Reflection: Debate

[Thecowgoooesmooo]

Does society reflect on the media or does the media reflect on the society?

In my History of Motion and Mass Communications class, we had this debate today. I just wanted to see what other people thought about this. Its open to your own interpretation.


chris


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Insightful and informative, you can always count on P.

Quoted:

"u picked the wrong person to start shit with mang."

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Scary.

[NEON MERCURY]

i think it evolved from at first society reflects media..(like in caveman days whenever cavemen phuck sh*t up they would use a stone annd carve into their caves stories and nnews reports)....but now media affects society....because thery are more caveman.....or cavewomens

[Jeremy Blackman]

The lowest common denominator is reflected in the media, and the media reflects the lowest common denominator onto everyone else.

[molly]

The lowest common denominator is reflected in the media, and the media reflects the lowest common denominator onto everyone else.

I'd say both, but then again media are made by people, and can't live without people. We shape media because if we don't like them we don't buy them, and if we don't buy them they stop existing. It's simple.

[Raikus]

Until recently I would say society influences the media. However, since 9/11 I do think the media now influences society. With the proliferation of "all news" stations (CNN, CNN Headline, MSNBC, Fox, etc.) it has gotten to the point that media seems to weigh on everyone. As Jeremy said, media reflects the lowest common denominator and it really feels like the media is now dragging down society for nothing more than a better story.

[Jeremy Blackman]

We shape media because if we don't like them we don't buy them, and if we don't buy them they stop existing. It's simple.

I wish it were that simple. The problem happens when "better choices" are drowned out in favor of things that will make the most money over the broadest demographic. How will they be penalized for making bad movies when bad movies make so much money? When you vote as a consumer, you're voting among the lesser of many evils.

[molly]

The problem is that media offers "the easy way" or " the quick way" for success. Just to spend money. I don't know did you notice, but all that "Sex and the City" craze, that was all pure propaganda. single women in 30ies - bullshit. All this New Age thing made people spend less money on expensive clothes, and they had to do something to bring back all that 80ies glamourous style.

[godardian]

We shape media because if we don't like them we don't buy them, and if we don't buy them they stop existing. It's simple.

I wish it were that simple. The problem happens when "better choices" are drowned out in favor of things that will make the most money over the broadest demographic. How will they be penalized for making bad movies when bad movies make so much money? When you vote as a consumer, you're voting among the lesser of many evils.

Yeah, I agree with JB. (Most of) the media distracts. It doesn't have any other agenda than to make money and keep people complacent... so the media can make more money. Very little "news" given to us is a) wholly true, or b) of any possible use to us. I judge every bit of "news" that I come across by, "Is this sensationalism? Is it distorted? Is there any real point?" I hate the false concern in the voices of local newscasters. Leave random murder victims and kittens in trees alone, you vultures! You're not helping!

Yeah, I'm disillusioned with the media.

[Thecowgoooesmooo]

Does society reflect on the media or does the media reflect on the society?

What if you think about it like this, what if this entire question was invalid?

I think of it like this, I don't think it even makes sense that the media reflects on the society because what it boils down to is, society is the essential key for the media, it drives the media, and it in turn reflects the media.

For example,

Out in Alabama, a news crew travels to a location where a baby has just been ripped up by a raging pit bull. The baby's parts are scattered across the ground, and the family is outside mourning over the loss of their son. Well, a news reporter walks up to the uncle of the young boy and asks him about the event that unfolded earlier. The uncle is a poor hispanic living in poverty along with the family. Anyways the reporter is doing the interview, he completes the interview and shooting, and the news crew returns to the studio.

Back at the studio, the editor, producer, and the anchor sit around a editing machine, deciding what to put in tonights nightly news story. They all agree on putting a select dialogue piece where the Uncle (who does not speak english well), uses the wrong word in a sentence. Because he used this wrong word, the sentence dosen't make sense. But, it is clear to the 3 men what the intended message was.. Now behind these 3 guys, a intern is noticing what these guys are doing. He speaks up, and believes that what they are doing is wrong. The intern, explains that they are just fueling a stereotype of an uneducated mexican or poor person giving a story, like all of the others you frequently see on the nightly news. They all look at him and laugh, with responses, "It makes great television".

Now this example, is showing a moral dilemma. And in this example, you could debate that the media reflects the society or if society reflects the media. Now I think it is no question, that the society reflects the media. The reason the society reflects the media is because obviously society has influenced these 3 men to present the media in this certain light. From morals growing up, to school, to what their parents taught them, millions of factors from society have influenced the 3 men who are about to send out a message using mass communication.

I think when you argue that media reflects on society, you are looking at it on a smaller scale, when you actuality you have to look at what society has reflected on the media and the people who are producing the media that influence billions of people across the world.



chris



-----------------------------------
Insightful and informative, you can always count on P.

Quoted:

"u picked the wrong person to start shit with mang."

---------------------------------
Scary.

[godardian]

obviously society has influenced these 3 men to present the media in this certain light. From morals growing up, to school, to what their parents taught them, millions of factors from society have influenced the 3 men who are about to send out a message using mass communication.

Morals growing up... school... what their parents taught them... and, of course, any media they were exposed to. It's a catch-22, really. I think it's wisest to be extremely skeptical of the media, and try to separate the chaff from the wheat whenever possible.

Are they teaching any McLuhan in the class you're taking?

[Thecowgoooesmooo]

Are they teaching any McLuhan in the class you're taking?

Nope, haven't covered that yet.



chris

[ono]

Are they teaching any McLuhan in the class you're taking?

Irony of ironies, we just got done covering McLuhan in a class I'm taking.  Why'd you bring it up?

[cowboykurtis]

tv is reposible for the disintegration of our culture -- a wise man once said " no one has ever lost money underestimating the taste of the american public."