NEWS MEDIA AND ITS

PUBLIC

PERSU

ASIONS

B Y : MA U R A W

H I TE

THE EFFECTS OF NEWS MEDIA ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

• The detrimental effects of television are often discussed when talking about young adults, claiming it brainwashes and negativlely influences young minds. Such statements are typically applied with exclusion to factual media such as news reports. However, the news, which acknowledge daily as a reliable source of information , influences the minds of the American people, as they assume all news is purely factual. I believe it to be vastly important , as young adults, to be critical of the information we are provided, and resist immediate influences of televised news and its tendency to

• Push a Bias• Administrate panic• Play toward “ratings”• … as well as Reporting in favor of “Money”

NEWS PUSHING A BIASThe assumption is often made that news is news, and to simply watch

or read television or articles concerning current events assures that a truth will be received. In reality, political, racial, and religious bias can completely effect the legitimacy of a report. Innocent or guilty. Right or Wrong. All are skewed based on the moral compass of the producer of the work.

However, when a great majority of people relate and accept one biased interpretation, and lack all other considerations, it creates an environment of misinterpretation and misinformation.

Some interpretations begin with fact, but through manipulation of the emotional basis of a story, it loses factual meaning, and instead forms an argument of passion rather than logic and fact.

News therefore reports with a strong bias, rather than, as most of us believe, with a basis totally in truth. Any report of emotion or dogma may be skewed due to the personal beliefs of the reporter.

Example : The reports and subsequent discussions surrounding the Trayvon Martin case tended to address less factual argument, instead relying on the emotional nature of the case for many.

Pushing A Bias

This image reflects the bias of televised news reports in that the pointing man emphasizes the large fire so greatly to the women, that he, and they completely disregard the smaller fire. Despite the fact that they may feel its heat or acknowledge its presence due to its close proximity, the women hear less and see less emphasis on it, so the thought is forgotten.

PANIC AT THE STUDIO• It is the tendency of national news to report everything as a

state of hyperbole, that is, of vast substantial importance. Because a report of “ a small flood” would disinterest most, “ a flood wreaking havoc” is reported instead. But these kinds of hyperbole, often assisted by heartbreaking images of wreckage and people, also function only to keep people interested and consistent in watching the news, rather than reporting factual statements.

• These reports also disregard the reasons or the commonality behind certain tragedies. “ Massive flooding”, accompanied by images of ruined property are reported of the south eastern areas almost every year. These areas often have a flood season, so a flood causes no true damage because they are prepared for it, but news media portrays it as a tragedy.

• They also tend to ignore general science or logic, instead persisting public fears. When the “2012 apocalypse” came into the public eye, this false prediction was reported on almost every day, and often accompanied with stories of natural disaster and economic failure, creating an “end is near” sense for the listener.

Example: Tsunami in California as a result of the 2011 earthquake in Japan. Some of California’s coastline experienced a jostling at the hands of the tsunami, but nowhere near to the degree at which it was reported. Our area specifically received nothing more than a few extra surf able waves. “On the U.S. mainland, wave heights from Alaska to California ranged from less than a foot to more than 8 feet. The highest measurement, 8.1 feet, was at Crescent City, California.”

This image may be interpreted as a representation of News generating panic by understanding the woman in the center to be the general public, and the two other people as the news. They surround her and gesture towards the large flame, which she shows a fascination toward with the look of awe upon her face. But by surrounding her, they prevent her from looking further to the true nature of the fire behind her, which is significantly less frightening.

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN…In correlation to the administered panic, news programs function on the necessity to be popular

among audiences. However in an effort to become popular, news media often emphasizes

the stories which will be interesting, rather than those that are immediately relevant or useful.

Example: EBOLA. It was massively reported on in news and magazines, yet posed no legitimate threat to the general American population.

When considering the influences of rating on news media, this image uses the combined interests of the two women to influence what the man talks and gestures towards. Because they are already interested, he wants to keep their interest, and therefore talks about the larger fire rather than the smaller one, despite the possible relevance of the smaller fire.

AYE. MUST BE THE MONEY…Furthermore, in connection ton the last two points, news

media plays a money game. They foremost attempt to gain and sustain the influences of audiences to gain a profit, but they also must cater to those people who directly influence their finances. Wealthy businesses

and people who provide for the broadcasting company greatly influences the material in such reports because their money quantitatively represents their influence.This practice, especially with respect to local news,

creates an uneven distribution of news relevant to all of the community. Wealthier areas of the community

receive more positive and personally relevant reports, because the wealth of their specific community provides

for the newscasts.

Example: Seaside High school, in comparison to other schools in close proximity, receives little to no positive reinforcement from our local community news.

By considering the flames as different groups of people, separated by their wealth or prominence in the community, and all three people as the News media, it represents the inequality in News reports, favoring the wealth and prominence of one group, and ignoring the comparable, yet still unacknowledged beauty of the other.

THINK ABOUT IT…The news implements selfish bias, and ultimate

greed in its reports. Rather than acting as a public service, the news inappropriately skews

news reports, and denies the public from forming their own opinions, and rather forces

them upon people. However, the public may forms these opinions, but

because they lack the understanding behind such opinions it creates a cycle of

misinformationMost relevant to us, the lack of positive news reports for our community in particular, persists

the idea that we are “less than” any other group. Our students and citizens are incredibly

successful, and competitively intelligent people, but the rest of our area cannot realize that, because the majority of positive articles for

athletes and students go to the private schools and “money schools” of the area.

It is important, that we, as the future of the country, critically examine these media influences, and form educated opinions, to protect ourselves, and our society, from complete misinformation.

Thank You.

Works CitedWeb. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://statenews.com/article/2014/11/ebola-coverage>.Web. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_23768519>.Web. 12 Dec. 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/11/japan.quake/>.

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