Whether we like it or not, the media is constantly surrounding us. It bombards us with new information or reminders about present situations on what is 'cool' in today's society. A popular current media outpouring is focused on 'going green', or saving the environment from further human damage. People are concerned that the environment and resources we have so greatly enjoyed might not be around for our grandchildren or even our children. Celebrities have even latched on to the campaign to bring awareness to the world to conserve natural resources and to help support the reduce, reuse, recycle method of living. Wherever you are or have been in the last year, you most likely have heard of this gigantic media message regarding a greener world.
The media literate person will inevitably gain more of an understanding of the culture that surrounds him/her. By being in an environment in which someone is actively interacting by asking questions and engaging in a deeper thought process, one will gain a multi-layered understanding of the culture around them. Taking the first step to use your mind to challenge the media will expose aspects of culture that may have been hidden. For example, how would someone know about the current military situation in a foreign country if they only were exposed to the media's side of the story? Often times, we only see one side of the story because we do not do our own research and investigation of information, we let the media do it for us because it is easier to turn on the news, or read the paper.
Not all media content will take an active role in clarifying the way we understand our culture. We might not always understand why the media will latch onto something and not let it out of their sight for months or even sometimes years. On the other hand, what some people might not comprehend is that everything the media does, they are doing it because they think that is what we want to see. They think we want to see Brittney Spears on the cover of every celebrity magazine and on every news channel being strapped to a bed and rolled into a hospital.
For some reason, that’s what they think we want to see. For the most part, we do want to see groundbreaking stories and hear of shocking instances affecting the world however, the bottom line is that the media controls what we do and do not see. This then affects what we interpret and evaluate when we are searching for and understanding our culture.
Understanding media may not always give you a clear picture of one's personal culture. Culture is the story that has been around and the new one that we are creating in our lives therefore; the media may be a misrepresentation of one's own culture. Gaining a personal insight into oneself may require challenges and questions and I am not sure the media is the right place to look for the answers.
Work Cited
WGBH Educational Foundation (1999-2008). Frontline: Merchants of Cool.
Retrieved Jan 16, 2008 from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/
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2 comments:
I like how you stated that media controls what we do and do not see. I also think it is important to have an understanding on how things may be interpreted differently due to how information is presented. The video was a nice touch and attracted me to your post.
Nice post. A lot of media content seems stupid and pointless -- it's hard to see how Britney's weekly exploits matter to anyone. Yet they constantly make front page and prime time news. What do you think would be needed to changes this status quo?
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