Cultural, Social and Political Significance of Media - Research Paper Example

Module Cultural, Social and Political Significance of Media Media or mass media as sometimes referred to provides users with an almost immediate vehicle to transmit information over short and long distances at the minimal time possible (Besley and Burgess 629). They may represent a collection of platforms where users can produce and broadcast information online. The major significance of media can be said to be obvious for businesses, politics, social and cultural settings. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the major cultural, political and social significance of media around the globe. Mass media – this is written, spoken or broadcast communication with reach to a great range of audience (Zlatar 1). This includes radio, television (TV), advertisements, billboards, movies, magazines, mobile phones, newspapers, the Internet, and so forth. As earlier noted, media acts as a highway or rather a vehicle over which there is viral transmission of content, allowing a given user to initiate communications with multiple people across the globe, with an opportunity given to each that allows them to even further spread the information to different people and places around the world (Besley and Burgess 631). A clever and dedicated person possessing a quality message can turn the whole world into a personal marketing force with the use of the mass media. In addition, Zlatar reveals that media helps people be noticeable as it helps them engage with their audience as well as allow easy location or identification of the right audience to add on the cheap costs of advertizing it presents to its users (3). Political. The mass media can be an effective tool for enabling a country’s citizens monitor the activities of their governments and use this type of information to carry out their voting decisions. The deliverable of this is a government that is more accountable for its citizens as well as responsive to the needs of the citizens. In democratic governments, Besley and Burgess assert that free media aims at scrutinizing those in power and providing the public with unbiased and accurate information so that they can appropriately act on it (632). Thus, it acts as an effectual check on the power of the government as well as the influence it has over its citizens (Etling, Faris and Palfrey 37). The past few decades have been accompanied by an unprecedented increase in mass media plus reducing costs of TV, radio, and Internet services. Besley and Burgess believes that this trend has helped bring the political activities of the world to a much larger audience as well as help various political elements or rather organizations reach a wider range of people quickly and effectively (634). Etling, Faris and Palfrey believe that the major issue with media is the inability to take a neutral stand where some take one side of the political continuum providing them with the best biased coverage at its best and at its worst acting like a virtual propaganda machines for a given political organization and or entity (41). Media coverage occurs via a wide range of gadgets ranging from mobile phones to computers working online. Today’s politics is taking a different dimension as many are adopting media or rather the mass media to pass over their political intents as well as organize political meetings and or rallies. In addition, the prevailing generation of young people is heavily immersed into the social media, for instance, Facebook and Twitter. A number of politicians have gone further to use the short message service (SMS) to communicate their political ideas and or information to various target audiences (Etling, Faris and Palfrey 42). Social. Today, the internet has become a basic need to almost everyone and its use has continually increased with the increasing innovation of social networks (Gladwell 42). Communication in today’s societies is propelled by the constant development of new and quality social networking sites yet some find less enthusiasm in the type of interactions that these social networks – for instance Facebook and Twitter – promote in the society. Social media networks help or ease the connection between families, relatives and friends. Social networks such as Facebook are coherently becoming popular with many around the globe registering to become part of the global network. As a result, Gladwell affirms that websites have transformed into a common ground where people can meet, interact and coordinate with old friends, family members and relatives at relatively lower costs as well as possessing the ability to engineer actual time quickly (42). Most business organizations around the globe are taking advantage of social networks to get skilled employees. Furthermore, career applicants also take advantage of these networks to post their credentials and resumes. This trend is beneficial in that many who use these social networking web sites have a great chance or opportunity to get or land their career targets as well as employers can get suitable employees for different job postings. Social networks have developed into emergency news conveying centers where people can relay messages in snaps to millions of people on the websites regarding tragic occasions and or organic calamities. Similarly, some people in a given community or family may be seeking fund raising or rather donations for particular activities. These groups of people can use these social networks to relay the information unto different generous people and or organizations. As we all can agree, media is a powerful communication tool that helps promote the right things at the right time as well as providing the mass audience with information regarding what is right or wrong. The world is in a progressive state but one eye on the society tells us that something is missing. Every person wishes for money, lust, power, etc. but one thing we cannot deny is that we all are faced by oodles of social problems that are hard to solve. These issues include poverty, violence, crime, killing in the name of honor, bribery, corruption, discrimination, suppression of human rights, etc. Media has a vital role to play in the society. Current TV news channels and newspapers serve as a mouthpiece to a variety of social issues. Media has stood out as a major actor in ensuring there is total focus on social issues for quite some time. This trend is increasingly rising in most parts of the world and some may attribute to the many free and democratic nations and or states that have given the mass media freedom as opposed to early forms of government where the media was state controlled with little freedom of printing and airing news (Cottle 647). Culture. In modern American culture, mass media is a significant force. Sociologists have come to name this type of culture as a mediated culture; a culture where media creates and reflects the culture of the people (Zlatar 4). Individuals and communities around the globe are continually flooded with numerous messages from a host of media sources that include and are not limited to TV, radio, billboards, magazines and the internet. These messages usually promote products of various businesses. However, Mungiu-Pippidi and Munteanu are of the view that other messages also promote attitudes, moods, as well as a sense of what is and what is not important (137). The concept of celebrity can well be defined by media (Zlatar 6). For instance, one could not become famous if it were not for the ability of magazines, movies, and news travelling miles and reaching millions across the planet. This can be seen where in recent times, unlike in the past, not only politicians, notorious outlaws, and business leaders are famous but other people like actors, singers and presenters have also become famous or rather celebrities. Today, the level of media saturation has augmented compared to the 1970s where a TV, for instance, was available primarily to two-parent and a few middle class families as opposed to today where every home, rich or poor own a television or multiples of television sets (Cottle 651). Production and printing of magazines and newspapers has increased as well as continued programming to please the current generation in terms of age, income, attitude and background. Furthermore, there has been an increased usage of the internet in communications and development of social networking websites where people meet and talk. Legislatures, sociologists, officials from local schools as well as media executives have continually debated the role or rather the significance of media in culture. Despite the fact that there are varied opinions regarding the significance of mass media in the human culture or rather a culture of users, Cottle reveals that the whole continuum agree that media has become part and parcel of the contemporary culture (655). Generally, people have a choice of what they watch, read and listen to; but media plays a great deal in these decisions especially for the less informed personalities. Although many men and women may be of the view that the internet and these social networks are an act of the devil, there is still need to understand the result of something is based on the intentions and or perspectives of the person using it. One fact we should accept is that social networks have formed part of the globe and it will become indispensable as long as it utilized for the right reasons or functions. Mass media has contributed largely to some governments becoming responsible for their citizens as well as creating a mediated culture in different settings. Works Cited Besley, T. & Burgess, R. “Political Agency, Government Responsiveness and the Role of the Media”, European Economic Review, 2001. Print. 45(4-6), 629-40. Cottle, S. “Media and the Arab Uprisings of 2011: Research Notes.” Journalism 12.5, 2011. Print. Etling, B., Faris, R. & Palfrey, J. “Political Change in the Digital Age: The Fragility and Promise of Online Organizing” SAIS Review 30.2, 2010. Web. Dec. 17, 2012. Gladwell, M. "Small Change." The New Yorker, 2010. Web. Dec. 17, 2012. Mungiu-Pippidi, A. and Munteanu, I. "Moldovas "Twitter Revolution"." Journal of Democracy 20.3, 2009. Web. Dec 17, 2012. Zlatar A. The Role of the Media as an Instrument of Cultural Policy, An Inter-Level Facilitator and Image Promoter: Mapping Out Key Issues to be Addressed in South East Europe, Policies for Culture, 2003. Print. Read More