American Media Influence in Society - Essay Example

AMERICAN MEDIA INFLUENCE Introduction Media, through the years, has had a significant impact on American culture, onits society, and on the people presented to it. Media is a manifestation of socialization, having a long haul impact on every individual from American culture. While it focuses on the single person in transient interim, the general impact on them has been created as the shopper moves starting with one susceptible age class then onto the next. The long or short- term impacts of media are divided and specifically when its part in America is assessed. Generally, media impacts individuals distinctively due to differed measures of presentation and arrangements. It has a socialization work in American culture, in the way of life, and on people and also assumed a part of socialization in our general public through the years. Socialization is a long haul transform that each person experiences as he or she turns into a working individual from society. Over the past decades, through the invention of internet, media impact has developed drastically. In the first place there was telegraph, followed by other sources such as radio, newspaper, magazines, television network and currently internet. Internet has played a great role in socialization more than other media sources. The society requires information and communication for different reasons such as: To conduct daily operations like work Excitement Medical services Academics Individual connections Travel Stay updated about current affairs Majority wake up and checks the TV news, daily paper, or radio and after that they go to work, makes a couple telephone calls, eats with their family when conceivable, and settle on choices in view of the information that has been obtained from colleagues, TV news, daily papers, radio news, companions, family, or money related reports. Individuals have to be mindful and aware that a large portion of the choices, convictions, and qualities are in light of what we know beyond all doubt, our suspicions, and our own particular experience. In our work we normally realize what we need to do taking into account our experience and studies, however in our every day lives we depend on the media to present to us the news and truths about what is essential. All our trust is placed on the media to issue us news, amusement, and training. In any case, the impact of broad communications on our children, teens, and society is colossal. Its essential that we know how the media truly functions. How Media Functions Television is the most influential and compelling media channels. People are continually presented and exposed to pictures, including roughness, products promotions, sex, popular names; celebrities talk, and many more. Truth be told, explorations and research indicates that youngsters are exposed to such products or advertisement many times a year. Questions that many people asks themselves are, who owns and claims the media in the United States? Who are the individuals that transform people’s qualities, convictions, and choices? In America, media essentially commanded by around five noteworthy organizations. These include Walt Disney, News Corp, Time Warner, Vivendi Universal, and VIACOM. These organization possess higher percentage of all the media that people consistently receive. Media has both positive and negative impact on the people and society. It can prompt visually impaired imitation and also serve as a source of motivation. Overexposure to media can create data over load, however its correct utilization prompts a worldwide exchange and transfer of ideas and information. Wrong decisions may have a negative effect on society, particularly on kids and adolescents. In any case, if utilized astutely, media turns out to be a help. It issues us a stage to voice our suppositions on social and political issues. Owing to its simple access, it builds and enhance general mindfulness. It is the best and reliable source of information, amusement, and motivation. It furnishes us with viable method for correspondence, making the world a littler spot. Technology and innovation has just created more impacts of media to the people. Media Influence in American politics The essence of media in the field of policy making cannot be overestimated. It is through media that development has experienced in the American government. Media carry out crucial duty in informing the people to understand the political decision-making procedures in the country. The importance of media’s impact was lauded by Solzhenitsyn Aleksandr, “The press today has become the one of the greatest power in Western nations, powerful than the legislature, the judiciary, and the executive.An individual would question which law has it has been elected and who is represented?” (Rivers, 1982) Inside a sort of period of auspiciousness and additionally an abnormal state of interest when it comes to information, it is delineated here that the media creates a vital part when it comes to informing the general population in connection to legislative issues, campaigns and in election races. Similarly, it is the case here that while individuals from general society are requesting information from the media houses, there is a sort of fundamental skepticism inside American society against the media and legislators in connection to adverse campaign scope and the known media predisposition. There would be a component that is regularly missed and this would be the impact the administration would have with regards to the media and in addition to the impact the media would create on the government. In addition, it is believed that the media would be extremely useful in the elections issues by influencing voters decisions through listening to candidates and evaluating them. . There would be a cyclical relationship evident between media, government and public at large keeping in mind the media could sporadically have the result of molding popular sentiment, it would have a more noteworthy effects when it comes to conveying to voters the sorts of what issues would be vital and less of an impact regarding to the matter of persuading them on what might be obliged to be considered in relation to these issues. The media is working adequately by setting a focus on a number of issues that creates the feeling that individuals from general society ought to be concerned with. Media is viewed to be a presenter of neutral variety values to the participants who are active. The intention of media is to provide checks against injustices and remains free to check the government and other issues with the society. Define reality is one of the core issues that media is responsible for, however, most of the media house and journalist performs their functions contrary to what is expected from them. Most influential people in the society have manipulated media in a negative way. It has now become a tool persuade people to engage in negative issues that create adverse effects to other groups of people. It is a propaganda tool to seek support for power and also wars(Steinfart, 1997). In this regard, media has to some extent betrayed democracy that people ought to enjoy. It can also be used to conduct a research based on the opinions of the people hence is used as a mass persuasion. Media especially television and radio owned by state corporations have been accused of favoring the government in power, an act of not being independent (Graber, 1980) Apart from politics, media has played a very important role in checking police activities to the people especially brutality. It is through media that majority have been able to know the actual dirty acts being done on the roadblocks, for example the case of racism on the roadblocks where African Americans were reported to be mistreated. Media brought the information to public and amendment has been made to program such as racial profiling among others. However, police have also benefited through media by gathering some of the intelligence information from the journalists. The relationship between the police and media has helped in combating criminal activities. On the other hand, there are some police security data that media has been blamed for leaking out to the public especially matters that are inside the courts and under investigation. Ethics is crucial in any profession since it encourages and improve good relationship between the employees and employers. In media, ethics is one of the key issues that journalists need to check on, therefore teaching ethics in media industry is highly recommended. It through the application of ethics that will allow journalists to be sincere in there duty and refrain from issues such as misreporting that has been experienced from some reporters. Several people experienced defamation and character assassination through media outlets; unwarranted act in the field of journalism. Most journalist have received bribes to offer more coverage to some politicians to gain popularity. American media is also faced with fraud challenges, there are number of media houses that have been victims. For example, New York Times is among the media houses that is believed to have at one time distorted the news (Pippert, 2004). In this case, majority of the audience have lost their trust in New York Times. It might be an indication that not only New York Times that has experienced the same thing, but may be several media houses hence making people to lose trust in most of the media houses. When it comes to advertising products, media has been used to mislead the people about certain products that has negatively changed the lifestyle of some individuals. Due to ignorance, most consumers have found themselves purchasing products not knowing the negative effects to the health. These happens in reality television shows that attracts the attention of the viewers and getting involved into something that can create to the life. This is an indication that media has left their key mandate; providing checks but have entered into commercial business. Generally, people cannot live without media despite the challenges that both media and people go through. Media has played an important role especially to the common man. Getting the latest news within the shortest time possible even from long distance places. The exchange of information through media platform is one of the ways that the public get acquainted with current affairs and obtain necessary knowledge that is helpful to question on some of the issues that happens at different levels. Media not only provide news to the people, but also helps children to develop reading habit through reading newspapers and magazines hence improving their academic standard. Watching commentaries on televisions also helps them improve the vocabulary in different subjects depending on the discussion presented. Watching different games and programs on televisions helps the young ones to improve on their critical and logic thinking and decision making. Several polls have been conducted on the media, the process allows the public take part in social matters that are of concerned. It through media that a common man can his/her voice. Apart from good things associated with media, some negatives experiences are also faced for this matter. Some newspaper have created tension among the people, the spread of propaganda that is meant to tarnish the names of some people have been seen in most media houses. On the other hand, too much exposure to the media can create health problems to the people. Most of the adverts on televisions and newspapers are exaggerated and when imitated by children can create harm to them. Most of the children learn bad habits on televisions and movies that they watch and later adopt the character. Some programs such as fashion shows are more attractive to the adolescents, and therefore majority overspend on the type of clothes or attires that are seen on televisions (Porterfield, Polette & Baumlin, 2009). Conclusion Technological innovations in the media are changing the political process and general life the American people. Government is having influence on media and media too has works under influence of government hence affecting public policy. Similarly, media propaganda is also one of the convincing tools that powerful people can use to gain support and spread their intention to the world. The government comprised of three bodies; executive, legislature and the judiciary. Both of these bodies have influenced media in one way or the other to own good. Apart from these acts,media has helped the minority group in many cases such as in the case of racial profiling. It through media that the some of the laws that were bias to them has been amended. Corporations are viewed as self government since they don’t receive too much of media publicity like any bodies and regular government do. Media practitioners require ethics to enable discharge their duty without being partisans in most of the controversial issues, media needs to be fair and give equal attention to every person without compromising race, ethnicity, financial status and religion. Bibliography William R. Rivers, The Other Government: Power and the Washington Media 7 (1982) Pippert, W. G. (2004). Journalistic fraud: How the New York Times distorts the news and why it can no longer be Trusted/Bias: A CBS insider exposes how the media distort the news. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 59(2), 188-191. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215289353?accountid=36299 Steinfatt, T. M. (1997). Propaganda and democracy: The American experience of media and mass persuasion. The Southern Communication Journal, 63(1), 84-87. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/226935365?accountid=36299 Porterfield, S. F., Polette, K., & Baumlin, T. F. (2009). Perpetual adolescence: Jungian analyses of American media, literature, and pop culture. Albany: SUNY Press. Graber, D. A. (1980). Mass media and American politics. Washington, D.C: Congressional Quarterly Press. Read More