Mass Media, Culture, and Society - Essay Example

? Mass Media, Culture and Society Number] Mass media has traditionally been associated with the responsibility of imparting useful information to the wider masses. This role however has changed over the years. With the passage of time, popular culture has impacted the media. News channels are now focused on giving information, which will earn the channels and the programs higher TRP ratings as opposed to following the rules and regulations. Videos of terrorist attacks and bombings which have been aired on the national news channels are not only disturbing, but it is also against the rules of broadcasting. Similarly newspapers and tabloids print pages contain information about celebrities and their lives, where more pressing issues are often ignored (Berger, 10). A couple of decades back, even movies and TV shows had some morals in them which the producers and writers wanted to put across to the world. They were a source of entertainment but in addition to that they were also a source of beneficial lesson or information. This has changed today. Today the media is market driven. They show the masses what they want to see. The entertainment industry is taking over, to an extent that even news broadcasting has become a source of entertainment (Stevenson). Political talk shows, which have been providing a platform for politicians to discuss topics of interest on a neutral ground, have now become programs which just show how these politicians argue and insult each other. News broadcasting has turned very similar to live drama broadcasting. The way things are unfolded in news is similar to how they are dealt with in dramas. News content should be presented in such a manner that the vital information is put across without evoking any emotions. However, the scenario is different. News presenters now deliberately try to evoke the sentiments, majorly of fear, anxiety and depression by broadcasting live of any unfortunate incident and showing dead bodies and victims (Brown, 68). Critics have repeatedly expressed their grief over the condition of media. The fact that art and folk culture has been replaced by industrialised programs which are produced for the masses, is disliked by many. Critics are of the opinion that Hollywood film making style has also been altered. Instead of producing films which are creative and convey a certain message across to the audience, the films produced follow a certain formula that emphasizes on materialistic and superficial things. With shallow and unconvincing characters, these films are based on the basic concept of aggression and greed. The plots are simple to the point that it looks as if templates are used for film making (Berger, 111). One recent example of a news channel broadcasting visuals for higher ratings was from the incident that took place in Karachi on November 28, 2012. A man fell from an 8-storey high building and the Pakistani news channels were constantly telecasting a live video footage of the entire incident. This news piece is one of the many examples which are telecasted on the local news channels. In order to get higher ratings and stay ahead of the numerous competitors, news channels pride themselves to be the first ones to convey the latest new to the masses. However, in the process of being on the top and being the first ones at every incident, news channels have forgotten the basic ethics that should follow (Khan). Another example of the amalgamation of mass media and culture are the numerous talk shows, which are aired almost every night on the Pakistani news channels. These shows include Mere Mutabiq (According to Me), To the Point, Target Point and Islamabad tonight to name a few. All of these shows follow the same pattern – members of opposing parties sitting together and discussing recent issues. However, what actually takes place is not discussion, but a blame game. Each party member blames the other political party for misconduct and corruption and thus, results in an argument. Journalism ethics disapprove of these things. The code of conduct of journalism states that whatever information is broadcasted on air, it should be acquired from authentic sources. To telecast any discussion on controversial topic, special permission should be taken from the Director of the channel. The journalist/host has been designated the responsibility of being a neutral person who should not voice their personal opinions on television. Any debates which are to be held should be produced, while maintaining the calm environment. Sensitive topics like religious slang, ethnic and cultural slurs should be avoided on television. If any program is made on an edgy situation or on controversial topic, peculiar care should be taken of the fact that the opinions voiced are balanced and based on facts (Brown, 103). This however is not followed on the media. Nearly every day, numerous Pakistani families witness their leaders fighting on television. They are witness to terrorist activities taking place across the country; some channels even provide live coverage of after affects of such activities. The live news clip of a man falling down which has been broadcasted repeatedly is an example of the lengths to which the media will go to stay on top. The clipping was broadcasted on a local channel called “Samaa TV”. Not for a second did the broadcasters stop to think about the impact this one clip will have on the family of the deceased. The fact that numerous people actually saw the man fall down in person has been disturbing enough, the media reinforced that point by repeatedly broadcasting a live coverage on national television (Khan). Another example of how mass media and culture have influenced each other is reflected in the coverage of celebrity events and news in the Indian subcontinents. The Indian film industry – Bollywood, is one of the biggest film industry of the world. The country has been known for its rich cultural diversity and for its film industry. Numerous news channels in the subcontinent broadcast the news related to Bollywood events on the local news channels. In spite of its economic advancements, there are numerous unresolved issues in India. These matters are the ones which should be highlighted so that not only does it create awareness, but also lead to the resolving of these issues. The country is marked by old orthodox traditions, as a result increased population and poverty. Even then millions of dollars are spent on the promotions of movies and award events. Indian movies are made on budgets much larger than the ones for Hollywood movies. Most Indian movies cater to the commercial cinema and portray a very contemporary and western look of India. These movies do provide the required entertainment to the public, but they do not convey any specific message across to them. Most of the movies show scantily dressed women and men in designer clothes dancing around the city and dealing with “rich-people” problems (Dasgupta, Sinha & Chakravarti, 75). There is nothing wrong with making movies whose sole objective is to entertain the public. At the end of the day, profit making is one of the main objects of the movie producers. But to portray such a lavish picture of the everyday life style is bound to create problems in the country. In a country such as India where there are extremely rich people and extremely poor ones, the people in charge should be careful as to what is broadcasted on national television. By broadcasting dramas and movies which show the extremely lavish lifestyle of the rich, the producers are just making the poor ones realise how poor they are. Kids and teenagers are the ones who get most influenced by such movies. With the advent of mass media and access to the internet, everybody is aware of the products being launched in the market. Telemarketing is on its verge of expansion as children, teenagers and adults watch their favourite actor/actress use certain products and they in turn want to use the designer product too. Although, not all of them can afford such luxuries. By showing lavish lifestyles on television and movies, producers are further widening the division among rich and the poor. The fact that most of the people cannot afford such luxuries leads frustration and stress and eventually crime. Another issue which needs to be highlighted is the usage of cigarettes and alcohol in movies. Most of the popular people shown in movies are often seen with a cigarette in their hand or a glass of alcohol. Many at times usage of drugs is also shown in movies and is associated with the rich and the cool ones. By just giving a statutory warning at the beginning of the movie that smoking is injurious to health doesn’t mean that people from the audience are not going to try it. The youth today is very vulnerable to such things. They have a lot of time on their hands and are constantly looking for new things to try out. If a movie shows some hot college boys using drugs, it can be guaranteed that a large number of teenage population would surely try it. Thus, the critical ethical implications of such acts on television and movies are high (Dasgupta, Sinha & Chakravarti, 182). By the argument given above it does not mean that people should stop making television series or movies. These are a source of entertainment for numerous people around the globe. Irrespective of which religion, culture or ethnicity they come from, movies are an essential part of people’s lives. It is their escape from the stress and the problems of life. Till a few decades back, movies were as common as they are today, but the movies of that time had a message to give across to the audience. They were realistic and closer to life. The movies did not portray unattainable lifestyles and were not influenced by the culture as much as they are now. Before broadcasting anything on the mass media, the producers should realise that the broadcasted programs will be viewed by the people irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or social background. In order to fulfil their duty as journalists, these people should refrain from broadcasting events which might hurt the feelings of a certain population or affect them in any negative way. Work Cited Berger, A.A. Manufacturing Desire: Media, Popular Culture and Everyday Life. Transaction Publishers. 1996. Brown, F. Journalism Ethics: A Casebook of Professional Conduct for News Media. Marion Street Press. 2011. Stevenson, N. Understanding Media Cultures: Social Theory and Mass Communication. SAGE. 2002. Khan, F. One Dead as Karachi State Life Building catches Fire. The Express Tribune. 2012. Retrieved from http://tribune.com.pk/story/472119/karachi-state-life-building-catches-fire/ Dasgupta, S, Sinha, D. & Chakravarti, S. Media, Gender and Popular Culture in India: Tracking Change and Continuity. Sage Publications, 2011. Read More