Does the Media Shape Who We Are?
Introduction
The Mass Media is an important feature of modern society; its development has undoubtedly been a core factor to rapid social and technological change and also to the rise in personal income and standard of life as well as the decline of some social traditions. Mass media can be defined as venues for messages that are created for consumption by large numbers of people. It is a term used to denote a section of the media specifically envisioned and designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of a nation state.
The degree to which the mass media has influenced society today has been (and still is) debated upon for decades. It can be argued that the mass media is used as “an instrument”, both more powerful and more flexible than anything in previous existence, for influencing people into certain modes of belief and understanding within society.
This essay will examine the extent to which the media influences us as a society. During the course of this essay I will touch upon media effects and uses in society and evaluate the different theories that have been established to see whether they can help to grasp a better understanding of the phenomenon that is the mass media and its effects.
First I must point out the essentialness of the audience. Without the audience there is no mass media and without audience response to the media then it has failed to fulfil its task. So bearing that in mind, I will be focusing on the effects produced by the media, notably the television and the press on the audience.
The effects on the audience
In recent years there have been many high profile cases in which the media has been named as one the main culprits of influence. The news and newspapers have an impact on the way we think and view certain situations. Although the news is supposed to provide a neutral source of information, it is in fact often biased because it is run by humans so naturally the stories covered will have a certain stance on it
The Mass Media is an important feature of modern society; its development has undoubtedly been a core factor to rapid social and technological change and also to the rise in personal income and standard of life as well as the decline of some social traditions. Mass media can be defined as venues for messages that are created for consumption by large numbers of people. It is a term used to denote a section of the media specifically envisioned and designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of a nation state.
The degree to which the mass media has influenced society today has been (and still is) debated upon for decades. It can be argued that the mass media is used as “an instrument”, both more powerful and more flexible than anything in previous existence, for influencing people into certain modes of belief and understanding within society.
This essay will examine the extent to which the media influences us as a society. During the course of this essay I will touch upon media effects and uses in society and evaluate the different theories that have been established to see whether they can help to grasp a better understanding of the phenomenon that is the mass media and its effects.
First I must point out the essentialness of the audience. Without the audience there is no mass media and without audience response to the media then it has failed to fulfil its task. So bearing that in mind, I will be focusing on the effects produced by the media, notably the television and the press on the audience.
The effects on the audience
In recent years there have been many high profile cases in which the media has been named as one the main culprits of influence. The news and newspapers have an impact on the way we think and view certain situations. Although the news is supposed to provide a neutral source of information, it is in fact often biased because it is run by humans so naturally the stories covered will have a certain stance on it
Bibliography: Bryant, J & Zillman, D. 1994. Media effects : advances in theory and research. New Jersey. Lawrence Erlbaum Fetzer, Joel S Lilleker, D. 2006. Key concepts in Political Communication. London. Sage Publications McQuail, D Morgan, M. 1990. Cultivation analysis : new directions in media effects research. Newbury Park. CA:Sage Morley, D Morley, D. 1992. Television Audiences and Cultural Studies. London. Routledge Chandler, Daniel