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Effects of News Media

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Adrian Daley
Effects of News Media

The Social Responsibility of the Information Media and the Forms That It Takes

In the 21st century, the informational flows play the definitive role in the process of globalization. With a great influence, which the information media has on the news consumers, it should also have an appropriate level of responsibility for the quality and truthfulness of the news delivered. The media plays three major roles in society. It educates, informs, and serves a community as a forum for opinion exchange. It also influences the people’s perception of the world and affects their thoughts about different issues. The companies, organizations, and individuals that share the news have a great power over the target audience. Simultaneously, the news writers have to supply the public with reliable and truthful information. According to these roles, media has different forms of responsibility in custom writing service.

First, the informational media has to be answerable for the veracity of the information that it provides. Legal accountancy defends the public from the misleading and false data. Nowadays, owing to the rivalry, many companies accuse each other of low-quality production, trying to get competitive advantages. Moreover, the advertising on television claims that the promoted goods are safe and useful, although it can prove to be dangerous for the consumers. For example, in 2011 there were 11 reports of defect in Japan regarding the TV sets produced by Sony Corp. Shortly afterwards, the company announced that almost 1.6 million of its Bravia LCD HD televisions had a fault, which could cause overheating, smoking, and even melting of some parts. To solve the problem and prevent further occasions, Sony suggested that the consumers get free engineer inspections and repairs, including the consultancy of customer support team.

Second, mass media shoulders a cultural responsibility. The news episodes that prioritize beauty standards, consumption of the definite group of products, and wealthy lifestyle determine the key values in the society. Particularly, American culture has experienced the worldwide excitement of Merlin Monro, the expansion of fast food industry, and people’s deep fear of terrorism. As a result, the cultural liability of the media is to provide with the useful and high-quality tools that promote healthy lifestyle as well as help the individual to form humanistic values and encourage self-development.

Third, media responsibility also relates to the implementation of the private interests. The people usually believe the information they get and do not correspond it with the priorities of the holders of news companies. In America, mainly conglomerates or businessmen own the newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels. With the help of media, the executives and politicians implement their policies, which influence the beliefs and public approval or disapproval. That is why, the news reporters have to supply the viewers with the information independent from political and business biases.

The Role of Information and News Media in Shaping Political Opinions

The role of the news and information media in forming political views is hard to underestimate. Being remote from the authorities, the average citizens judge them by what they hear and read in the news. Actually, politicians communicate with the crowds of people through media, proclaiming their ideology and intentions. Considering this fact, people associate themselves with a particular party and support its dogmas. Without the news channels, it would be impossible to spread the information among the millions of population in a few seconds. However, in undeveloped countries, the level of news consumption is much lower than in the developed ones such as the USA and the UK. The point is that due to a high level of poverty, people actually cannot afford themselves to buy television sets, radios, or telephones. Furthermore, in the less developed countries, there is the education problem, when children do not have access to study facilities. Apart from poverty, the citizens of poor countries are often illiterate and cannot understand the news found in periodicals and Internet sources.

In the United States, media has become a decisive factor in the politic movements and events. The brightest example is the presidential campaign in the USA in 2016, where the impact of the media channels on public’s opinion is stronger than ever. Almost 44 percent of adults have learned about the elections from social media, including both online and print newspapers. What is more interesting is that nearly 24 percent of the surveyed people say that they have addressed the posts of candidates on social networks to get the information on political processes. In comparison with requesting the candidates’ websites or e-mails, it is 9 percent higher. It is evident that the number of people who use social media for political news has grown since the previous year. Therefore, this type of media strongly affects the public opinion about politics playing a major role in the final choice of a president.

The impact of social media on the formation of political views appeared to be the biggest in sixteen-year-old Americans, so-called Millenials. According to the Pew Research Center analysis, almost 61 percent of the examined teenagers said that to get the politic news they prefer using Facebook rather than TV channels. Nowadays it is hard to imagine a teenager without a Facebook or Twitter account that serve a user as the major source of information. Through shares and retweets, the Americans not only affect but also create a modern culture of news consumption.

Apart from a strong influence on the public opinion, with the help of media, the government also shapes the political agendas. Independently from the ruling class, the authorities express their views on different issues by means of press releases, conferences, and briefings. Consequently, news and information media serve the government as a tool for supporting democracy in society, so the news consumers can get the facts directly from the legislative bodies excluding mediators.

Ways the Electronic Media and Their Convergence Transformed Journalism and News Consumption

The innovations in communication technologies have hugely affected media development. The journalism split into a few branches and the profession of a journalist became more accessible for non-professionals. Additionally, the information itself became the subject of trade, removing the barriers between countries. The invention of television, mobile phones, and other electronic devices started the digital age in world’s development.

On the one hand, the process of getting information became time-saving. With the Internet access on computers and mobile phones, the news consumers do not need to go to the shop to buy newspapers or journals. Currently, the news is delivered 24 hours a day and a person can choose from which source he or she wants to get the information. On the other hand, the technological advancements transformed the profession of a journalist. To become a successful reporter, a person should gather and deliver the data as soon as possible, working day and night shifts.

Electronic media and its transformation have drastically changed the field of journalism. With the expansion of social media, the public has become more involved in political processes, taking active part in producing the information. Due to the people’s interest in news production, such branches as “participatory,” “citizen,” and “street” journalism have evolved. The notable example of “citizen” journalism can be the one from the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States in 2011. The protesters demanded economic and social inequality as well as excessive corporate influence, and almost 46 percent of bloggers supported them, while 18 percent opposed and 36 percent stayed neutral. The help in a blogosphere had several forms. The bloggers gathered, analyzed, and spread information over the social networks, trying to attract the public attention worldwide. Moreover, they opposed the local authorities, requesting them to supply truthful information about the movement. The Internet users actively helped to spread the latest news about the event, aiming to involve more protesters and make it global.

In conclusion, the news and information flows have a significant impact on the development of the American culture. They affect consumer’s preferences, tastes, and even political identification. Apart from its power, media also has to take the legal, political, and cultural responsibility for the information which it provides. Through the news outlets, the politicians communicate with the millions of people aiming to gain more supporters, while the public’s interest in political events has also increased due to the media development. The journalism itself has also acquired new forms, because the news consumers want to play the active role in gathering, analyzing, and delivering information. The aforementioned facts confirm a dramatic change in the development of media and its strong influence on the American cultural life.



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Adrian Daley
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