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How does media shape public opinion
Media influencing politics
Impact of mass media on society
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Media Effects
The Effects of Media on the Public's Opinion Mass media - have you ever taken the time to consider two articles about the same thing? Some may be more bias against a group or idea, while others keep a strict, non bias view. The way the media portrays events may change or even corrupt people's thoughts on certain public matters. This paper will dissect four articles on the Woodstock riots and show the relationships and differences between them. On a Sunday night, near the closing song of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there were a few bonfires were reported. The firefighters, feeling they were under control, let these bonfires burn. Then Limp Bizkit came on, another hard-core band. In their song Breakstuff, the audience climbed a television camera tower and began ripping equipment and other electrical devices off of them. After Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine, another hard-core band, played hard-core music that could have easily incited violence. When the smoke cleared away Monday afternoon, not only were thirty-seven people arrested, out of a countless number; there was also hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damaged equipment. In the articles, They Must Have Run Out of Drugs and
Woodstock Riot, there are direct and indirect quotes used to inform people of what happened at the concert. These quotes also try and persuade the public's opinion as to whether or not the riots were the faults of the accused. In the article, Woodstock Riot, the author use...
398).It is also stated that news divisions reduced their costs, and raised the entertainment factor of the broadcasts put on air. (p. 400). Secondly, the media determines its sources for stories by putting the best journalists on the case and assign them to areas where news worthy stories just emanates. (p.400). Third, the media decides how to present the news by taking the most controversial or relevant events and compressing them into 30 second sound-bites. (p.402). finally, the authors also explain how the media affects the general public. The authors’ state “The effect of one news story on public opinion may be trivial but the cumulative effect of dozens of news stories may be important. This shows a direct correlation between public opinions and what the media may find “relevant”. (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry, 2015, p.
The purpose of media is quite SIMPLY, "a warning signal--information--that alerts the citizens that something is wrong which needs attention and resolution. An aware and informed populace could then influence its leaders to act upon that information in an effort to solve that problem" (Jensen, Project Censored). But Media has often been criticized for promoting a mass mediocrity, because it only tells the public what it wants to hear. The idea of Media promoting mass mediocrity is a reoccurring image in Fahrenheit 451. Such is not the case in today's society. One of the most successful freedom fighting campaign has been the Tibetan Freedom Concert, a rock concert where artists and citizens converge, sharing their views for Tibetan freedom from Chinese oppression. Over the three years of its existence, the concert has generated so much publicity that it has forced President Bill Clinton to step in and try to hasten the negotiation between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama. In a Sonicnet Music News article, the Dalai Lama said, "'Through this live show, many, many Chinese will have gained a better awareness of President Clinton's feelings about Tibet, and also President Jiang's feelings, and I think that can be enormously helpful in the long run.'" (Media Inclusion 1)
...reflected critically on the events of his life—even just the two examples used in this essay--, he would probably find that this is not the best of all possible worlds as it is rife with evil and suffering. With this novella, Voltaire made the point that some spend a lifetime justifying—not rationalizing—the events of the world because those same people are too busy attempting to prove one theory rather than develop others that may fit reality more. When Candide dismisses Pangloss at the end of the novella by saying, “Let us cultivate our garden,” he is rejecting Pangloss’ philosophy, turning over a new leaf, and taking charge of his own life and giving it its own meaning free of Pangloss’ influence.
In the summer of 1969, a music festival called, “Woodstock”, took place for three straight days in Upstate, New York, with thirty-two musical acts playing, and 500,000 people from around the world coming to join this musical, peaceful movement. Woodstock started out being a small concert, created to locally promote peace in the world, by the power of music and its lyrics. Now, Woodstock is still being celebrated over 40 years later. The chaotic political climate that the ‘baby boomers’ were growing up in is most likely the reason for this event becoming of such an importance to the world. The violence of the Vietnam War, protests at Kent State and the Democratic Convention, and the assassinations contributed to an ‘out of control’ world. The fact that so many people came to Woodstock and were able to latch onto the ideals of peace, love, and community became a wonderful, joyous symbol to this generation. This three day music festival represented the ideal for baby boomers during a chaotic political time.
U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency. (2011, January 13). Retrieved January 20, 2011, from Summary of the Clean Air Act 42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq. (1970): http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/caa.html
Towards the end of the book it seems as if Candide decided to follow his own way of life. When Candide said, “but let us cultivate our garden,” in response to Pangloss who said, “There is a concatenation of all events in the best of possible worlds; for in short, had you not been kicked out of a fine castle for the love Miss Cunegund; had you not been put into Inquisition; had you not traveled over America on foot…,” who basically still hasn’t gotten the memo to leave the idea of optimism behind. The ending of the novel shows how Candide grew and took from the experiences during the adventure to finding Cunegonde. Candide realizes that everybody is responsible for their own actions. The fact that throughout the novel whenever Candide had to endure a problematic issue he would often reiterate saying that Pangloss would say, but often end up in misfortune. Candide realizes that following Pangloss ideals may seem unrealistic and following Martin ideals is also unrealistic. The garden that Candide and the others help create was something they did themselves without having to follow someone direction just as Candide did throughout this novel. Candide finds that just working and not questioning anything that occurs has better outcomes than following either Pangloss or
During the age of Enlightenment, the philosophes believed that reason could be used to explain everything. The philosophes believed that people could make the world a better place to live in. Voltaire is against such optimism. Ian Bell Says "The 'optimist' argument then, was complex and sophisticated, but like all ironists Voltaire chose to simplify it to the extent that it seemed complacent and absurd, and he went on to cast doubt on our chances of ever securing 'eternal happiness'"(1-2). According to Voltaire true happiness can only be experienced in an unreal world. The multitudes of disasters that Candide endures after leaving Eldorado culminate in his eventual abandonment of optimism. Candide loses four of his sheep laden with priceless jewels due to natural causes, and then sees his two remaining sheep stolen, and the local magistrate indifferent to the theft. "Certainly, [says Candide,] if everything goes well, it is in Eldorado and not in the rest of the world" (42). Candide goes a step further, "Oh Pangloss, cried Candide, you have no notion of these abominations! I'm through, I must give up your optimism after all. What's optimism? said Cacambo. Alas, said Candide, it is a mania for saying things are well when one is in hell" (40). Candide's enthusiastic view of life is contrasted with, and challenged by suffering that he endures throughout the book. Hence, Voltaire uses the book to satirize the foolishness of optimism.
The true meaning of “Eldorado” in Voltaire’s Candide has been debated for some time. The scene of Eldorado is the visual philosophy of Voltaire’s thoughts of what an ideal society would be. It is a land of richness and where there is a state of being equal in status, rights, belief, and opportunity; it is free of greed, claiming titles or importance, religious strife or contention, and there is no suffering (Mason 55). Eldorado also brings the reader’s attention in its scene to show the bad fortune of realities of cultures beyond its land. If this land is the ideal society one would wonder why did Candide and Cacambo who had traveled different countries and experience many test and trails would want to leave. Voltaire visual scene in Eldorado and the characters makes the readers think that being too optimistic can cause a misrepresentation of what reality really is. The method and visual thoughts of Voltaire’s have some authors and critics expressing their opinion on religion, science, governments, utopia, and wealth; that the land of Eldorado is one that is too good to be true, and come off as unreal. Eldorado is the vision of Voltaire’s utopia where the land is desirable amongst the inhabitants and consists of what the readers are to believe the perfect society. The land is clearly the best of the worlds that Candide traveled which is a reflection of Pangloss when he said, “in this the best of all possible worlds” (Voltaire’s 101).
...stock fans that made the trip to all three festivals bearing the “Woodstock” name. It seemed that the other men and women that made up the rest of the audience were nearly all there to get drunk and destroy anything they could get their hands on. By the end of the concert, nearly all of the stage and equipment was destroyed. Women were raped and all souvenirs such as shirts and posters were stolen. (MTV Woodstock Uncensored) The acts displayed at Woodstock 99’ could be summed up in two words: destructive force. It went beyond misguided violence to such a point as to bring down some of the original Woodstock’s glory. Unfortunately now when people think of Woodstock they will also think of the destruction that occurred during its latest attempt at recreation.
In 1969 at Bethel, New York, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was 3 day event that was all about peace, love, music, and partying. It was a historic event that changed what was known back then as the “hippie movement”. At Woodstock there were many influential artists that performed at this huge event. It was a popular festival that led the later generations to embrace the sentiment and mood of what Woodstock came to represent. People didn’t realize (until later) how historic Woodstock really was. Woodstock was actually supposed to be a simple small event that would have around a only expected to have 5,000 people attend. It surpassed all expectations by having nearly 500,000 people attend. In the end it actually become a
Freedom was knowledge, education and family, but “The root of oppression decided as a “tangle of pathology” created by the absence of male authority among Black people” (Davis, 15). Therefore, they enjoyed “as much autonomy as they could seize, slave men and women manifested irrepressible talent in humanizing an environment designed to convert them into a herd of subhuman labor units” (Davis). Instead of being the head of the “household”, he and the women treated each other as an equal. This thought would soon become a historical turning point that initiated the fight for gender
During the 1960’s, protest music had reached greater national popularity than ever before. In addition, radio and vinyl took protest music to a whole new level since it allowed the music to be distributed more widely than before. This emphasized its political effect. However, was the protest music caused by the politics of the time, or did protest music have its own effect in influencing and creating political events? This issue has been argued extensively both ways, although the dominant argument is that the politics caused protest music. However, one thing that is certain is that protest music is one of the most effective tools in exposing a negative system and creating massive public support for change not only in the 1960’s but other modern events such as the L.A. Riots and the Black Lives Matter
At a time of social reflection, with America reacting to war in Southeast Asia, the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (1963), his brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy (1968), and Martin Luther King Jr.(1968), the Apollo landing on the moon, and a culture of public demonstration, through Woodstock, the country was asked to question its attitudes toward drugs, sex, and the establishment. Was Woodstock simply a music festival or a sign of growing dissatisfaction with government and its policies? Even though the Woodstock festival was defined as three days of peace, love, and music, its effects upon American society could be felt for generations, influencing a nation’s attitudes and becoming a symbol of an age of change.
Rock accompanied and often gave shape to the dissenting and counter-cultural movements that engulfed the world. In the United States, rock music could no longer ignore social conditions, and even musicians who had largely steered clear of commentary were compelled at the least to consider politics as a subject for their work. At the same time the counter-cultural embrace of rock music screened over the deep fissures that were becoming clear in American life. The riots of 1968 revealed a society fundamentally divided over war, race, and equality, and music both engaged and reflected those conflicts. Rock music was forever linked to the ferment of social change and widespread dissent of all generations against American actions and social conditions that violated the nation’s professed
"Introduction to Mass Communication." EFFECTS OF RADIO ON SOCIETY*Introduction to Mass Communication| Lessons Free Online Read Lessons. Zainbooks, n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. .