the society (Rojecki and Meraz, 2014). There is plenty of political information spread nowadays through a vast variety of source than ever before. Political news is available through broadcasts all over in the world; real time news broadcasts like the CNN and televised news magazines have greatly helped in the dissemination of political information to the societies. More importantly, this political information has been organized in such a way that it targets a specific audience like the marginalized and politically sidelined. Cable televisions, call-in radio forums and internet means have particularly been exquisite in delivering information to citizens personally. This characteristic of media has helped in reshaping the political landscape and boost democracy of the citizens (Shirky, 2015). Among the characteristics of media is interactivity. Communication technologies provide interactions of citizens, public officers and the media personnel. Rather than being political subjects, citizens are now able to make their political presence and suggestions known through the media hence playing a more visible role in political events of the society. For instance, television news that feature citizens’ call-in, news magazines that contain opinion polls on political matter and the law governing the society and average number of citizens engage the political leaders in questions (Shirky, 2015). This leads to more controlled governance by leaders as they are afraid of public embarrassment and complaints from their subjects. This involved in governance by the public has been facilitated solely by the media and it should be given all the credit for making political life of our societies better in comparison to the life in the past (Shirky, 2015). Political leaders used to make laws in the legislature and no one would get a chance to ask why because there were no means. Now, through the media, the society has found a chance to govern the governments with their leaders and have encouraged democracy by voicing their views loudly. There could not have a better way to boost and encourage democracy in the society than this. On the ideological matters, most scholars have found media to articulate coherent ways of viewing the world. They argue that media helps us to define our world and provide models for the ideal behavior and the attitudes. To expound on behavior and attitude, this section is concerned by, for example, does the media stipulate the ideal roles of men and women in the society? What defines a crime? What is success? These are just some examples of ideologies. Most of ideological analyses of the media are focused on the content of the messages; the stories told about the past and the present rather than the ramifications of such messages. Ideology in the context of media implies that the interest is in the underlying images of society they portray. When ideology is examined in this context, we are not focused in just on one article, or one newspaper, or one movie; it is about the fit between the images and messages in a particular media text and how it is thought even incorporating social and cultural issues. Politicians have long labeled the media, both the news and entertainment forums as the sites for dissemination of information and ideology to the public. This is an explanation why media has frequently been the subject of much political debate and this phenomenon can be justified by many political kingpins identifying media as the facilitator and more or less the source of some of the social problems. To give a few examples here, former US president George W. Bush labeled the media as the “dark dungeons of evil in the internet” as a result of school violence as the media kept focused on violent video games as one of the determinants of violence at Colorado’s Columbine High School in 1999. Democrats blamed the news media for blowing President Bill Clinton’s impeachment scandal in the year 1998 out of proportion whilst the Republicans blame the media for vilifying the independent counsel. Virtually all forms of media are attacked by the politicians from different political angles. This criticism is well received by the media and therefore the society may also perceive the media as the purveyors of ideology, even if they really do not use the term. Media images principally become controversial because many believe that they promote ideas that are objectionable. As far as societal class is concerned, media is a perfect tool for maintaining it as it so much tends to focus on the concerns of the wealthy and the able in the society (Sagepub.com, 2006). Today, television adverts are filled with expensive luxury cars, sumptuous vacations, untouchable jewelry and so forth. If you peep at any “fashion and style” section of any newspaper, the expectation is pretty simple: the focus is on the world-class attires, high-profile fashions, investment opportunities in the foreign market and so on. These are only for the wealthy and the middle-class society or the poor are not represented much in the media (Sagepub.com, 2006). The media also gives a lot of attention and space in the print media to business news, stock market quotations and values; even if just a few families in the societies own a share in the stock at all. As if this is not enough, some television stations report entirely the stock market issues and the international business news report the impact on the wealthy lot and not in terms of the ordinary working public. The media also focuses on the individuals who have attained super success in their lives. More often than not, news on multi-million dollar contracts signed by prominent athletes, film stars, and television personalities are aired for long periods of time (Sagepub.com, 2006). For example, People Magazine of the United States dedicates an entire issue annually to discuss the expensive clothing worn by celebrities in each Oscar night. Similarly, comfortable middle-classes and upper classes are always in the entertainment media (Sagepub.com, 2006). These few points discussed depict that media has been used as a tool for social class and is advantageous to the wealthier, prominent in the society and the poor has no place in there. Conclusion Technology has altered entirely the way of life in our societies and in this 21st century, everyone is almost sure to have some kind of access to technology. Technology has borne quicker and more efficient means of communication and hence media. Presence of media in our midst; the television set, video players, the internet: they have completely changed the dissemination, receipt and interpretation of information and have helped us be connected to what is going on around us. The globe has been made a village, the interactions have been magnificent. However, there are negative implications brought about in the process and the media houses and agencies must ensure that they do not create the implications about them in society. Media is supposed to help us know the issues that are affecting the society; as a transformational tool and the platform for integrating the society; not the other way around. References Koo, C., Chung, N. and Kim, D. (2014). How do social media transform politics? The role of a podcast, Naneun Ggomsuda in South Korea. Information Development. Rifai, O. (2014). The Role of Media in the Syrian Conflict: Reviewing the Paradox. Asian Politics & Policy, 6(3), pp.496-500. Rojecki, A. and Meraz, S. (2014). Rumors and factitious informational blends: The role of the web in speculative politics. New Media & Society. Sagepub.com, (2006). Mass Media and Images of Social Class. [online] Available at: http://www.sagepub.com/newman6study/resources/massmedia.htm [Accessed 6 Mar. 2015]. Shirky, C. (2015). The Political Power of Social Media. Foreign Affairs. [online] Available at: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67038/clay-shirky/the-political-power-of-social- media [Accessed 5 Mar. 2015]. Tse, Y. (2014). Televisions changing role in social togetherness in the personalized online consumption of foreign TV. New Media & Society. Williamson, A. (2009). REVITALISING POLITICS FROM THE GROUND UP: THE ROLE OF DIGITAL MEDIA IN PROMOTING CITIZEN‐LED DEMOCRATIC RENEWAL. Representation, 45(3), pp.301-311. Read More