Mass Media as Public Space - Essay Example

How far does the mass media operate as a public space in which competing and diverse ideas lead to rational forms of democratic decision-making This is the age of the information technology revolution. It has enabled the layman to not only witness but also become a part of important socio-political events both in the domestic and international fora. Today, the common man is empowered by technological innovations to participate in political and cultural developments. The coming together of different media has led to the merger of an astounding variety of media networks. This has in turn resulted in the emergence of the mass media as a public space wherein the masses can not only interact but also express their individual opinions. The democratic process draws its lifeblood from public participation and the airing of diverse opinions enriches democratic decision making. Mass media, according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the world wide web, is a term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach a very large audience (typically at least as large as the whole population of a nation state). The mass-media audience has been viewed by some commentators as forming a mass society with special characteristics, notably atomization or lack of social connections, which render it especially susceptible to the influence of modern mass-media techniques such as advertising and propganda. Marshal McLuhan's concept of a global village has become a reality today. The developments and advancements in the telecommunications sector have engendered a concurrent expansion in the field of mass media. Until a few decades ago, the newspaper and the radio were the most popular media of communication. The scene has undergone a tremendous change, to say the least. A cursory look at the changed media scene would throw up extremely interesting facts. One among them is the invasion of satellites into our living rooms. An event happening in one corner of the globe at any given point of time is visible on our television screens at the same time, without even a minute's delay. Such has been the growth, extremely fascinating, and, at the same time awe-inspiring. The information technology revolution has ushered in a conglomeration of different media networks, such as, cable television, the print media, radio and the Internet .This amazing confluence has been largely market driven: profit oriented commercial innovations in the telecommunication sector have actually succeeded in the creation of a public space where wide ranging opinions and ideas can be expressed and shared. The media or the Fourth Estate has emerged as a powerful force to reckon with in a democratic nation. The television has become the most popular medium of entertainment and communication. It has increased the awareness and accessibility of the general public. People sitting in the privacy of their homes are able to acquire information about events all over the world. A few centuries ago, only the educated and the elite had access to information about national and socio-political events. The common people were mostly deprived of information and largely unaware of the policies and decisions that governed their day to day existence. They did not have the opportunity or the public space to discuss and express their views on issues that affected them. Today events around the world can be witnessed within the four walls of our homes and we can respond to them with the short messaging services provided by various mobile service providers. We are able to react and respond immediately to anything and everything that happens anywhere in the world. The media is omnipresent : it is this accessibility and instant coverage of, and response to events that has enabled the media to become an integral and intrinsic part of a global economy and the democratic process world over. Market driven enterprise has compelled nations to break down boundaries and the instant delivery of news gives a centrality to uniquely specific cultural matters. The live coverage of the Gulf war was beamed into millions of homes. The mainstream media depicted the invasion of Iraq as a necessary evil. They presented a highly sanitized version of the conflict by refusing to show the ravages of war. The Anglo-American viewers were provided with a clean image of the war wherein they were led to believe that human causalities were minimal because of the use of new and advanced weaponry. This highly misleading perception of the war could have been permanently enshrined in the hearts of the Anglo-American public, had it not been for the presence of alternative media which were vocal critics of the Iraq invasion. Al-Jazeera reveled in the depiction of dead and mutilated soldiers belonging to the Anglo-American coalition forces. The channel also broadcast graphic pictures of the Iraqi war dead. Websites and bloggers expressed their own perception of the Anglo-American exploit; some were highly critical, others supported the adventure. Newspapers in Britain, the United States of America and the rest of the world were divided in their response and perception of the war. Susan Sontag has aptly stated that "there are many uses of the innumerable opportunities a modern life supplies for regarding - at a distance, through the medium of photography - other people's pain. Photographs of an atrocity may give rise to - opposing responses. A call for peace. A cry for revenge. Or simply the bemused awareness, continually restocked by photographic information, that terrible things happen.' (Sontag, 2003:11-12) The convergence of different media has ensured that the viewer is exposed to an astounding array of information. The media's primary duty is to inform impartially and news channels have become a medium of infotainment. They enable viewers to participate in socio-political debates and such other issues. The participation of the masses with regard to issues that affect the public at large has been on the rise, thanks to the information revolution. Media indeed does perform its primary duty. Mass media takes the responsibility of informing the general public when it comes to any thing that happens anywhere in the world. Be it the war in the gulf, the crisis in the democratic set up in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, the sharp rise in the Dow Jones index, the controversy regarding Mike Tyson or even the sexcapades of little known stars of the tinsel town, the media does play the role of the informer to the hilt, and thereby triggers a debate. Public participation takes centre stage making the role of the media so very important. The immense reach and popularity of television lure both the general public and important public figures to interact with each other. It in fact transforms into a platform where they have wordy duels, trashing each others views and opinions on various issues that have gained currency due to the dissemination of information. They also provide a platform for appreciation of all the good work done in different quarters. It, thereby helps in forming and shaping of public opinion. It also educates the viewer who is a third party to the various events that occur in the daily affairs of the political, social and cultural world. The creation of such a public forum helps in an open exchange of views and opinions. News channels vie with each other for higher TRP ratings; they compete with each other to produce highly innovative programs. Intense competition to garner more profit can lead to a form of public service whereby a platform is provided to the masses to enable them to question and criticize the system and the administration. Such an open interface is an essentially enriching aspect of a rational democratic process. Gradual evolution of human societies has been accompanied by a simultaneous growth in the various forms of mass media. Mass media can and does enact the role of a facilitator or negotiator in conflicts based on social, political or cultural ideologies. Democratic cultural development is definitely enhanced by the presence of an active, impartial and unbiased mass media. The concept of unbiased media may be asking for too much, but then the media can indeed form opinions. Every individual is a thinking being. He/she sees, learns and weighs what is right and what is wrong. Every individual, well almost everyone, has his/her own opinion. This may not be strong always. The media steps in here, airs its views, provides a platform for thinking men and women to debate and thereby forms an opinion in the mind of the viewer. A strong opinion is formed in the mind of the viewer who earlier had two opinions or is noncommittal. Thus he/she attempts to seriously debate the issue within his thought process and forms his/her own thoughts. The media plays the role of a catalyst, a facilitator in forming opinions. The fundamental purpose of the media is to provide a public space which is free, transparent and encourages the free expression of views and opinions. Such a public forum that encourages and promotes communication through discussion of issues is an integral part of an evolving democracy. Marc Raboy (Universit de Montral), Ivan Bernier (Universit Laval), Florian Sauvageau (Universit Laval), Dave Atkinson (Institut qubcois de recherche sur la culture) in their essay 'Cultural Development and the Open Economy: A Democratic Issue and a Challenge to Public Policy' quote Alain Touraine stating that, The aim of a democratic society is to produce and to respect the greatest possible amount of diversity, with the participation of the greatest possible number in the institutions and products of the community'' (Touraine, 1992, p. 12). The democratization of nations and markets, the universal presence of the mass media and its instantaneous coverage of developments all around the world ensure free and open exchange and interchange of ideas and viewpoints. The world has changed. In an era of modern technology and increasing digitisation, mass media has become something that has embedded itself in the psyche of the layman. The media provides both a commercial and public space for the advertisers to display their commodities and find a market for them. At the same time, increasing proliferation and popularity of the media attract ordinary men and women to become a part of such an alluring public stage which assures them at least three minutes of fame. Such a public stage gives the common man a certain amount of confidence that he/she can influence the larger field of activities a least through the voicing of his/her views and opinions. Media networks are ubiquitous today, and the presence of a wide variety of media of communication provides the user or the audience an amazing range of options with which to interact. Mass media is an indispensable ingredient, essential for the cultural development of any community that is a part of the global economy. Cultural isolation is a thing of the past. The information technology revolution has put paid to the idea of sequestered cultural groups. Even isolated events occurring in remote and inaccessible regions of the world can assume centrality in a world that is gradually shrinking. National broadcasting systems that were essentially formed with the purpose of public service have given way to huge and extremely rich private broadcasting companies. Their search for new and highly innovative modes of infotainment is definitely driven by commercial profit. But at the same time lead to the production of highly popular reality shows where ordinary individuals are given an opportunity to express themselves. Television as a medium of communication has become so powerful that the disturbing visuals from the Abu Ghraib and Guatanamo Bay detention centres run by the Anglo-American forces were able to create a fierce backlash both in the United Sates of America and the United Kingdom. Such was the power of the television that the people of both the nations joined hands to flay the Bush-Blair war games. The mass media is definitely responsible for the creation of a public platform whereby distinctly diverse and opposite views can be expressed in such a way that it leads to rational decision making in a democracy. References: Curran,J.(1993) 'Rethinking the Mass Media as a Public Sphere' in Peter Dahlgren Eldridge,J.(1997), The Mass Media and Power in Modern Britain. Hynes, Deirdre. (2003) Consumption Convergence. Irish Communications review(9) Morrison,D.(1991) Television and the Gulf war Morely,D. (1986) Family Television Morely,D. (1980) The Nationwide Audience Morely, D (1992) Television Audiences and Cultural Studies. Petley, Julian (2003). War without Death: Responses to Distant Suffering. Journal For crime conflict and the media (1) 72-85 (www.jc2m.co.uk) Raboy, Marc, Bernier Ivan, Sauvageau Florian & Atkinson Dave . Cultural Development and the Open Economy: A Democratic Issue and a Challenge to Public Policy Sontag, Susan. (2003) Regarding the Pain of Others. London, Hamish Hamilton. Read More