Media Impact in Shaping How People Think - Essay Example

Media Impact: The media comprises many sources of information that is available to the public through a variety of sources including radio, television, books and the Internet. These help the public to know more about the world around them and gain insight and knowledge about a variety of issues. The media has a powerful impact in shaping how people think about an issue and has been used as a tool to frame and shape public opinion, especially in the context of the war in Iraq. The media has presented the Iraq war in a very different way in America, as compared to the way in which it is viewed over the rest of the world. For example, images in the Western media focused on the dazzling fireworks in the sky through carefully targeted bombing raids carried out by the US air force, while carefully editing out most images of civilians injured in the war. Dissenting opinions offered against the Iraq war were presented sparingly in the media during the initial stages of the war, since it became “unpatriotic” to discuss the negative aspects of the war. Public relations firms work to shape and influence public opinion and such firms were working on behalf of the Bush Presidency, carefully maintaining a pulse on public opinion, so that only those images favoring the Governmental view of the Iraq war appeared in the media. As opposed to this, media representation in the rest of the world condemned the American position and reported on civilian casualties, presenting a different picture altogether. Selective reporting, biased reporting or the manner in which certain issues are highlighted while others are glossed over can elevate or diminish the significance of an issue in the mind of the public. The media is therefore a very powerful tool for shaping public opinion. Television: The advent of television was a landmark in the development of the media because it was able to transmit visual images as well as audio and written images. With the development of better technology, television programs have become more sophisticated. There are programs to suit every kind of taste and need, from news programs to movies to sports and cooking shows, shows for children, game shows and soap operas, all of which compete fiercely to grab high viewer ratings so that they can become more profitable with increased advertising. Corporate ownership of TV networks in America has created a trend where the integrity of journalistic reporting has been compromised. Since corporate entities seek to enhance their profits, they are not unduly concerned about the content of TV programs – their primary consideration lies in making more money. They seek to grab viewer interest in an arena where there are many other sources competing for the viewer’s attention – books, Internet and newspapers to name only a few. TV channels and programs also compete fiercely with each other to grab a larger slice of the viewer-ship cake, because advertising sponsorship increases with increased viewer-ship. Programs that may be morally uplifting or educational such as PBS have been relegated to the status of second rate shows in terms of viewer-ship and have to be funded by the Government and public funds because they are not well patronized by the TV viewing public. On the other hand, programs where there is a shocking amount of blood and gore receive high ratings mostly because of their shock value, with the result that more such programs are being produced. As a result of the focus on bottom lines and making profits, the quality of programs on TV has therefore been compromised and the focus these days is more on providing sensationalist elements, as opposed to providing clean, wholesome programs suitable for family viewing. Corporate sponsorship and funding is not prepared to extend to public service programs because such programs do not push up viewer ratings and increase advertisement revenues, thereby making it uneconomical for TV program producers. Internet: With the advent of the Internet, the geographical boundaries that once separated people have dissolved, and instant communication has become possible. Moreover, the Internet has thrown open the floodgates to wide ranging sources of information and allowed people all over the world to be exposed to different viewpoints and opinions. Blogs and chat rooms provide forums for ordinary people to express their views on several issues and to reach a large audience. The facility of easy, fast access to information is one of the biggest advantages of the Internet, however the disadvantage lies in the fact that it is difficult to control the flood of information and censor it appropriately where necessary. However, does this mean that the Government should censor blogs and chat room activity? Pornographic websites on the Internet can also be accessed by children and poses a potent threat to this vulnerable section of the population by exposing them to objectionable material. Since the Internet is still an evolving medium, effective systems of control have not yet been developed to deal effectively with such problems. The Internet therefore affords a free and easy way to distributors of offensive material to reach vast numbers of people. With the lack of regulation of the Internet, this means that vulnerable segments of the public such as children may also become the targets of offensive material over the Net. In democratic countries, the freedom provided to the citizens does not allow Government interference in access to the Internet to a substantial degree, although some filtering devices are now being used by servers on objectionable sites. But in other countries where the foundation of democracy is not strong, the Governments have restricted access to the Internet by their citizens. In China, chat room and blog activity is carefully monitored and those individuals spreading views that are strongly pro-western and pro-civil rights are put into prison. The excuse proffered is that such actions are being carried out in the interest of protecting citizens from offensive material. Other countries such as Saudi Arabia and Cuba for example allow only government approved websites to be accessed. The question of imprisonment of bloggers and chat room users however, may constitute an intrusion into individual privacy that remains unjustified. In the event that such users have engaged in criminal activity, such criminal intent must be proved and substantiated, in the same manner as other criminal offences are tried. News: The manner in which news is being reported has changed substantially during the course of the last few decades. With the proliferation of news channels and the struggle to retain viewer-ship, news channels are resorting to the introduction of more and more sensationalist elements and stories in order to grab and retain the attention of the viewers. As a result, there is a greater focus on negative events such as murders, bombings, etc rather than straight reporting of the news. In some instances, the eagerness of the news reporters to grab an edge on news stories may also compromise war efforts; for example during the US-Iraq war, one reporter publicly carried a discussion with a troop commander on troop movements that were being planned, which posed a threat to the security of the war plans. News channels also need to provide material to fill up their time slots and ensure that viewers remain glued to their TV sets and do not switch channels. As a result, they include commentaries from veterans of the armed forces in the media reporting of war. In practice, this has created some problems. For example, the traditional relation between the military and civil authority has been that civil authorities frame the rules and objectives of war while the military leaders make the necessary plans to execute those objectives on the battle field. But during the course of the Iraq war, several veterans of the armed forces appeared on news programs, discussing military strategy and openly criticizing the policies of the administration. This provided fuel to officers within the armed forces to leak out confidential mews aspects to the Press and finally led to an open rebellion of generals, calling for the resignation of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. While it is quite likely that the generals may have been justified in their position, nevertheless such actions have seriously compromised army morale and discipline and do not appear favorable for civil-military relations in the future. The media plays a significant role in altering relations and perceptions and in several instances, causing serious dangers to war efforts through leaking of information. Read More