Essay On Impact Of Media

1254 Words3 Pages

Media can be defined as any means through which an idea is emitted, with the hope of inspiring a change, or simply to inform the public. In a generalized sense, the media has been around since Ancient times in writing, art, speeches, and countless other forms. Ancient form of press undoubtedly had an impact on society, but it was not until the mid-19th century that the media began to modernize and took on a new form that would yield even greater power over its audience. This period was a time of unremitting war, social progress, and economic fluctuation. Modern media’s advance during this era was no accident: the significant change and turmoil throughout the country was something that could not be ignored, therefore causing the press to take charge and publicize the issues that were occurring throughout the nation. Although the media’s impact on American history beginning with colonial America and the use of the newspaper, the period from the 1930’s to the 1960’s was the most significant stage in the development and ultimate modernization of the media’s impact on war, politics, and society. Before the advent of the radio in the 1920s and the television in the 1950s, the influence of the press in America was limited to the newspaper. Newspapers, which had been around for several hundred years, certainly had an affect on people as a source of information, however the outreach of the newspaper was limited to those were literate. Colonial newspapers were generally published weekly, with articles about religion, foreign events, cartoons, and advertisements (Breig). Without modern technology, the lag between the occurrence of an event and a report of the event was fairly long due to the comparatively slow pace of communication during ... ... middle of paper ... ... relies is its audience—without an audience there would be no purpose in broadcasting news and information. The symbiotic relationship between the press and its audience is continually changing. Today, with the development of technology at an almost exponential rate, the media is having a continually increasing presence in daily life. Information is now available immediately almost anywhere, to the point where it is actually difficult to escape it’s influence. Advertising and social media plague almost every form of technology available. Though these state of the art advancements in technology make communication as simple as a click of a button, the true effects on society are yet to be seen. The beginnings of mass media from the 1930s to the 1960s ultimately formed the foundation for modern media, which will undoubtedly have profound effects for much time to come.

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