Media

I wrote this for a school application. It's about time I made a new post.

One issue which is of paramount importance to me and to my generation is that of the media’s influence over our culture. It is undeniable that the media has radically changed U.S. culture from the top to the bottom since its inception. My particular interest is in the feature films area, but I cannot help but notice that every branch of the media has had a part in this cultural influence.

One of the most significant areas of influence is that of journalism and news media. For well over three hundred years the use of pamphlets, plays, and sermons, all the way up to today’s televised news shows, newspapers, and websites have been utilized to relay the issues and actions of importance to society. The news media is used to communicate almost our entire knowledge of important issues. Our memories of historical events are practically invented by the news media. The images of the invasion of Normandy, Armstrong’s first stride on the moon, and the 9/11 attacks are all inextricably attached to the photos and footage provided by the media. For that matter, history as a whole is conveyed through the media in the form of books, websites, motion pictures etc.

This vast enterprise has infiltrated our society at every level. We see it, hear it, and read it everywhere we go. We as individuals even make the news mobile in the form of printed magazines, car radios, and electronic mobile devices with access to the internet. It is nearly impossible to escape the media’s output.
The news media’s influence can become a problem because of the level of trust in the media’s integrity held by the general public. The media’s near monopoly on the sharing of information has given it the ability to shift public opinion and over time, to shape the culture itself.

Now, while the media may have the power to influence the public in such a way, do they actually exploit it? Has the media taken this power and put it into action? The answer is certainly debatable. First of all, the news media has a general ethical code of objectivism whereby they portray the news without bias which allows the public to form their own opinions. However, there are observable cases where the media appears to be overtly pushing their agenda, though it is difficult to come up with objective evidence which supports this notion. There is no way for most of us to know for sure unless we are a part of the system which creates the media messages.

Therein lies my particular solution to the problem. Not only must the public become aware of the potential danger of media influence, but it would be wise to take action. Individuals can simply take a step back and try to monitor the full extent of the news media on their opinions and decisions.

The other solution is to become a part of the media ourselves. For my part, I intend to enter into the feature film industry which primarily deals with the emotional side of visual media. Feature films may not be an up-to-date source of news, but historically, the cinema has been a place where audiences are often told how to feel about events in the past (history). Often, feature films make allegorical appeals regarding present day issues as well in an attempt to guide the audience’s feelings in a certain direction.

The media, including the news, is a gift to society. In principle, the media is a vehicle for free speech where the passage of information can go unhindered. Unfortunately, there is also the potential for unethical exploitation. So, the public must be vigilant and always pursue the truth to the best of their abilities. The media ought to be a window into society as a whole, not just a vehicle for the few who run it.