Mass Media Mythology
Last week, one of the presentations that really intrigued me was about Mass Media Mythology. In this presentation, the group explained the 4 points of mass communication:
- Informing the public
- Entertaining audiences
- Persuading consumers
- Educating citizens
Perhaps I’m jaded concerning the Internet, but my first thought when looking at this list was about how often these points are “weaponized” on the Internet. Perhaps that term seems harsh, but I find that rarely today do companies use these points of mass media in a constructive way — it seems there is always an ulterior motive. This led into the group’s discussion of the 3 media “personas”:
- Media as prophet
- Media as priest
- Media as demon
This reminded me that there can be good in the Internet. The media as a “prophet” can challenge a culture’s belief in a good way — not necessarily in a way to get people to just buy a product.
The media as “priest” is perhaps more of what we think of when we ponder commercialism in new media, but this could perhaps be prompted to encourage better behaviors.
When media is used to demonize others, though, is perhaps what many of us think of when it comes to news outlets. I find it encouraging, though, that it seems that many of us are weary of this behavior and have switched to alternative sources of the news.
This presentation made me consider the different ways media can be used and the different “personas” it can adopt — it isn’t just one homogenous entity, but a unique collection of people with good and bad motives for communicating with the wide audience of the world.
