Sensational!
It would not be too much of an exaggerated generalisation to suggest that the modern media; such as TV, Radio, Newspapers, Film etc. is constantly permeating and insinuating itself into all our daily lives. I have to add here, that I am constantly told by some people who claim that they are not unduly influenced by "the media" that they do not read the Newspapers or indeed even own a TV. To them, I have to answer that we are all part of a community and society, and thus we influence each other in many ways. Therefore, even if you are not consciously aware that you are being influenced by "the media", you most certainly are influenced by the people you mix with and all the other media that you unconsciously consume.
So, therefore it would be safe to assume that we are all influenced by the all pervasive media we are constantly exposed to, either directly or indirectly. We are all also in broad agreement that advertising works because, otherwise why would companies spend so much on advertising? Therefore, it could be argued that the media works in much the same way. If the media didn't influence us, then it's only remit is to inform.
However, this can't be it's only function.We all know that during times of War, that the Government of all countries uses various media for propaganda purposes. I site the first and second world wars in which various poster and news reel campaigns were circulated for public consumption. These propaganda campaigns certainly worked; in that many thousands of young men felt it was their duty to go and fight for their country. Every day they where exposed to heavy and relentless messages permeating their social and working life. Very quickly, they were more or less "brainwashed" into believing that they had to fight the "enemy" for their country. Thousands did not come back and those that did, were irrevocably damaged.
This post is not going to argue the rights and wrongs of war, only to argue that the media is very powerful in influencing us all. If we can agree then that this is the case, I would argue that we must therefore make ourselves much more consciously aware how this happens, and in so doing guard against the more pernicious aspects of it. I would like to now move onto how the various media we consume influences us and how this has an impact on our lives.
I have called this post "Sensational!" for a reason. This is in order to describe how many of the news reports and radio programmes which discuss the news are framed in a sensational format. That is to say, they are consciously made to be as sensationalist as possible in order to grab our attention and keep it. Just imagine for a moment the news read in a slow and conversational style by someone less formal. In the West certainly, the TV news is read in a formal authoritative way by a figure dressed in formal suited attire. This is to convey gravitas and the seriousness of the message they wish to convey. But just what is the message they wish to convey? Well, usually it's something very brutal, violent and worrying and it is mostly political in its nature and origin.
Here, I would ask the reader to imagine their day to day life without being exposed to the news in any form by the media. They say that ignorance is bliss, and therefore so would our existence be so much more peaceful for it. But, I now will argue, that is the whole point of the news being the way it is now. It is as it is, so that we are made to feel frightened and worried for the world state of affairs and our part in it. Why? Well I would argue that in the past Religion played that role and now the modern world needs other types of control. When Religion kept most of us in check by fear, now the establishment must find other ways to do so. That is where the media steps in as their tool for such means.
I ask the reader now to think of the many ways that sensationalist ways and means in various forms are used in the media to influence and manipulate us. I could give examples here, but I have a feeling that the dear reader will have many examples that they have consciously or unconsciously realised was occurring. However, I will be continuing this blog with more posts on how this is achieved.
For now, I would argue that it is very important for us all to wise up to the extent of media manipulation which is influencing us all, politically and socially. If we are more conscious of this, we can then have a better chance of understanding and therefore changing and challenging the Status Quo. We would clearly see how the various political parties who "Govern" us use the media to so, and how the West's relentless Capitalist mentality rules our lives with the "sensationalist" rhetoric which permeates the media outlets we all consume today. Stay tuned for more of my posts to follow, which will serialise the many ways the "Sensational" media is permeating all our lives today.
