This paper is as much about my self as it is about media influence and it's effect on public opinion. As I journey through life I have become keenly aware of the consequences that occur when choices are made based on faulty data. .
Growing up I watched in disgust as the president of my country (President Nixon) was caught lying and covering up illegal activities of the Republican Party. President Ronald Regean scarred the hell out of me with his hawkish rhetoric. I was pretty liberal going to "no nukes concerts", supporting NORML, abortion rights, environmental issues, and other similar causes. At that time I thought the left were more concerned about individual freedoms. When President Clinton was elected my thinking was this change in leadership is probably a good thing even though I did not vote for him (I voted libertarian). I thought Rush Limbaugh was clueless and had no love of anything, especially animals. My perceptions were based on opinions I gleaned from people in the media. I particularly remember a radio show with Dr Dean Edell praising the new Clinton administration and the liberalizing of abortion laws and how this would be a boon for fetal cell research, at the time I thought it was a positive move.
The Vietnam War horrified and fascinated me. I was transfixed because I could see a possibility of me having to make a decision between going or leaving the country, and also horrified by the shear brutality and senselessness of war. Over the years I studied the Vietnam War and became friends with some Vietnam Veterans (one of my best friends was in Khe San during the Tet offensive). As I am assimilating all this it became obvious that the NVA had no chance to win the war through military warfare. The NVA knew this so they also orchestrated an effective political offensive through the media knowing we (the U.S.) would give up and walk away just as the French did. This campaign was so effective that a resounding defeat (the repression of the Tet offensive) was portrayed as a major victory in the US press for the NVA where even Walter Cronkite said the Vietnam War was unwinable.
The many changes in modern media are affecting our American society. Media, entertainment, and advertising influence the way that people think and feel. ... Today's society lives in a media rich environment. ... The media's growing influence is shaping the values and attitudes of young children. ... They all influence the way that we live our daily lives. ...
The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of impact. Some theorists suggest that it is even a case of society influencing the media and not the more widespread and presumed version. Media is a major piece within society that is often linked to the notion of social influence. ... Construction of the news is one way in which the mass media can have an influence over the masses. Through the placement of certain aspects of, for example, a news feature or the selective process made by editors it preserves the notion of media influence continually. ...
It also explores the psychological perspective of human behaviour, such as how personality traits, memory and planning can influence one's behaviour, as well as environmental influence, by studying how the physical and social environment shapes behaviour. Through the use of the 'levels of analysis' framework, this literature report will analyse the effects of media violence on aggression, to help us to understand the specific factors that may influence aggressive behaviour. Overview of Findings on the Effects of Media Violence on Aggression Violence in the media has a signifi...
Media's Importance to Society, In Spite of Adverse Effects It has been said that the media is a bad influence on society. This is true in some cases, but we have to also add this to the statement; society also influences the media by what it chooses to promote or watch. ... Society, at least the past few generations have always had an influence from media in some form or another. ... She states that media can be a positive influence when presented in the proper way (Dickinson 114). ... Therefore, if we do foresee problems with the way media and society influence each other, we need ...
This thesis of this essay revolves around the political and social influence of mass media on its audience, as I examine the extent of their control over the populous as an agent of socialization as well as the collaborative efforts between state and media pertaining to political issues and the narratives used to disseminate the information to the public. ... The influence of mass media as an agent of socialization was discussed by Kendall, Linden and Murray in their book Sociology in Our Times, as they pointed out that the subliminal brainwashing of the masses perpetrated by the media could b...
Mass media, above all other factors, is the supporting influence for women to engage in disordered eating, and to maintain their devastating addiction with unhealthy ideas of body image. ... Andrist writes that "the media influences young women about what their bodies should look like, suggesting through every print and television advertisement that the ideal body is extremely thin" (119). ... Advertisement and mass media are particularly powerful influences on modern day society. ... Some individuals argue that the influence of mass media is not the strongest force because, although...
The mass media as an institution has become an essential element in the society, for the mass media helped shape the culture of American society, especially those concerning the values, traditions, and norms of the society. ... Because of its influential ability to provide people with information and knowledge that are current and up-to-date, the mass media as a communication institution gradually transformed to be an economic, cultural and politically-influenced institution as well. ... The media does influence, but using more diverse and subtle roles of impact. Mass media communication is ...
People feel that they are wise and independent individuals who do not need the influence of media to get through their daily lives. ... The media has been purposely used for decades to influence people. ... Every time, these people buy a can of Pepsi, instead of the no name cola, they are being subconsciously influenced by the media. ... But if they claim that they have not been influenced by the media, then why wouldn't they choose the no-name cola? ... Hirsch, who both claim that the media has no influence on American Values. ...