Undersatnding Media - Essay Example

The feeling that prevails is that the media has crossed its boundaries and has now become a severe tool of mind destruction. There is evidence that the media in particular instances, have shaped information to create an intended attitude in the population, and hence influence their decision making process. In essence, the media does not utilize its power for the good cause, but just forms the public opinion for ones profits. This paper will analyse literature to identify evidence of public manipulation by the media.

The media is a powerful tool that plays a key role in painting public images that conform to the information in their possession, or even to reflect their personal opinions on critical matters in the society. In many countries, the media is protected by law and it bears the absolute right to cover any form of information, and to relay it to the public in the way that they feel most appropriate. There has been a great struggle to improve media independence and to give it the right to criticise and comment on various issues affecting the public.

For instance, in the United States, the First Amendment Act allows the media to cover all mannerism of information without any limitations from the state government (Smith, 2010). As Smith (2010) points out, the First Amendment Act has played a key role in empowering the media and that this freedom will have both positive and negative consequences. Today, although the press has become a necessary tool, it has suffered the abuse of being a manipulative tool to benefit a few in the society. One positive impact of the media in the society today is provision of current and relevant information from all over the world through its various channels.

With the proliferation of technology, the media has achieved effective information coverage and the ability to relay it even to the most remote locations of the world. According to Cammons and Parks (2004), information is