Impact of Media on Diversity in the 21st Century

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INTRODUCTION A decade into the 21st century and the United States is still plagued with the prejudice, oppression, and discrimination that have dominated since its founding. Despite the advances in technology and education, there remains an archaic practice of communication and interpersonal relationships. In fact, the prejudice, oppression, and discrimination practiced today is far worse than that of years past because of the advances in technology and education. People have learned to camouflage their notions with plausible excuses, infusing these ideals into news, film, music, and publications. These negative ideas fester like a wound serving as a catalyst for the injustices perpetuated against the diverse members of United States culture. TELEVISION Never before has society been so “connected” and over loaded with information. At any hour of the day, there is access to what is happening across the United States or on the other side of the world. There are six major media (General Electric, Walt Disney, News Corp., TimeWarner, VIACOM, and CBS) conglomerates in the United States that own 90+ percent of the television and radio broadcast and programming; entertainment movie studios; publishing companies, integrated telecommunications; and online holdings, thus controlling most of the information we receive. (Free Press Action Fund) According to Nielsen, the average American spends 20 percent of their day watching television and nearly a third of their time online. (The Nielsen Company) (The Nielsen Company, 2010) Whether voluntary or involuntary, many of the messages are an extension of hatred and the desire for uniformity. Television is by far one of the most influential forms of media due to its availability and the combi... ... middle of paper ... ...nership/chart/main Krajicek, D. (n.d.). America's Missing: 2,300 a Day. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from trutv.com: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/americas_missing/2.html Osunsami, S. (2012, January 18). Getting More People to Care About Missing Black Women. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from abcnews.go.com: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/01/getting-more-to-care-about-missing-black-women/ The Nielsen Company. (n.d.). Television Measurement. Retrieved February 5, 2012, from nielsen.com: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/measurement/television-measurement.html The Nielsen Company. (2010, August 2). What Americans Do Online: Social Media and Games Dominate Activity. Retrieved January 20, 2012, from blog.nielsen.com: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/what-americans-do-online-social-media-and-games-dominate-activity/

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