Media As Ideology, Culture, and colonialism Ch 2 - Essay Example

Insert Introduction Media as an Ideology, Culture and Colonialism sees and defines the media as channels through which culture and ideology are transmitted in a way that they shape the consciousness specifically, in order to determine the behavior and attitude of the target population. This definition serves as a departure from traditional definitions that deemed the media as a collection or an industry of organized technology such as newspapers, billboards, telephones, radios and television sets.

The description above is not only comprehensive, but also fits well with Marxist ideology of Class Consciousness and Antagonism. This is especially the case, when one considers the works of later Marxists such as Rosa Luxemburg who saw the media as a conduit through which the state attempts to mold the mind of the masses, in order to make the masses docile. This is especially applicable to state-owned media where ideas such as patriotism, diligence and religious ideals are always served to the public.

This is always an artifice to stave off the revolutionary spirit from prevailing among the masses (Wasserman and de Beer, 385). At the same time, the definition and analysis of the media above warrants the rethinking of the true purpose or function of the media. While there are those who point out that the role of the media is to educate, entertain and inform, there are other thinkers in the 21st century who postulate that the role of the media is to inform, educate and to initiate and facilitate meaningful debate.

While the former standpoint takes on a wider and less formal function, the latter takes on a more formal and stricter commitment to positive social change. As a side note, the passing of the media as channels through which culture and ideology are transmitted to shape consciousness specifically, in order to determine the behavior and attitude of the target population is also wide enough to include the presently online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and specific enough to limit the role of the media to the moderation of the target population’s behavior.

The import of this is that not only is the public seen as part of the media, but personal responsibility is also invoked. This is because, since anyone can become part of Facebook, Twitter and/or MySpace (which are all part of the media), individual’s discretion goes a long way to determine how these avenues may be used to impact the target population positively or negatively. This also means that the media is seen as amoral. Works CitedWasserman, Herman & de Beer, S. Arnold. “Afro-optimism/Afro-pessimism and the South African media.

” Critical Arts: A South-North Journal of Cultural & Media Studies, 23.3 (2009): 377-395. Print