What are some mass media effects and their impact on society?

Mass media effects several aspects of society, especially because it has been a prominent thing in our lives for so long. Firstly, media effects our lifestyle, specifically socialization which is learning to fit into society. The socialization process expands to include the influence of friends, neighbors, schools and at some point mass media. Children no longer need to read to be involved in mass media so they are involved at younger ages than before. They spend more time watching television than anything else by the time they reach 18. They take more from television than they do from their parents now. Television teaches them values and they mimic what they see. Another thing that media effects is attitude. Media can portray messages to large volumes of people. Exposure of certain subjects in the media portrayed positively or negatively can cause the audience to change their opinion suddenly or over time. In our culture, media impacts our behavior. We received our core values from books written in the past, mostly religious books like the bible. Values are also transmitted through communities. Music, fashion, and pop culture are communicated and spread though mass media communications.

Which audience analysis measurement principles and techniques are most effective and why?

Probability sampling is an effective analysis measurement principle. Probability sampling is when everyone in the population being surveyed has an equal chance to be sampled. It is a technique that includes the public opinion polling which relies on statistical extrapolation that can be very accurate. Probability sampling uses sample size, sample selection, margin of error, and confidence level to create accurate surveying. It is found that 384 people should be surveyed to provide 95% confidence that results have less than a 5% margin of error.

An effective technique is polling. Polling includes interviews, diaries, meters, people meters, and portable meters. These are the primary techniques that can be used in combination. For polling media forms meters, people meters, and portable meters are used to track television and radio channels that are being watched. These are more reliable than diaries and interviews because they can constantly track channels inside and outside of the home.

What Have I Learned in this Class?

Throughout the semester I have come across various facts about the media and technology that I would otherwise not know about. One of the most interesting things that I have learned has to be about my media pioneer, Joseph Nipece. It was interesting to learn that even though he is the father of photography and created the first photograph the technology that he used to create that photograph is not the same as the technology that is used today or developed shortly after his death. I also found it interesting to learn more about how important the print media actually is to society. I became more aware of the losing interest that the public has in the print industry as a whole and what an impact digital technology actually has over people. It has also come to learn that the mass media acts a watchdog for the general public. I was aware of the influence the media had over the public, but never understood the importance it held. This class has helped me realize that I would like to have a career in the media, I have not decided how to be involved in the media yet, but I do want to be involved in the media in some aspect.

How does mass media shape the public’s agenda of issues?

                 The mass media shapes the public’s agenda of issues because it essentially tells the public what to think about, what is news, as well as what is acceptable and unacceptable.  Society has become largely dependent on the media as a source of information and entertainment.  People are increasingly looking to the media to give them advice on what to shop for, purchase, wear, drive, eat, etc.  Different news channels tend to discuss the same stories – this creates a narrow place for a wide variety of news.  The media can also influence our decisions:  A magazine can tell girls which clothes are “in style” and which hair color suits their facial structure and a television show can display boys playing football, while girls sit on the sidelines cheering the boys on.  The media has become a source of communication; the invention of Facebook has led to a massive “Digital Revolution” and people thrive on the fact that everyone is using the internet.  The media encourages the public to use the internet and often entertainment artists and celebrities refer themselves to their websites or social networking profiles.

                The public is constantly involved in the mass media.  Consciously or unconsciously, the information the media dictates affects our beliefs, opinions, emotions, and desires.  For example, the media often depicts a skinny woman as “ideal” – this creates discussion among many different groups of people.  Whether we follow the media or not, everyone knows about this particular issue and has an opinion on it.  The media is a role model for many people, especially teenagers, whom seek advice from the things they see.  Because companies are aware of this, they public various stories promoting one’s self and the greatness of independence.  The media controls what information the public discovers and citizens seem to trust the American’s use of the media because they try to be honest and respectful in every piece of information they release to the world.

How does mass media shape the public's agenda of issues?

Mass media shapes the public’s agenda of issues in many ways. Mass media is very influential in society because it is all around us. Most of the public believes everything the media says because it is delivered to us in some many forms multiple times. The media also has control over what they tell us, so they can chose to lie or tell the truth. Not really lie, but beat about the truth. They control is the public is fully aware of what is really going on, or not at all. They control the issues we hear about or not. That is why the public is very dependent on the media every day. The media is the primary source of information. They are a role model. Because they are so depended on, the media gets in trouble if they make mistakes or lie. They have a code of ethics to follow. The media also sets the standards in society. The showcase how people should look, act, eat. The media has a very strong effect on the public because of it’s strong influence. But they do look out for the common good of the people.

What is the significance of the First Amendment with speech and press?

            The significance of the First Amendment with speech and press is that it allows for freedom of beliefs, opinions, and ideas within the press; the First Amendment includes the rights to free speech and press.  The American media has taken full advantage of this freedom and have repeatedly published information that would be unacceptable in other countries.  For example, the American media has discussed both the positive and negative aspects of potential political candidates.  Around election time, there are various scandals that involve the future politicians of our country.  Potential candidates cannot fight against these scandals because they are completely legal; the American government has allowed our country to publish anything we feel is necessary to cover.  There have been some instances where the First Amendment has been excused; for example, after 9/11, people had to avoid using any harmful and threatening terms while in airports.  The First Amendment has taught the majority of citizens in the United States what terms and actions are appropriate to use and which ones they should avoid expressing.

                The First Amendment protects the media and allows for a marketplace of ideas.  Different companies expose the public to different scenarios and views on various stories; this enables the public to witness a variety of stories as well as choose their own opinions on these events.  Because the First Amendment does not limit any aspects of freedom, the media feels comfortable enough to take advantage of their freedom and the press enjoys posting entertaining stories about events or people that can be true as well as false.  Also, people constantly engage in open talk and with the internet, it has becoming increasingly common for citizens to post their emotions and beliefs online.  The basis for America was built on “liberty and justice for all”, and with the First Amendment, citizens have the right to express anything they desire because the Constitution protects them.

How does mass media shape the public’s agenda of issues?

The mass media shapes issues of the public because our society today relies so greatly on the media. With that in mind, the media influences our everyday lives, values, beliefs, etc. The media shapes the public’s issues because the media, such as the news or newspapers, conveys such issues to audiences. This gives people a sense of opinion and direction on where they stand with certain topics or controversies. Thus, the media shapes issues in our society. We live in a society that depends on information and communication, the mass media, to keep moving in the right direction. This information and communication affects our everyday lifestyle in positive and negative ways. It doesn’t matter which way you look at it, the mass media definitely shapes the public’s agenda of issues. We are always involved in the media, whether we are conscious of it or not. There is not a day a person can go without being dependent on the mass media and that is why is has such an impact or influence on the issues of the public.