BBG Communications
MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS HAS A STRONG INFLUENCE I feel the media has an extremely strong influence on the decisions we make. Whether discussing world politics, the economy, the President, or the brand of toothpaste to buy, we are influenced, probably more than we even realize, by the media. The media gives worth to issues by where they place the article. Is it the "top story" or near the end of the newscast? Does it make the front page or is it buried in an obscure section of the paper? Many times, we don't stay up for the entire 10:00 news broadcast, but we usually catch the first 10 minutes. If a story of interest to us aired later on in the broadcast, we would probably never know it. Many people do not buy the paper, but you often see them in the check out lines discussing the headlines. I feel that we sometimes don't get the whole picture from the media. If the media is not happy with a particular person or business, it would be very easy to manipulate the news stories relating to them, so as to tarnish their reputation. Conversely, if the media wanted to endorse a political candidate or new business proposition, they could easily air or print only favorable articles about the candidate or business. We, as the public, would probably not even be aware of the slant - until after the election or merger or business deal. We are strongly influenced by the ads that support the media. I am highly impressed with ads that carry a catchy slogan, melody or song. I hear a car zoom by and I instantly think to myself, "zoom, zoom, zoom" and I am imagining a certain brand of car. When someone says "have it your way" I can almost taste a certain sandwich. How many times have we been in the grocery store to hear a child begging their parents for a certain brand of cereal because of the character in the commercial? Most of the ads are harmless, but I do worry that some ads could be very manipulating to people who are easily deceived. A product could have many negative features, but the ad paints such a rosy picture of the positive elements that you ignore the small print or faint voice telling you what the terms of the loan are or what the side effects of the medication could be. We are responsible for how much we allow the media to mold our opinions on current issues, candidates and events. I enjoy being able to learn of events instantaneously, but are they accurate? Are we hearing "the whole truth and nothing but the truth"? Or, are we hearing someone's version of the truth? The media has a very strong influence on our society. To a large degree they can, and often do, determine public opinion on issues. We need to be aware of the bias and try to learn both sides of the issues. The media has a very strong influence on our society; we must decide how it will influence us.
