The Media Industry
Throughout history, the primary mediums of media have been television, radio, newspaper and the continually developing online platforms like Gmail, Facebook and Twitter. Given the rapid spread on the information in the current world, media institutions are present in every country; as a result, they link top to form an international media community where information can efficiently move from one person to another irrespective of their geographical location. That aside, media is also used as a source of entertainment could be through watching, movies, listening and reading or listening to textual content, or podcasts respectively. Through a descriptive analysis, this paper expounds on the media industry by pointing out some of the core functions and the wide range of impacts. On the one hand, the media industry is vital for personal intellectual development; but more importantly, it plays a crucial role in empowering the society at large; on the other hand, it could have adverse impacts; therefore it deserves efficient implementation.
During the last two decades, the media’s role in terms of democratic representation has grown extensively. On the one hand, media is used to point out various policies and laws that are implemented by the prevalent concerning people’s well-being and democratic rights. For instance, in recent times, there has been an increasing number of mass shootings, which, on the one hand, has led to a lot of debate concerning the laws surrounding firearm possession. On the other hand, newspaper, televisions, and even online-based information providers have directed their concerns towards the police department, as a directive to carry out satisfactory investigations. Besides, successful investigations by the justice system are the democratic right of every citizen irrespective of their background. That aside, the media plays a vital role in revealing actions that go against the need of the public; for instance, corruption or embezzlement of funds within the government system. Besides, people use information from the media to understand their governance system.
Perhaps one of the most important roles of media today is entertainment through various channels. In newspapers, apart from the informational content which usually covers most part, there are entertainment sections with games like puzzles and drawing. In radios, entertainment can be carried out by listening to music, religious discussions and interactive podcasts. Concerning televisions, it is one of the most diversified methods of entertainment ranging from movies, music and children content. Lastly, the online platform; ever since it was established the internet has been growing rapidly and consistently. And this is because it is the most convenient form of media. The internet contains almost everything in terms of entertainment content. Through popular platforms like YouTube, people can easily access any song for entertainment. Also, as long as viewers follow the subscription requirements, service providers like Netflix have a wide of movies programs that are accessible all over the globe.
The media empowers; it provides a wide range of information concerning factors like products, social disparity and even educational programs. In various occasions, the media has empowered cultural movements. In Canada, the fight for self-government, equal distribution of resources and abolishing of the Indian Act has always been portrayed on the media. In the United States, media have been used to mobilize people on the brutality and racial discrimination by the police department. In the long run, the fact that the media portrays various challenges empowers a person to know their rights, which enables them to fight for better treatment. That aside, the media can teach people the aspects concerning lifestyle. To be more precise, there are countless programs on televisions, radio and even newspapers, which show people on preferable life choices. During colonial times, media houses were used by freedom fighters to communicate their demands and grievances concerning oppression and discrimination.
Ever since its establishment, the media industry has had multiple impacts on society. First of all, society today can easily interact and share information by using the media as a channel. For example, the internet had led to a community that is up to date in terms of trends, news, pandemics and political information. The COVID 19 epidemic is perhaps one of the most impactful illnesses in recent human history. And given the fact that it is too contagious, everyone all over the globe deserves to be informed. Consequently, the media industry has played an important role ever since the first case of COVID 19 outbreak in Wuhan, China. To be more precise, constant real-time updates on the statistics of the disease have been spread all over through the media house. What is more, information concerning precaution, symptoms and preventive measures are available all over the globe, all through the support of the media.
Today, the media has continuously been blamed for giving outfalls information in a bid to drive traffic and gain more numbers. For instance, during the 2016 elections in the United States, fake news concerning Russia’s influence in the presidential polls was rapidly spread all over Facebook; as a result, the company had clarified the misinformation. The spread of false information could lead to conflicts if the information is inaccurate, or there is a misunderstanding. Of course, in some scenarios, the media houses might not be responsible for creating fake content; however, some media institutions use false information to attract the public’s attention. Some years back an American journalist was beheaded in Pakistan. Consequently, CBS News released a similar recruitment video as a signal for caution and concern for American citizens and, most importantly, journalists (Brown, 2002). Even though the information was accurate, critics claimed they went too far by airing a video with the same content, given the case was a national concern.
CBS’s decision to broadcast the video was met with a wide range of critics. First of all, the government of the United States acknowledged the sensitization purpose of the video; however, the government warned CBS Company against releasing such content for national security reasons. What is more, some citizens were not happy with that move. According to the family members; the victim was a self-driven journalist. Who was delighted with his work and always believed in journalism as a tool of truth and sufficient understanding. As a result, they were not pleased by the action of the media house to utilize the video to perpetuate propaganda and sensationalize tragedy. The media has the responsibility of giving information to the people; however, they should consider the potential impacts that certain content would have before the official release. News content could have positive or negative impacts media channels should ensure their content fosters the consumers’ well-being.
Various factors impact the media industry. First of all, the type of leadership system. In most cases, governments that are usually based on democracy ensure that the media can freely give information to the public without any form of unbiased restrictions. What is more, democratic leadership systems regularly ensure that the information or content from media houses are proficient and cannot impact the public negatively; on the contrary, dictatorship form of government is usually biased to the media industry. And this is common when the media release information that portrays social and economic challenges, or even or sparse leadership systems.
Another factor that affects the media industry is the progress of social and economic factors. In that, most of the information that is usually released by the media depends on societal trends. Various media platforms will report on the global business conditions, foreign exchange rates and investment opportunities. And this means that the type and quantity of media content will vary depending on various aspects of human life. In other words, an increase in daily life occurrences means more work for the media industry. That aside, demographics also impact the media; and demography is relatable to age sex and gender. In other words, youths and teenagers are likely to use the internet more the adults, and this means media content has to vary, concerning the target consumers.
Given the rapid spread on the information in the current world, media institutions are present in every country; as a result, they link top to form an international media community where information can efficiently move from one person to another. Today, the media has continuously been blamed for giving outfalls information in a bid to drive traffic and gain more numbers. Despite that, the media industry plays a vital role in society. On the one hand, media is used to point out various policies and laws that are implemented by the prevalent concerning people’s well-being and democratic rights. Also, the media has continuously been blamed for giving outfalls information in a bid to drive traffic and gain more numbers. On the one hand, the media industry is vital for personal intellectual development; but more importantly, it plays a crucial role in empowering the society at large; on the other hand, it could have adverse impacts; therefore it deserves efficient implementation.
References
Brown, D. (2002). How much is too much? (Journalism Ethics). American Journalism Review, 24(6), 10-12.