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The role of mass media
The role of mass media
Mass media & society
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The world of Mass Media is a complicated place as told by former TV and Radio reporter, Al Meyers. “You never know what you’re going to be doing, but then there’s the ability to be able to do it and to share that with the people who are listening.” Meyers, who is retired, gave me the pleasure of sitting down and talking to me about the world of Mass Media Communication, then and now.
Most of what we hear about in the world today comes to us as it is broadcasted through the television news networking stations and the Radio broadcasts throughout the day. It is constantly being updated by the minute as news breaks everywhere, whether it is locally or internationally. However what about the people who present us the news, the people who work around the clock to bring us the necessary details surrounding a matter? Ultimately, what forces shape how media content is made? “It all starts on a typical day, you wake up, go out and find your story; news doesn’t have a set schedule, says Meyers. “Most of our main content comes from press releases that we receive from PR agents, and the rest of it comes from whatever is happening out in society.” A typical day in the day of a news reporter like Al consists of getting up extremely early in the morning, because news doesn’t wait for you, and either going out to cover a story, otherwise listening to their own radio at home, and then while travelling to work talking to other reporters at their station listening getting updated on what they missed, as well as working on what is first priority and getting the coverage needed to break the story. “It’s all about getting their first; you want to be the station that breaks a story first that way early morning listeners are always receiving the latest a...
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...nd write the news, but it is job of the higher ups, PR agents and editors who ultimately decided what they believe the public needs to know. The rest of it they either scrap or file away for those slow news days.”
In the end of the long tiresome process that comes with establishing the final product of media content that is broadcasted to the world, at the end of the day the forces that ultimately shape how media content is made, are the people behind the news and the people to present the news to society. People make the news what it is; any relevant situation that concerns society’s way of life, the way we think, what we do, how we do it, and the other factors that affect us specifically in a personal or communal way is considered as a message to be transmitted to the rest of the public so that everyone is on the same page, updated on the latest news and events.
In his editorial "Words Triumph Over Images," Curtis Wilkie blames today’s media for being “reckless” and “a mutant reality show”. He believes that television and radio are “unfiltered”, which causes the quality of journalism for newspapers to be unmatched. Yet, it is unfair to label all media that is not print as lesser because the quality of any media relies on the viewers and the individual journalists, and in drastic situations like a hurricane, reporters may have many road blocks. Any of these aspects can affect the quality of journalism, which invalidates Curtis Wilkie’s claim.
When discussing the media, we must search back to its primal state the News Paper. For it was the News paper and its writers that forged ahead and allowed freedoms for today’s journalism on all fronts, from the Twitter accounts to the daily gazettes all must mark a single event in the evolution of media in respects to politics and all things shaping. Moving on in media history, we began to see a rapid expansion around 1990. With more than 50% of all American homes having cable TV access, newspapers in every city and town with major newspaper centers reaching far more than ever before. Then the introduction of the Internet; nothing would ever be the same.
It is not uncommon to hear people complaining about what they hear on the news. Everyone knows it and the media themselves knows it as well. Some of the most renowned journalists have even covered the the media’s issues in detail. Biased news outlets have flooded everyday news. We find that journalism’s greatest problems lie in the media’s inability for unbiased reporting, the tendency to use the ignorance of their audience to create a story, and their struggles to maintain relevance.
In “Reporting the News” by George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry, the main idea is how the media determines what to air, where to get said stories that will air, how the media presents the news, and the medias effect on the general public. “Reporting The News” is a very strong and detailed article. The authors’ purpose is to inform the readers of what goes on in the news media. This can be inferred by the authors’ tone. The authors’ overall tone is critical of the topics that are covered. The tone can be determined by the authors’ strong use of transitions, specific examples, and phrases or words that indicate analysis. To summarize, first, the authors’ indicate that the media chooses its stories that will air
It is no secret that in society no matter where a person goes they will be surrounded by influences of news media and social media. There are televisions in restaurants, gyms, and homes, and on them there is a constant stream of twenty-four hour news. Often times what is being reported on television, or through news apps, is being presented primarily for an entertainment purpose. This is what George Saunders analyzes in his 2007 essay, “The Braindead Megaphone,” in which he criticizes not only the news media system, but also society as a whole, for the way news is received and accepted. He speaks to the fact that news media has an expectation that society doesn’t reflect, or have critism, for what is reported to them. Society accepts what they hear, because it is coming form a reliable source. He says, “Does stupid, near-omnipresent media
Through the efforts of globalization, television has grown to be more than just a source for the facts. Presently, television cable channel stations seem to be more interested in capturing viewers interest and ratings than reporting the most significant events of the day. More than likely, without thinking about it, viewers fail to recall that cable network stations are in the business of making money first, then attempting to keep the public “infotained”. In other words, keeping you well informed with quality news broadcasting while simultaneously entertaining you at the same time.
Media professionals have a responsibility to report accurate and comprehensive information, not just what amuses audiences and garner ratings. In his legendary speech “Wires and Lights in a Box,” Edward R. Murrow discussed the power of media and the responsibility of journalist to accurately depict information. To continued reporting poorly constructed media presentations or messages that only serve as rating boosters will be the down fall of society, and history will be there to witness it. Media conglomerates have to power to revolutionize the kinds of information the audience receives. If two or three media outlets would make it a point to relese information that serves the greater good instead of cooperate sponsors bottom-line, the world
The state of the media is a matter of contention in today’s society. The conversation usually goes like this: is the media improving in an age where everyone is connected, has a voice, and carries a supercomputer in their pocket or is it becoming diluted and perverted to attract larger audiences. Do people still want to read a 2,000-word profile of Jeb Bush in The New Yorker, or would they prefer to view a Business Insider slideshow with pictures and bullets of the candidate to get the gist of his positions? This question leads to a bigger question: should the news be easy and entertaining or should it challenge and question its viewers and readers prevailing views? Films like “Network” and “Idiocracy” portray
Newsmaking,” in Media Power in Politics, 6th Ed., ed. Doris A. Graber. Washington D.C.: CQ Press, 421-430.
So called “opinion journalism” has become a growing issue in today’s media. The concern is that the news channels are not always reporting facts to their viewers, but often times fact less opinions. In his article “The Truth about TV News”, Westin makes a highly effective argument as to how news channels are reporting opinions rather than cold, hard facts. His persuading argument lists supporting and personal experience. The experience comes from Westin’s time as ABC president has given him a valuable insight into both the industry of reporting and how opinion journalism has become a growing issue. Westin uses his knowledge to support his claim: opinion journalism is bad and needs to be put to rest as fast as possible.
Today’s society has a multitude of issues, all of which are broadcasted on television, printed in newspapers, and posted on social media. Each source of media plays a large role in how we interpret and react to these issues. Different sources of media offer varying outlooks on these issues. Some offer factual information while others offer emotional reactions. Either way, the media is one of the biggest indicators of how our society views these issues.
Over the last 500 years, the influence of mass media has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. First there were books, then newspapers, magazines, photography, sound recordings, films, radio, television, the so-called New Media of the Internet, and now social media. Today, just about everyone depends on information and communication to keep their lives moving through daily activities like work, education, health care, leisure activities, entertainment, traveling, personal relationships, and the other stuff with which we are involved. It's not unusual to wake up, check the cell phone for messages and notifications, look at the TV or newspaper for news, commute to work, read emails, take meetings and makes phone calls, eat meals with friends and family, and make decisions based on the information that we gather from those mass media and interpersonal media ...
Throughout the previous years, the effect of mass media has produced exponentially with the innovation of technology. Initially there were books, tabloids, journals, photography, movies, broadcast, TV, New Media of the Internet, and now mass media. Nowadays, each individual are most depended on the news media and gossips to preserve their lives moving within everyday accomplishments. We trust the mass media for the existing newscast and evidences concerning anything that is significant and what we must be conscious of. We rely on the media as a consultant for gossip, info, and amusement. The amount of authority varies on the obtainability of media. All of the customary mass media partake excessive impact throughout our existence. For example the 20th century port...
Is it a news program or a gossip market? Today most news shows do just that. While reporting up to date occurrences, it’s the media attention which they crave most. It’s not that they invent news, but it is moreover taken to a higher level. Through opinions of various journalists, as well as a bit of twisted factual evidence, journalists have the power to influence most viewers who tune in nightly, for the most part to catch up on current events. It’s the words that come out of those journalists that will likely be regurgitated tomorrow on elevators and offices around the world. If it only stopped there; however, most journalists are influential enough to end up on the cover of people magazine or the NY Times. So in the end, are they journalists, or Fiction writers?
This is a resourceful book that I would highly recommend to individuals who desire to understand the original theory of the media and how it has affected the modern world. Security agencies and managers in the information departments can learn a lot from the book. It also shows the developments in the media industry from the emergence of printing to the recent media characterized by cutting edge technology. Thompson’s book is a perfect remedy for media-related challenges in the modern world because it explains with real-life examples how mass communication has developed over time. Even though the book offers a few suggestions about the future development of mass communication, a reader can certainly tell that it can only get better and more personal.