Media Representation of Germany in the US - Case Study Example

Media Representation of Germany in the US Student’s Name Institution Media Representation of Germany in Us Different experts in political communication always insist on the critical role the media plays in many modern democracies. It’s clear from various authors that the purpose of the press is not always confined to technology nor various journalists and their techniques but by the function, the news and information play in the lives of people in the world. The media provides people with news thus keeping them informed of the changes occurring around the world. Though this is informative, the vital role of the press is to empower the informed with the provision of information (Hainsworth, 2016). Thus we can sum up the purpose of media as the delivery of information to people to help them make different decisions in concern of their lives, communities, the society and even the governments. Due to this, people end up creating different stereotypes on others according to how they get portrayed by the media. Stereotypes can either be positive or negative according to the information provided, and both have different effects on the people concerned. Some years ago, news media only consisted of newspapers and television and various recipients received only the information that this outlet broadcasted. As technology and demand for information increased, media outlets expanded to accommodate all the requests for information and also to relay news over a larger area (Suid, 2015). It led to the introduction of the internet and other forms of media conveyance which have both positive and adverse impacts on people and also countries. By studying the relation between the United States and Germany, it’s clear that media has a significant impact on changing the attitudes of people towards others due to stereotyping. Thus the issue of the implications of the media on different societies is crucial as it helps shape the mindset people have on each other (Samovar Porter and Roy, 2015). This research aims at enlightening both parties i.e. the government and the people about how to manage their relations to ensure harmonious coexistence in a given area. Numerous research indicates the effects of media representation of Germany in the United States and provides information on how this image affects both countries according to how they view each other. These pictures have resulted to diverse cultures and different understandings between the two nations. Despite the cultural diversity, this observation leads to racial and even ethnic stereotyping and discrimination of Germans in the United States and vice versa (Mocan and Raschke, 2016). Thus the primary objective of this proposal is to highlight some of the issues related to how the United States media portrays Germany, how this affects the attitude of the people towards the country and also suggest tools that can help in dealing with such a problem. People travel from one country to the other for adventure, business and at times cultural integration with other people (Deng and Yang, 2015). These activities are restricted to the issue on media stereotyping as it affects how a person gets viewed in the new country. This conflict reflects on different areas i.e. schools and even during business ventures in the foreign country. Germans migrating to the United States especially for permanent residence may find themselves in a tight spot due to the attitude the Americans have on them. It’s clear that the United States culture is different from the Germany culture thus leading to divergent views on both parties. The media portrayal of a country is at times active and other times negative (Cross and Ma, 2015). Thus the information put across by the United States media affect the relations between the two countries due to the stereotyping of Germany by the American community. The primary objective of this proposal is to establish parameters that will ensure positive portrayal of Germany as a country to the Americans so as to abolish the stereotypes put in place and refrain from repeating the same mistakes. The objectives arrangement put in place helps ensure that the suggestions and strategies are successful. Therefore, below are some of the questions that the research proposal addresses; What vies do Americans have in Germany? Effects of media representation of Germany in the United States of America Different studies and researched carried out on the topic and their impact on this stereotyping Influence of the media on various people and ways to change this i.e. should the media be controlled based on the information it spreads about a particular country of not? Suggestions on how to change the attitude different people from different countries have on each other so as to enable coexistence. Various studies and reports associated with the media representation of Germany in the United States of America arise from different sources i.e. personal stories from people and also the media. Individuals from Germany find stereotyping and attitudes a new experience in the United States, and this attributes its causes from a misinterpretation of information, lack of knowledge, poor communication, cultural differences, rumors and also language barriers. The hypothesis of this proposal is to provide suggestions as to why the media affects the attitudes of people towards a different country whereas these people know nothing nor have no awareness about any information concerning them except the information from the media (Van, 2015). The idea is to suggest and later develop a tool of study that will help different partakers come up with various strategies to combat this negativities and in the same time enhance the relations between the two countries to ensure positive coexistence of the concerned citizens wherever they meet. Stereotypes refer to what crosses the mind of a person when a particular individual or group gets mentioned. Thus it’s clear that stereotypes arise from the attitudes and information provided by a particular group such that any association with it gets governed by the mental picture created. Stereotypes encompass different information about qualities, roles, behaviors, perceptions, and even emotional reactions of the given group. Assumptions get based on the characteristics of the group through the roles they play and their behavior. It leads to the creation of a set of beliefs and associations related to the panel that limits their interactions with others as they get portrayed as belonging to a lower status. The presence of individual attitudes towards a particular country about its government, culture, and way of life leads to the emergence of specific problems like discrimination in foreign countries, stereotyping and also different prejudices. All these get summed up as prejudices as this is the antagonistic behavior the state based on inflexible and faulty generalization. It's gets expressed in a particular group due to the reason of it being a member of the country in discussion. Different researchers define prejudices as negative attitudes towards a group due to how various media portray it in the society. Prejudice encompass the enhancement of the feeling of superiority on one group such that it views others as substandard. It is evident in different social structures and dynamics and ends up straining the relations particularly if the people are not from the same place or race. Therefore it's clear that prejudice leads to the emergence of strained and classified relationships between groups, countries, and societies according to the attitudes they have on each other. Different books and journals are available on the internet and help in the assessment of the problem though most have not provided appropriate solutions. The key literature terms that get encompassed in this proposal include the media influence, stereotyping, emergence of prejudices due to different attitudes attributed to the media portrayal of Germany. The various authors acknowledge the effects of the press, but in a shallow manner thus their information cannot be used as tools to change this attitudes. The United States have many anti-German sentiments which encompass the fear of Germany, the people in it, the country’s culture and also the German culture (Van de Vijver and Poortinga, 2015). The United States media makes this worse due to the way it represents Germany thus leading to the rise of different attitudes in Americans about Germany. It’s also clear that Germans also hold negative prejudices towards the United States. During the year 2002, the acting president George w. Bush visited Berlin where he attracted a large and hostile demonstration from the people. Also the Afghanistan war, the rejection of Kyoto treaty, and many more United States foreign policies fuelled anti-Americanism in Germany. The way the American media portrayed these events created attitudes on American citizens thus both countries regard each other warily. From the early times i.e. during the World War 1 and 2, both countries fought against each other, and the United States mostly triumphed thus gaining the feeling of superiority against Germany. Before checking the United States public opinion data, it’s important to know why Americans get very concerned with the way other countries view them. History tells it all, from the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of the USA as the biggest superpower in the world. In addition to this approach, researchers cam also apply the effects of media i.e. whether the media aims at balancing and enhancing both relationships of if the media portrays one country as inferior and different to the other. The media tends to focus on mass culture thus ends up placing more weight on the image of the country thus creating perceptions, rather than focusing on matters of substance. Different research indicates that German is a complex and wealthy country in regard of different perspectives. Both countries have had intense interactions i.e. being opponents in the world war, the communism and capitalism factor and much more (Campbell and Kean, 2016). Different data collection methods have been used to compile this information. The data collected is from various articles, journals and peer reviewed works by some authors both from the United States and also from other countries. The sources are from different walks of life, writers, newspapers, students, intellectuals, community leaders, the media and also various government officials. Data selection here gets done randomly by checking different samples so as to provide vast comparisons that help in coming up with proper research. The collection utilizes both qualitative and quantitative methods to help provide uncompromised information. The ideology behind the compilation of this data is to check different media representations so as to determine its influence on the American citizens. It also helps in determining whether the attitudes that arise from information provided by the media is positive or negative. Therefore the data should make suggestions and strategies on how to streamline these attitudes so as to gain good relations between citizens of both the United States and Germany. The drive of this study is to help fill up the gaps left by other researchers in addressing the central question in discussion. The lack of strategies to curb bad and wrong media representation of other countries may lead to the creation of tension in the cultural and diplomatic relations between the two nations (Watts, 2015). Based on the past interactions between the United States and Germany it’s clear that a slight mistake on either party may lead to recent tensions and thus it's not appropriate. By providing policies to govern the media, the United States gains the ability to control the perceptions Americans have in Germany. Past hostilities should be left in the past, and both governments should work on fostering healthy relationships so as to ensure no attitudes get fixated in the minds of the citizens against each other (Powell, 2015). Stereotyping leads to a rise in prejudices that create avenues for discrimination during different interactions and avoiding this is the best way to combat it. Both countries have had developments, and both have impressed each other a few times in various undertakings. Both countries have worked together in the past especially after the great depression where the United States helped Germany rebuild its economy. Inspire of this some policies created by this countries to don’t end up enhancing the relations but rather create a few conflicts. The media is a tool of enlightening people by the provision of information and news and thus should major on painting a good image about Germany so as to influence the Americans attitude positively and ensure long-term positive relations between the citizens and governments of both countries. References Campbell, N. and Kean, A., 2016. American cultural studies: an introduction to American culture. Routledge. Cross, M.A.K.D., and Ma, X., 2015. EU crises and integration panic: the role of the media. Journal of European Public Policy, 22(8), pp.1053-1070. Deng, P. and Yang, M., 2015. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions by emerging market firms: A comparative investigation. International Business Review, 24(1), pp.157-172. Hainsworth, P. ed., 2016. The extreme right in Europe and the USA. Bloomsbury Publishing. Mocan, N. and Raschke, C., 2016. Economic well-being and anti-Semitic, xenophobic, and racist attitudes in Germany. European Journal of Law and Economics, 41(1), pp.1-63. Powell, J.J., 2015. Barriers to inclusion: Special education in the United States and Germany. Routledge. Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R. and Roy, C.S., 2015. Communication between cultures. Nelson Education. Suid, L.H., 2015. Guts and glory. The University Press of Kentucky. Van Dijk, T.A., 2015. Racism and the Press (Vol. 5). Routledge. Van de Vijver, F.J., Van Hemert, D.A. and Poortinga, Y.H., 2015. Multilevel analysis of individuals and cultures. Psychology Press. Watts, R.L., 2015. Comparing Federal Political Systems. Understanding Federalism and Federation, p.11. Read More