Scholarly Essay for MidTerm

University of Saint La Salle
Bacolod City

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Mass Communications

A Scholarly Essay in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in MC 103: Communication Values and Ethics

TOLENTINO, Jim Austin M.
ABCO2 - A

Mass Media Influence

Advancement of technology elevates the influence of media. First is the telegraph, but now there are broadcast media by way of the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and now the internet, in which the society depends on information and communication to move forward with work, entertainment, health care, education, personal relationships, traveling and anything else.

The average person reads the newspaper, watches the morning news, or logs on to the internet upon waking up. People's lifestyles are based on the facts they know, their assumptions and their own experiences. Work goes along with what is studied and experienced. However current news and facts about what is important and what people should be aware of for they to live their lives by are obtained from news.

Images of violence, advertising, sex, fame and much more are being fed by the media everyday. The local media scene is dominated by the biggest media organizations in the Philippines like: ABS-CBN, GMA, Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Philippine Star

Because of acquisitions, mergers and takeovers, media companies had grown large enough to really shape and influence the masses.

Media influence spending preferences, as people buy things media say to be good and worth it. Media organizations, especially advertising firms, earn millions from the manufacturers with the media campaigns they create. Teenagers buy what they see on TV, especially after testimonials from their favorite celebrities. However, there still are positive and negative influences on the young.

For example, physical exercises together with proper diets, as the "in" thing to do to get the celebrities' curves are good influences for the young people. However it can't be helped that the cigarette industry just has to use famous celebrities to promote their products, so teens also get influenced with smoking.

How movie and television stars look is the epitome of a successful life among many teenagers. Their maintained good looks, together with the money they earn, is a good thing to look up to. So teenagers tend to wear the clothes the stars wear, use the things the stars use, and move like the stars would. They buy the products promoted by the celebrities to be accepted by their peers.

To get killer figures, health issues also abound among teenagers, especially anorexia and obesity which media advocacies also fight against. Media advertises food, sometimes junk food, but it also imparts that being thin and wealthy is a good image as that of supermodels.

Children are most receptive among all sorts of media consumers, being young and uneducated. They can go as bad as being traumatized by seeing people hurt other people on the television. They sometimes see wars depicted in movies, still labeled entertainment, but what they need to know is that everybody loses when there are wars.

Media can shape how the public thinks about an issue. Facts gathered often change the perception of a person.

The public supported the war against terrorism after the lengthy coverages on the 9/11 attack. After exposing Bin Laden to be guilty, people had been more conscious about the effects of terrorism. Unfortunately, but still truly, many Americans had been hostile and unfriendly to the muslims because of all the things they have heard over the media as to beliefs and prophecies mentioned in the Q'uran about the United States.

Media also influence the polity, since it uses media as the most powerful tool to sell good deeds of the officials as well as election candidates. The visibility of the candidates and the public officials brings success into their political careers. It gives them more popularity, if they and their projects get more exposed by way of media coverage.

The things mentioned above focus on media influence. But putting that and everything else aside and going back to the basics of life, how people influence other people with their actions really do count. Are we, as suppliers of content, with the understanding of the influence we have over the audience, practice our professions with dignity and respect? It is with the upholding of good values that we create a positive influence among our consumers. With good example, we help build character and restore what was previously good. Otherwise, we can destroy, exploit or abuse our power and create a negative influence to add to the destruction of what little we have left.

Reference

Abdulwasea, M. (2008). Influence of mass media on societies. Yemen Times, Issue: (1168), Volume 16, June 30, 2008 to July 2, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1168&p=opinion&a=3