More handpicked essays just for you.
How the media is able to shape public opinion
How the media is able to shape public opinion
How the media is able to shape public opinion
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
If you wanted to look at a good example of someone who understood the impact a television network may have on the minds and opinions of the people, you would have to look no further than media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Early on in life Murdoch recognized the valuable opportunity he possessed to influence public opinion on political issues. And if you are Rupert Murdoch, and you control a very effective, very powerful channel of communication such as the most widely read British tabloid or most watched American news network, how do you go about effectively persuading the thoughts of others? And what obstacles may a propagandist face in this process? The answer to those questions may be simpler than most would imagine. The first calculated step in any attempt at an organized persuasion campaign by the media is to designate a time slot. This time needs to be optimal and must reach the target audience at that right possible moment. After you’re certain an intellectual, or at the very least extremely receptive, audience will tune in, you introduce a compelling topic allowing for a bilateral discussion.The subject matter (let’s use healthcare reform for this example) is presented in an unfavorable fashion first, allowing for arguments that are opposed to it to seem stronger and more legitimate. The news organization opposed to an administration’s agenda explains to its viewers through surrogate editorialist, or pundits in today’s terminology, how healthcare reform is a gross over extension of the government’s responsibilities, how it will lead to death panels that will hurt your family and how extremely costly it will be in lives and fortune. Overly patriotic words like “freedom”and“liberty” are splashed across your television screen a... ... middle of paper ... ... is too plain to see to ignore. With the preponderance of information available on the Internet, accurate news reporting is literally seconds away from decoding the spin and explaining the actual facts without as much bias as you will see on cable news. While we still rely on cable news for the visual images and constant analyzation of the news, we have built into our heads which channel is left leaning, right leaning or which one is attempting to straddle the grey area of the politically moderate. Unfortunately to the avid and siloed viewer, theses media channels are the foundation of truth that they need to continue on with their affiliations, political beliefs and moral convictions without worrying about having to change their minds - on anything. Works Cited Jowett, Garth, and Victoria O'Donnell. Propaganda and Persuasion. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006. Print.
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 old argument that the networks and other ‘media elites’ have a liberal bias is so blatantly true that it’s hardly worth discussing anymore…No we don’t sit around in dark corners and plan strategies on how we’re going to slant the news. We don’t have to. It comes naturally to most reporters.” (Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News) This example is tremendously important in the author’s discussion because it proves that news stories do manipulate people through bias. Popular news networks are viewed by thousands of people every single day, thus making it have a huge impact on the public since they believe what they see. When news reporters present their news segments, it is natural for them to give their insights due to human nature being instinctively biased. “The news media is [sic] only objective if they report something you agree with… Then they’re objective. Otherwise they’re biased if you don’t agree, you know.” (CNN’s American Morning) In this quote, the readers are presented to current panelists agreeing that news consumers have a very hard time separating their own view of the news from the perspective of the news reporters because they are presenting their own opinions throughout their segments. This problem exists once again because of the bias that is contained in media
Words and images were silent weapons used by all governments involved during World War II. Wars are generally fought between soldiers, but the different ideologies often meet on the battlefield as well. The support of the people is crucial during these times since it general knowledge that strength relies on numbers. Propaganda targets people’s emotions and feelings and changes people’s perception about a particular idea, people or situation. Propaganda goes hand in hand with the art of persuasion and convincing; these tools can control and manipulate the collective minds of massive amount of its audience. During World War II, for instance, the elements of war were taken from the location of the military fights and brought to the households of millions of families. Advertising has the power to sell ideas, to give or take away hope, and to boosts people´s morale; the ideas that were presented to the public through propaganda are immortal, they linger in the nation’s memory. Images often displayed in posters and pamphlets during war time, were an essential factor to gain peoples support and trust, images attract people’s attention with more efficiency than word. It is an effective mean to attract attention; it I said that images speak louder than words and this case is not the exception. Media, during World War II, was the catalyst which increased the magnitude of the issue that was being confronted. This event left a mark in our history since its objective was to generate hatred between ethnics. It is in our nature, the human nature, to take our own culture as a point of reference to judge others, this is a phenomenon called ethnocentrism and it is fuelled bye prejudice and stereotyping. Throughout history whenever technologically...
Fox News is constantly being bombarded with accusations of media bias, furthermore, a number of different instances of have occurred which question the validity of Fox News (Groeling). These instances occur throughout normal news broadcasts. Some of the more recent, and grossly biased broadcasts, were from the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. Historically the Fox News Channel is known to lean heavily to the right, or on the republican spectrum. President Barrack Obama’s political party is widely known to the public as being democratic. Statistically, to this day according to studies over 17 million households receive some form of the Fox News Channel (Auletta). The Fox News Channel is published through a number of different channels to its viewers. These channels include: Television, radio, newspaper, internet and more increasingly electro...
Aldous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World, showcases a world alternate from ours, a dystopian setting. Where human morals are drastically altered, families, love, history, and art are removed by the government. They used multiple methods to control the people, but no method in the world state is more highly used and more effective than propaganda. The world state heavily implemented the use of propaganda to control, to set morals, and to condition the minds of every citizen in their world. However such uses of propaganda have already been used in our world and even at this very moment. The way the media sways us how to think or how we should feel about a given situation. Often covering the truth and hiding the facts. One of the goals in propaganda is to set the mindset of the people to align with the goal of a current power, such as a
they had to pay back money that they did not have and Kuwait was responsible for
The foul stench of corporatist spiel responsible in the terrible genocide can still be smelt by the families of the 100,000 and more farmers who committed suicide after having forced to grow BT cotton, the genetically modified seeds supplied by American MNC Monsanto. Critical opinions on the Indian government when it comes to handling the issue of farmer suicides describe it as an apathetic one. As of 2009, 87% of India’s cotton land still cultivates the BT cotton. The lack of blame on Monsanto or any kind of valid coverage by the Indian Media and the apathetic reactions of the government clearly indicates the vast influence Monsanto as a corporation exercises over not just the media but the government at the same time, lobbying their way out of otherwise having the guilt of over a 100,000 dead Indian farmers.
“Propaganda is a truly terrible weapon in the hands of an expert.” A master of illusion, Adolf Hitler knew how to use propaganda to “educate” the masses. Hitler knew the importance of propaganda and the effects it could have on a population. Propaganda was essential to his idea of a perfect state that he devoted two chapters in Mein Kampf to the subject. “As well as being a very charismatic leader in his own right, Hitler knew that propaganda was the best way to sway the masses to support his views, and was cunning in his dissemination of propaganda.” Hitler and Nazi top officials used propaganda as the chief method that projected the ideology. Hitler’s chief architect (Albert Speer) told the Nuremberg Tribunal that what distinguished the
`We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy’s side of the front is always propaganda, and what is said on our side of the front is ‘’truth’’ and righteousness, the cause of humanity and a crusade for ‘’peace’’.’’- Walter Lippmann
How has media influenced public perception of political figures, issues, and institutions? Through agenda setting and framing, media has the power to set the agenda for political discussion by providing public attention to political figures, issues, and institutions. In addition, the media can frame political agendas by influencing public perception and interpretation. (Ginsberg, Lowi & Weir, 1999)
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
According to Dearing and Rogers (1996) agenda-setting is driven by “issue proponents,” (e.g., public relations practitioners, media representatives) aiming to direct public attention to a social problem (e.g., climate change, gun control) (p. 2). To advance their intended agenda, public relations professionals must consider three key elements impacting issue selection: media influence, organizations/individuals with competing messages, and current events affecting public life (Zoch & Molleda, 2006). When incentivizing media coverage of an organization’s issue(s), research suggests practitioners should offer access to high profile
The War on Terror was a campaign instigated by the United States as a result of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks on the USA and is on-going. The international military campaign was joined by many nations including Great Britain to eradicate the threat of global terrorism, Al-Qaeda and other radical organizations. The term ‘The War on Terror’ was first coined by George Bush in a speech on 20th September and since been used largely by the Western media to denote the battle to find and defeat the terrorists culpable for the attacks on the World Trade Towers now known as 9/11. 9/11 has been considered a symbolic attack on the west and in uniting the people of USA in particular against a common enemy; it generated a strong sense of nationalism. Nacos states, ‘…watching television, listening to radio, reading the newspaper, going online gave them the feeling of doing something, of being part of a national tragedy.’ This demonstrates the unity of the American people after in response to such a tragedy. Though also regarded an international event whose scope was far-reaching as more than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Centre, the September 11th attacks signalled a powerful patriotic response from the USA.
Throughout the history of the human race the few have held in their hands the lives of the many. Regardless of what type of government or society you observe, it has always been the minority in charge of the majority. It is true that in most cases the majority will reach a breaking point and take down the minority. However, there are those who continue to rule despite public unrest, or those who have the love and admiration of the very people they are abusing. The few have always found a way to climb atop the many, and remain there, defying all logic and reason. These methods fall into a few generalized categories, such as the use of fear, propaganda, drugs, and early childhood conditioning.
Step 2-Determine and study your audience: When focusing on the target audience, the behavior to be influenced or the public policy to be influenced must be of highest priority. Furthermore, being able to determine the characteristics of these target audiences is crucial. Characteristics such as: location, age, gender, religion, political affiliation, cultural affiliation, level of education and so on. To develop a better relationship with audiences, it is essential to predetermined whom they trust, their preferred media, and their acumen on the pressing issue. Being able to determine their preferred media sources will dictate the media choice to be used for message ...