How Media Has Influenced on People and Politics in Russia - Essay Example

Introduction "Media plays crucial role in the development of civil society" (V.Putin). It performs many functions: to inform, educate, broadcast, entertain. It is clear that they play an important role in the formation, function, and evolution of social consciousness as a whole. Moreover, the perception and interpretation of the most important phenomena and events occurring in the country and in the world are made through the media. These circumstances are of particular relevance and importance against the background of an increasingly growing penetration of media into the political sphere, its transformation into one of the most important tools for the implementation of political process. It is significant that modern political science media is characterized by a lush title "fourth estate" along with the legislative, executive and judicial, and so on. The belief in the omnipotence of television is so great that some politicians say, that who controls TV and media, controls the entire country. Indeed, modern politics is impossible to imagine without the press, radio and television. Without a doubt, in the grandiose changes that are currently going through Russia, an important role is played by the media. That is the huge role that the media plays in social and political life of the country, making it the subject of ongoing discussion and research by scientists, experts and journalists. The given paper will prove that in the conditions of crisis due to the state of social anxiety people are particularly susceptible to suggestion and propaganda and easily respond to various new incentives and ideas. The role of media Let us consider how media can influence the society. In my opinion, Rozin.V.M. described media functions and how they influence the society well. The analysis shows that in the modern world media have three main functions: to inform, to express the position of certain social actors, carry out a particular ideological influence on the mind. While it has long shown that it is not often function of the press and media confined to first, some argue that the main thing is to present the facts, objective information and nothing else. In connection with this, it is easy to make the following point: the media does not simply inform the person, but also create a certain reality in which it is immersed. As part of these, almost virtual reality consciously, but more often unconsciously programmed not only by experience, but also his thoughts, attitude. On the interpretation of events in the media influenced by a number of factors: First factor can be called "personalist". This is how the journalist realized event. Second factor could be called "public", because the interpretation and evaluation of empirical facts is also influenced by the expectations of the public. Publicity is quite a complex phenomenon, for example, it takes into consideration the expectations of the audience, and thus the formation of a typical image of the reader (viewer). The third factor "demonstrative": as a rule, a journalist identifies itself with a particular social entity on whose behalf he acts. The technology of the media is of great importance today is, it is the fourth factor. Technology makes a significant number of issues that were previously not considered, namely, whether the parameters are sustained presentation of the news (information), is it possible to resell this information, etc. The fifth factor is "communication." In our time, journalistic texts are created in the space of the media, where turning various other journalistic and non-journalistic texts. As viewers and readers have access to these other texts, their interpretation and evaluation. Independent media Very often the word "independent is used in connection with media ". It is alleged that one of the hallmarks of a democratic society are "independent" media. However, it is unclear what is meant by the word "independent" in relation to the media. Zassoursky I. in the article "Politics, Money and the media in modern Russia" on example of "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" (NG) traces the fate of the "independent" media. After a period of "independent" existence "NG" was split because of economic difficulties. Part of the editorial board of "NG" in the money of the "Bridge" began to publish the newspaper "Today" and then, in connection with the same economic setbacks, "NG" forced to enter into a collaboration with Mr. Berezovsky. (In 2005 the newspaper was purchased by Constantine Remchukov and in 2007 he became a chief editor of NG newspaper). But even if the media will be independent from any state or political parties or from financial groups, even in this fantastic event I would not call it an independent press. Journalists have their own opinion and it can be mistaken for those or other events. So he depends on its preferences, journalist may be dependent on the editor, who may has his own point of view, and finally it depends on the audience, on which it broadcasts. The Soviet regime and the media Under the totalitarian communist regime in the Soviet Union used the media as a means of the Communist Party to maintain existing state system. A very thorough censorship was carried out. All information was carefully selected. Any material, at least something likely to affect the state system, was expressly excluded. Distribution of foreign democratic media was regarded as anti-Soviet activities and entailed criminal violence. State influence on the media was not limited only to censorship and filtering information. In addition, the regime carried out through the media indoctrination total population. Moreover, the propaganda was carried out not only in the Soviet Union and its satellites, but also in the camp of ideological enemy. Such attention to the power of the media was fully justified. As part of the CPSU headed by Gorbachev decided to reform the regime, he was forced to fight a more conservative part of the party to use the support of the media, which was proclaimed publicity and eased censorship. As a result, the company received access to information about the real state of things the world, the country, the democratic movement was born. The situation can be described by the analogy with the boiler, which creates excessive pressure. The owner just wanted to lift the lid to release the excess pressure, and the lid fell and hurt him. Society, the media pushed Gorbachev on the path of further reforms. Ultimately, democratization has become irreversible. A significant role in the fall of the totalitarian regime had democratization of the media. However, the result of democratic reforms was not the way saw a democratic media. Silin in the article "Russian paradox” Silin A. explains this phenomenon: “At this time, fell as snow on his head open society and transparency immediately collapse into the temptation to turn the power with impunity in money and property” (Silin). The reason for this observable fact is apparently chronic. Democratic tradition is not introduced from the outside and the "top", and naturally matures "bottom" for many generations. Conclusion Media reflects the state of people and their reaction to the situation in the society. Propaganda has a strong influence and this was proved in history. It is proved that it is not the event that is important, but the attitude towards it. And this attitude is very often created with the help of mass media. With the help of, but not by. Many historical events happened under the influenced of mass media, but it is still just a tool in hand of politicians. Obviously, the role of the media in reforming society is not unlimited. The media can only show the possible ways of development, the model of society, but the development of society is mainly determined by the historical experience, the mentality of the people. Read More