The Paper Sociology

The overall idea of the movie, The Paper revolves around a day of Henry Hackett, an editor of a New York tabloid, The Sun. Although he enjoys his work, the late hours and meagre pay give him plenty to consider when he gets a job offer from a rival newspaper, The Sentinel, especially with his pregnant wife, Martha Hackett nearing labour. As he races against time to cover the big story of the day regarding an accused murder of two white businessmen, Hanson and McGregor, by two young black men, his nemesis and fellow co-worker, Alica Clark threatens to foil his plan (Gagle). Through the movie, the media’s ability to distribute content to a wide audience shows that it plays an important and significant role in society as it holds the power to influence and shape the way people think and behave. The movie also shows how agenda setting, hypodermic needle theory and stereotyping take place in the media.

Through agenda setting, newspapers have the power to choose what stories they want to publish in the media, regardless of whether the story was true or not as long as it helps to provide the situation that the newspaper wants the audience to think about. The media does this through

The powerful effects theory is normally displayed when the media messages received by the audience threatens their safety as they will be more inclined to trust and act on the message to protect their own lives such as the cases of the man who cancelled his trip in the movie and the radio broadcast in 1938. The radio broadcast example also shows that personal experience can also play a part in whether the hypodermic needle model works as the Hindenburg explosion in the year prior to the broadcast caused people to be more inclined to believe the broadcast. Although it may not affect everyone, the media can still affect some people