Media and Society
“The biases the media has are much bigger than conservative or liberal. They're about getting ratings, about making money, about doing stories that are easy to cover.” Al Franken, from his book Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them, makes an excellent point about how the media is biased. Many times, people manipulate the media to benefit themselves or their group. For decades, there have been numerous sources for media. Newspapers were the first written media and, often enough, the stories were altered to sell or to make someone or something look good. Webster defines media as the medium of communication (as newspapers, radio, or television) that is designed to reach the mass of the people. As early as 59 B.C. news was being printed and posted in prominent places in ancient Rome. In the books 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, and The Stranger there are instances in which media is manipulated. From the telescreens in 1984 to the sensationalism of the media in The Stranger, media is altered, changed, or rewritten. Who, how, and why media is manipulated can be proven through examples from these novels. In addition, some of the consequences of this manipulation come into question. However, one thing re
It is now seen that media is manipulated. However, how does this manipulation affect society? To understand how the manipulation of media affects society, one must first comprehend how media itself affects society. The press has a very strong hold on the public and their belief system. “Our power, and it is a great one, is basically the power to put an issue on the public agenda.…Our decisions as to the reporting of that item can greatly shape its direction, amplifying or diminishing its importance” (Green). Green explains that though media does not necessarily tell the people what exactly to think, by directing the course of a certain idea, they can influence the way society looks at something. Consider the idea of sexuality. In BNW and 1984, sexuality has two opposite roles. The government influences this by leading the idea in one direction or another. In BNW, society sees the idea of sexuality as one of pleasure, lust, and polygamy. Conversely, in 1984, society sees it as a duty, solely for the purpose of procreation. In fact, pleasure is not allowed. It becomes apparent how an entity such as government directing an idea in two different directions can have two different outcomes. Rosenberg, in his article entitled “How Do You Retract a Story Online?” explains that the public will think what they want. He believes that all the media can do is present an idea. From there society will make their own decisions. He also states, however, that, depending on how the idea is painted, society may be more apt to react a certain way (Rosenberg 110-11). Obviously, the media has a tremendous amount of power in their hands. Therefore, the media’s depiction of a certain idea can sway people’s opinions. Now look to the manipulation of media. How might this affect the public? Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1949. mains imperative; mass media is manipulated to influence a society.
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Approximate Word count = 2537
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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