Though the letter was replaced by a tweet, and the newspaper boy was replaced by a blogger, the effect of the media on the world is unparalleled. Still, there is always going to be the question of how much, and by what means, does the media affect our lives. To try to answer this question, resources such as the Imprints textbook, multiple news articles in prominent news agencies and other sources like The Guardian and Al Jazeera, and the movie Bowling for Columbine are used and fully credited. The topics presented cover themes such as misrepresentation in media, the influences of media, and the effect of media on daily life. Misrepresentation of news in media is sadly very common today, with more and more people becoming increasingly distrusting of news reporters to accurately relay news (Current Problems). According to Daily Source: “A poll by USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup found only 36 percent of Americans believe news organizations get the facts straight, compared with 54 percent in mid-1989”(ibid.). It does not help that many news articles contain major factual and grammatical errors, which greatly contribute to the distrust in the mass media outlets, such as news stations, radio stations and more (ibid.). In an article titled Why Do Western media get Africa wrong? Nanjala Nyabola notes that Western media in principle cannot relay international news accurately, because of the difficulties of translation and the need to satisfy the West’s stereotypical view of the world (Western media). She also notes that non-Western news channels are not viewed as much as the Western news channels even in the country where, in theory, non-Western news should be the main source of information, which implies that the inaccurate news reports a... ... middle of paper ... ...February 2014. Gathara, Patrick. “If western journalists get Africa wrong, who get’s it right?” The Guardian, 24 January 2014. Web. 23 February 2014. Nyabola, Nanjala. “Why do Western media get Africa wrong?” Al Jazeera, 02 January 2014. Web. 21 February 2014. Pigott, Catherine. “Chicken-Hips” Imprints, Eds.Joe Banet, Diane Robitaille, and Cathy Zerbst. Toronto: Gage Learning Corporation, 2001. 79-81. Print. Shafi, Suman. “Positive and Negative Influences of Media Among Young People.” uthmag.com. Uthmag, 12 June 2012. Web. 24 February 2014. Tyler, Melissa. “The Impact of Social Media in Our Daily Lives”. Adventures in Freelance Translation. n.p., 23 May 2013. Web. 24 February 2014. Wolska, Malgorzata. “Gender stereotypes in mass media. Case study: Analysis of the gender stereotyping phenomenon in TV commercials.” Krytyka, 9 January 2011. Web. 23 February 2014.
The media takes a biased approach on the news that they cover, giving their audience an incomplete view of what had actually happened in a story. Most people believe that they are not “being propagandized or being in some way manipulated” into thinking a certain way or hearing certain “truths” told by their favorite media outlets (Greenwald 827). In reality, everyone is susceptible to suggestion as emphasized in the article “Limiting Democracy: The American Media’s World View, and Ours.” The
Africa has an incredibly rich and complex history. Unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons, the west has a highly skewed and inaccurate perspective of Africa. In his “Myths About Africa, Africans, and African History: The Student’s ‘Ten Commandments’” Pier Larson critiques some of these perspectives and discusses where these western ideas of Africa come from. While these myths certainly are false, it is still interesting to see them and ponder why they exist and what that, in turn, reflects on western society. These reflections are very negative and limits western society’s perspective and ability to relate and identify with what is a vast and diverse continent.
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
Africa is a continent with two fronts. First is the façade that Americans create with our misrepresentations and stereotypes. They tend to be negative and create a negative image for those who live on the continent. The other front is the truth. Although there are some truths in American connotations, it isn’t the full truth. The stereotypes make two people look bad – Africa and those who do the stereotyping. Misrepresentations are created from a variety of different things, but it is up to the ignorant to teach themselves the truths that lie in Africa.
The media, including television programming, cartoons, film, the news, as well as literature and magazines, is a very powerful and pervasive medium for expression. It can reach a large number of people and convey ideas, cultural norms, stereotypic roles, power relationships, ethics, and values. Through these messages, the mass media may have a strong influence on individual behavior, views, and values, as well as in shaping national character and culture. Although there is a great potential for the media to have a positive and affirming effect on the public and society at large, there may be important negative consequences when the messages conveyed are harmful, destructive, or violent.
The Mass Media is a unique feature of modern society; its development has accompanied an increase in the magnitude and complexity of societal actions and engagements, rapid social change, technological innovation, rising personal income and standard of living and the decline of some traditional forms of control and authority.
Media has had an ever increasing role in society for almost a century now; from the introduction of the radio to modern day technologies such as smartphones and tablets that can deliver news—both visually and audibly—instantaneously. The audience is no longer limited to accessing the latest information by being in an area where the signal can be reached, for the worldwide web has made it possible for anyone in the universe to access material from all corners of the earth with nothing more than an internet connection, or merely being in a location that has a television screen. Being a part of mainstream society currently leaves one exposed to all forms of media—even without wanting to come across it—that can be processed and shared to a wide audience in a matter of seconds; whether accurate, incorrect or misleading. Language is already a streamlined interpretation of an occurrence, and with modern day media technologies; the truth is left vulnerable to manipulation that can be transmitted to a global audience.
...hat this is the era of accountability and transparency in the running of governmental affairs, the current generation of Africans is enlightened and empowered, and are capable of asking questions about their actions.
According to the information in the Article “The Misrepresentation of Africa” many commercials, T.V shows, and magazines associate African culture with poverty, violence and HIV/AIDS. I initially believed that was accurate due to that being the only thing advertised in the media. Many people now believe the way I did before I started this research project. For someone who has never visited Africa a day in my life, could I really be the blame for my misinterpretation of the continent? Therefore, I thought this would be a different but yet stimulating topic for my research project. (Araya)
Children can be influenced and impacted in many ways whether it is from their parents, peers, and even strangers. One thing many people don’t realize is that many children, nowadays, are actually being influenced by the media, meaning they are being affected by different media sources, such as television and the internet. The question is whether the sources of media, television and the internet has a positive effect or a negative effect on children, and which source of media has a bigger effect.
There is no doubt that European colonialism has left a grave impact on Africa. Many of Africa’s current and recent issues can trace their roots back to the poor decisions made during the European colonial era. Some good has resulted however, like modern medicine, education, and infrastructure. Africa’s history and culture have also been transformed. It will take many years for the scars left by colonization to fade, but some things may never truly disappear. The fate of the continent may be unclear, but its past provides us with information on why the present is the way it is.
Media technologies are becoming an important aspect of today’s society. Each and every day, people interact with media of many different forms. Media is commonly defined as being a channel of communication. Radio, newspapers, and television are all examples of media. It is impossible to assume that media is made up of completely unbiased information and that the media companies do not impose their own control upon the information being supplied to media users. Since many people use media very frequently, it is obvious to assume that it has affects on people. According to the text book Media Now, "media effects are changes in knowledge, attitude, or behavior that result from exposure to the mass media," (386). This leaves us with many unanswered questions about media and its influences. This paper will look at how the effects of media are determined and explore the main affects on today’s society - violence, prejudice, and sexual behavior.
Davidson, Basil. Modern Africa A Social and Political History. Ney York: Longman Group UK Limited, 1983.
Mass media, over the years, has had a profound effect on American society, on its
The power of the mass media has once become so powerful that its undoubtedly significant role in the world today stays beyond any questions. It is so strong that even politics uses it as a means of governing in any country around the world. The mass media has not only political meaning but also it conveys wide knowledge concerning all possible aspects of human beings’ lives and, what is utterly true, influences on people’s points of view and their attitude to the surrounding environment. It is completely agreeable about what kind of virtues the mass media is supposed to accent. Nevertheless, it is not frequent at all that the media provides societies with such a content, which is doubtful in terms of the role consigned to it. Presenting violence and intolerance as well as shaping and manipulating public are only a few examples of how the role of mass media is misunderstood by those who define themselves as leading media makers.