SOCIOLOGY

Sociology

Sociology

Critically assess the powers of the modern media. To what extent do the media shape society and society shape the media?

Powers of the modern media is very significant in influencing the audience perception towards particular concept, group, or entity. Media effect has been a prime concern in different study domains to determine its impact in broad range of dimensions. The relationship between media and politics has always been crucial and rather undeniable. Media helps in connecting the individuals to world and represents the identity of society. Critics have argued that an inverse relation exist between the impact of media on political progress.

Powers of the modern media on political process is dependent on numerous factors. Changes in the factor dimensions determine whether media has influenced political process positively or negatively. These factorial dimensions include background of situation, political status, religion, and traditions in a country. These dimensions also affect the way things are prevailing and accepted in a society. For example, countries like United Kingdom and North America tend to have a stronger relationship with the media. Media is considered as a significant medium of interaction with general public and stakeholders of government and expressing their opinions to authoritative figures.

Contrastingly, countries having monarchy system and conservative way of thinking perceive everything as acceptable and true whatever media represents. This is due to the fact that media holds strong influential power to direct the actions of public and their opinions. Due to strong adherence to media as sole information providing medium, people tend to be obstruct in limiting their decisions and believes to the perceptive level of selective thinking created by media as external influencer. However, differences in media approach to influence outcomes and outcomes that arise somehow created a conflict in terms of determining the authenticity of material that is present on media.

The impact of electronic media on the modern world can be felt a lot today as the changes are being taken place in the whole world. Those countries in which there was a lot of anarchy or chaos and where there was no role of government in favor of the public, today the public there has woken up to demand their rights by means of electronic media. The huge protests have been started against the governments for the change in the countries. This is actually a raising alarm for those who are intoxicated in power and just filling their own stomachs. This state of affairs has been into existence due to electronic media. People are using internet and spreading messages to others to take part in protests and these protests are gradually converting into violent incidents that can cause enormous casualties.

It is said that if a country wants to hit or weaken a nation, she should hit the religion and the culture of the nation that will automatically lose its identification. The media is doing the same thing today which is actually a war against the destruction of a ...