How do events become media events - Essay Example

?Princess Diana’s car accident was a great news event and her funeral was a great media event. How did her death become great media event is part of the discussion linked with this paper. News from the media is influential as most of them concern the human life. That is why great news events are what broadcasters would want to offer as they are in high demand. However, there are also other human events that are becoming integral parts of daily life which would no longer create remarkable impact or special response. For example, everyday, people would hear crimes and to the extent that violence associated with killing has been remarkably considered a reality of life. When the news report would headline ‘a man kills his wife,’ there will no longer be something new about it as many people would constantly hear it across the globe via local and international news broadcasting. However, the story behind this killing is what would matter. Then that news report, provided there is something interesting about its story would begin to be considered a great news event, something that would interest a human mind (Boorstin, 2007). For example, if a man intended to kill his wife not because of clandistine love affair outside the bound of marriage which is a common story, but unless done by influential or controversial person or because she was too much addicted to the internet, then as many people would begin to take interest of this news report from a broadcaster, the story would probably end up being considered great news event. The news media, as Boorstin would agree have the power to influence the creation of great news event as their scope of coverage is so vast that it could probably reach across the globe. Now, how does this great news event become a great media event is a considerable progression of news reporting outcome. As there would be many audience taking the event to the heart, say at home, then a powerful point, stands and perspectives behind the news story would begin to surface. Thus, if there are influential groups who would appear on the media and provide their stand, a strong influence to generate great media event would be put together. For instance, if those groups who strongly opposed with the use of ‘internet’ or ‘social networking platforms and media’ then they could probably cite a strong point of view by attributing the man who killed his wife because of her internet addiction. Then the more the media would cover this event, allowing many people to provide their stands, the said story then starts to become a great media event, as there would be many people involved by taking the event right to their heart, making them fully involved. This is the same trend we might probably observed from the September 11 USA terrorism attack. If there would be no television or other media from the other side of the world and USA’s adjacent countries, it would take time to hear about what was happening that time to the world’s twin towers in New York. After the attack, it would most probably took time to keeping popular number of people about the news report. Publicity would be too slow that many people would miss the opportunity to take the event right to their heart. However, since the wide coverage of media continues to lead us people and becoming integrated with our life at present, the September 11 attack remained a remarkable history that today’s generation could impart to the future. Media therefore have become powerful agents of publicity, allowing great news event to become great media event. Right after the September 11 attack, there were various news reported associated with the event. For couple of months, local and internatianal news reports from various parts of the world were primary important headlines, and many opinions, stands, symphaties or reactions begun to flinch from the audience, making the event a great media event, just like what happened to Princess Diana’s funeral and Prince Charles and Kate’s matrimonial ceremony. The flu virus and its associated detrimental impacts on the human health was once become a media event as people discovered that SARS for instance could potentially wipe out the human race. Everyday, the media would cover the progress of mortality rate and the probable place affected by the pandemic. Via broadcasters, people were informed about the said news event, allowing everyone to stop for a while from doing their daily routines, and focus on understanding the right thing to do in order not to contract the disease. The news event about SARS progressed to becoming a great media event, as people paid considerable amount of time concerning the event. However, the entire piece of this could be attributed to the level of publicity that the media were able to impart with the consuming public. It is therefore clear that media publicity is a common activity normally associated with media events (Pfister and Tierney, 2008; Collins and Trenberth, 2005). For instace, media events operate as public arenas where people find themselves engaged in the political debates and political actions that are responsible for shaping the world around them (Hunt, 1999, p.44). This could pontentially be illustrated through the US presidential election. The Democrats and Republicans have various and conflicting ideologies which they used to defend their stands and ultimate perspectives on certain political, social, and economic issues. Prior to the presidential election, it has become a living custom in the US political arena to conduct series of presidential debates in order to enlighten the voters of the probable direction that the incoming president would be illustrating and implementing. The debate is media covered and aired worldwide, allowing everyone to see where the USA is heading through various ideas and perspectives that the presidentiables are feeding the minds of the people. The outcomes of the US presidential debates, based from the past, have consistently become great news events. However, the US presidential debate progressed into becoming great media event, as many people, particularly the Americans have to involve themselves. This is the same thing happening across the globe when many people would want to legalise same-sex marriage. The said news event, at some point, particularly in the US has become a media event because many people are willing to participate and involve themselves with it. The bottom line, in media events, people are becoming involved (Couldry, 2010; Sumiala, 2012). Therefore, it is clear that a great news event could only become a great media event if there is considerable number of individuals who would involve themselves in the event. However, this could not be potentially realised if there is no sufficient level of publicity that the media should initiate. It would be impossible to influence people to take an issue or event right into their minds, especially at a fast pace if there is no potential media coverage. Publicity is still remarkable point needed in order to convert a great news event into a great media event. Based on the above illustration, it is clear that if there is no sufficient media coverage on a certain issue, the event would not become successful media event. So it is important to employ a two-way communication process in which the bottom line is to convey a great news event via effective channel. A good response concerning this, and based on the above illustrations, would pave the way for creating a great media event. We have witnessed from the past, and based on the human history, how the media handled great news events and finally turned them into great media events. References Boorstin, D. J. (2007). From news-gathering to news-making: a flood of pseudo-events. 251-270. Collins, C., and Trenberth, L. (2005). Sports business management. 2nd ed. Auckland: Cengage Learning Australia. Couldry, N. (2010). Media events in a global age. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis. Hunt, D. M. (1999). O. J. Simpson Facts and Fictions: News Rituals in the Constructive of Reality. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Pfister, R., and Tierney, P. T. (2008). Recreation, event, and tourism businesses: start-up and sustainable operations. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics 2. Sumiala, J. (2012). Media and ritual: death, community and everyday life. New York, NY: Routledge. Read More