The Power of the Media: the Role of the Media in Determining Cultures and Value Systems

NAME: Daniel Onochie

R NO: r0722748

COURSE: Academic Writing

ASSIGNMENT: Preparing your outline (Skeleton)

TITLE:

 THE POWER OF THE MEDIA: The Role of The Media in Determining Cultures and Value Systems

1. Introduction
2. Body

1. Definition of Terms

1. Definition of Media
2. Definition of Culture
3. Definition of Value

1. What is Media?

1. The beginning of Media
2. The evolution of Media
3. Different types of Media
4. The difference between social media and the mainstream media

1. Is media a “prostitute”?

1. Media as prostitute
2. Operation mocking bird
3. CIA’s involvement in Hollywood
4. The use of propaganda amongst news media outlets

1. How can/how has media affected values, morals and cultures?

1. The effect of media on relationships
2. The use of media by “The Government”
3.  “Right and Wrong” redefined

1. Who controls the media?

1. CONCLUSION
2. Bibliography

1. INTRODUCTION

I remember several years ago, I think I was 9 or so in the car with my parents and a particular song came, my parents lamented of how everything is different, the lyrics of songs, type of music videos and so on, they talked of how everything is completely different from when they were young. They talked about how the songs that were considered circular then could be comfortably sang in a church now, and how music videos never used to be about naked people. Everything they said got me thinking and asking some serious questions years later, could the changes in media now be responsible for the change in values of our generation? Could media be all bad? Is there any good in media? Should children be exposed to what they are currently exposed to? How has media affected our cultures and values? Who is responsible for this changes in media? Is it possible that this change is all intentional to achieve a certain selfish desired end? What would happen if media continued on this trend? The final question was “is media all bad” well I guess we would be finding out shortly.

1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Media as defined by Oxford dictionaries as “The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively.” The word media was gotten the plural Latin word for medium. Media can also simply be defined as the different mediums or means of communication information most times to the mass or a large group of people. There are different definitions of media but the common thing among the different definitions of media is it is a way of conveying something. Oxford dictionaries gives a clear picture of what the word “Culture” means “The attitudes and behavior characteristic of a particular social group”. Culture simply put is the way of life of a group of people or their way of doing things. Different continents have different cultures and even within the continents they have some cultural distinctions.  Once again Oxford dictionaries give me the perfect definition, they define value as “Principles or standards of behavior; one's judgement of what is important in life.” Most times culture determines to a great extent peoples’ values, and the media as a whole has a done a very good job in determining and influencing this greatly.

1. WHAT IS MEDIA?

The beginning and evolution of media

Media started several millennials ago when dramas where performed in different ancient cultures, when town cries where used to call people for meeting, information was written on scrolls and read in temples. But media has consistently evolved since and I believe is still evolving. Media took another phase with the invention of print media. But was restricted to print media until after the second world war, when radios where invented. Televisions came into the industry in 1950 and radio and print media had to compete with televisions because televisions were now offering sight and sound which none of the other forms of media offered simultaneously, unless of course dramas that were acted in open spaces.  As time passed there came new forms of media offering better features. There was once a time where you couldn’t get news, entertainment, education without one on one contact with someone offering you any of those, and only a certain group of people enjoyed those privileges. But now all those can be gotten simultaneously without having to meet with anybody physically only if using peoples content counts has meeting them physically, which definitely doesn’t.

Classification of Media

Media can be classified according through different factors, it can be classified into media based on content i.e.: Audio, print, video (regardless of the way it is distributed). It can also be categorized based on its distribution mechanism i.e.: Internet, radio etc. But media generally is not classified by all this. It’s mainly classified by its audience, reach and accessibility of that “Media”. Most common classification of media: Mainstream media and Social Media. Mainstream media according to oxford dictionaries is the “Traditional forms of mass communication, such as newspapers, television, and radio (as opposed to the Internet) regarded collectively.” Social media needs no introduction or definition as the name implies it is media that is social. Media without rules, everyone is a reporter reporting their views their beliefs, truths are revealed, privacy has become overrated. The mainstream media has lost most of its trust in recent times, it used to be the most trusted, probably because it was the only form of mass communication then. Mainstream media is gradually fizzling out due to many factors such as: not being able to react to information sent out, not being able to determine information you get, speed at which information is passed out etc. Social media on the other hands offers all these things and more. It would be wrong for me to say that the evolving of media has not benefitted, but it would also be wrong to say it hasn’t caused much harm to us as well.

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