How Does Media Shape Society?

12:00 Class

Any news topic that comes about doesn’t necessarily have to be true. Why? Because the media can sometimes exaggerate or not give all the facts about a piece of news. Most of the public believe everything that the media says because they are the reporters and supposedly they go research and find the real facts about an issue. Society accepts all the things the media tells them because there is no evidence that what they say isn’t true so whatever is in the news becomes a reality to us. We live by that reality which could be made up or real yet we take a chance and believe it. Reporters and journalists choose what will be shown to the public and sometimes hide really important information. People live believing something is the truth when it isn’t and when they do finally get the truth they don’t want to accept it. An example of this would be about what happens in some political issues around the world. The things we hear could be false because the media is trying to make people believe something that they believed. Journalists change their facts to get their point across to the public. Everyone has their own opinion and the media tries to manipulate it. Media is used to spread myths and other ideas that society lives by. Myths such as the world will end in the year 2012 or ideas like global warming is get worse and that it is a real problem that needs a solution. Maybe global warming is made up and if it is real maybe it is over exaggerated to get people to consume less electricity and to pollute less. Different television networks from different countries would broadcast news in their own way. If it was a political issue, each country might change some facts to make the other country look like the bad guy. Media is sometimes used to cover up for events that weren’t supposed to happen. Mistakes made by the government can be lied about to forever hide the truth so society doesn’t get angry at them and then rebel or oppose them. This probably happened already and we might never find out. People who hold positions in the government such as the mayors, governors or senators or even candidates can either be made to look as if he or she was a bad person or a good person depending on what journalists want you to think. If they like a particular candidate they might show more support for them and since they control what the public hears, this can change one’s opinion. Therefore it is necessary to be careful when dealing with what the media presents to us whether it is in the internet, radio or television and to be open minded in some issues. Even though media has its cons it still can be helpful because it can be used for other good things such as spreading awareness for health concerns such as the fact that cigarettes, alcohol and drugs have short and long term effects on the human body.