Media Ownership

Media Ownership

Introduction

Amongst the amazing and fascinating facets of this world, is the perplexing shifting of power from one domain or authority to another. Centuries ago, the definition of power or the control would be totally different, to what it entails today. The modern world, along with it has brought new and discrete dynamics. Amongst the biggest endowments, rendered by the modern world to its inhabitants are the media and the advancement and progress which the media has attained over time. Many individuals, researchers and scholars, believe that the advancements and the progress achieved by the media have played a pivotal role in yet again shifting the balance of power.

Modern Media

As described in the previous section, the media have undergone a phase of transition, which entails incessant progress and advancement. What the media earlier encompassed has been swapped or replaced by new gadgets and modes of communication, in today's modern world. Earlier people could only rely on the radio and a regional newspaper, for the purpose of both the information and entertainment; now nothing restricts them to any single or at most two mediums for acquiring news or information. Now what the new media comprise of are the cable TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinemas, movies, documentaries, mass communication, emails, online websites, social networking software, video games and much more. The biggest feature of the new media rests in the fact that it enables the person to access the content of his/her choice, at the chosen and desired time, with respect to the medium of his own choice. Digital mediums are the biggest addition to the domain of media, and particularly the new or modern media (Costanza, 2011).

Media and Its Role

For a naïve mind, the primary role of the media expands till the rendering of relative information regarding the current or past happenings, and entertainment, to its viewers, listeners and users. However, a cognitive mind believes and knows that the role of media expands beyond those seeming responsibilities. Besides those marked factors, what the media do is broadening the horizons of its target audience. The manifestation lies in the cognitive and rational ability of the man belonging to today's era, to a person of ancient times. The media has played a pivotal role in enlightening its viewers regarding numerous aspects of the world, and hence, broadening their horizons. This approach by the media eloquently articulated its influence on its target audience, because, in most instances, the user tends to put his faith into the claims made by the media and the roadmap of the situation, which it shows.

Media and Democracy

Over time, there have been numerous debates and arguments, regarding the relation that exists between the media and democracy. The circumstances of the society and control by the supreme authorities over the media gauge the relation to be positive, beneficial, or even detrimental. As discussed earlier, the media entail the role of informing and enlightening the target audience, and the power of even influencing and moulding their perceptions. Moreover, the facets of democracy, ...