STUDYOFROLEOFMEDIAINMODERNAGEANDITS INFLUENCEONSOCIETY:AQUALITATIVESTUDY
ABSTRACT
Mediamakespeopleawareofevents,persons,orpossibilitiesbeyondtheirdirectexperience.Ithelpsthemassestounderstandtheworldbeyondtheirowndirect experiences, helps them to shape their opinion of the environment into the second-hand reality which characterizes much of the known world. Media can bring attitudinalchangesintheirviewsabouteventsaftertheexposuretonewsreportsregardingthediscrepancybetweenprivateattitudeandbehaviorbyforcingthepublic moralityonpeople(LazarfeldandMerton,1948).Thoughtherelationshipbetweenmediaandsocietyismutual. Theaudiencereceiveswhatmassmediaofferand depictthehumanrelationshipsintheirpackage,theirlife,andsocialsetuptogivetherespondentsdirectexperience.Yettheproductionanddistributionofmedia contentiscarriedoutbyorganizationsorgroupsassociatedwiththecommunicationchannels.Itisdifficulttoseehowsocietycanoperatewithoutthepresenceof media. Thepresentarticlefocusesontherelationshipofmediaandsociety,itseffects,anditsfunctionsinsociety
KEYWORDS:Media,Society,Relationship,audience,effects,functions
OverviewofeffectsofmediaandSociety:
Thecontributionofmediatosocietycanbeseeninthetransitionoftraditional societiesanddevelopingnationstoamodernform(L.W Doob).Mediaisessentialforasocietytoprepare,instigateandbindthedevelopmentofmodernsociety (LernerandSchramm).studiesshowapositiveassociationbetweenthemagnitudeofmediadevelopmentinacountryandindicesofurbanization,industrialization, per capita income, and literacy It is a fact that the interlocking and mutualinteractiverelationship,betweenmediaandsocietyanddependsonthe support and mobility assured to media at both social and geographical levels. AccordingtoLerner,themediarelatesthemultitudestotheinfinitevicariousuniverse and consequently, function as a 'mobility multiplier'. increased urbanizationandliteracy,hasledtoincreasedexposuretomediawhichinturnhasgiven risetowidereconomicopportunityanddevelopmentandwiderparticipationin thepoliticalprocess.mediahelpsindisseminatingnewobjectsandideas,which engageandactivatethehumancapacitiesandstimulatethedevelopmentprocess inasociety Inarapidlymovingworld,itisimportanttokeepourdemocraticsocietyviableandstrongwhichcanbeassuredbystrongmediamobility Thiswould ensuretobeawareofissuesandproblemsinsocietyandwoulddevelopunderstandingaboutdiffentfactionsofsociety(Agee1969).HenceMediahasthreetraditionalfunctionsinasociety,as'watchman',asanaidtosocialdecisionmaking andasa'teacher'(Schramm1964).
Another aspect of Media is its Effects on its audience. explained the effects of massmediaonaudience, Itcanfosterasenseofprestigeandimportanceamong themembersofagroupsingledoutbymedia(Wagles,Berelson,andBradshaw (1940)Apart from bringing positive changes, media is often being charged as stimulatingadverseeffectssuchasreinforcinglowculturalinterest,precluding thedevelopmentofaproperappreciationandanunderstandingofhighculture, andfailingtoactasaneducatorofpublictaste.E.Dale(1933) whilestudying effectsoffilmssuggestedthatpeoplemightacquirewrongnotionofcriminality roughly from one out of every four films among the large numbers examined, whichpermittedthecriminalto'getawaywithit'.Asimilarstudywasundertaken byR.Arnheimwhileanalyzingtheradioserialdramas,andaverredthatlisteners could get wrong or harmful impressions of what life was all about. Supposing thatifthelistenersidentifythemselveswiththecharactersthatinstigateconflicts or create problems for others in the episodes, they will think that people are imperfect and sinners; and identification with the characters who face trouble willleadtotheideathatdecencyandvirtuedonotbringthemjustrewards.
PaulHartmannandCharlesHusband(1971)studiedtheeffectsofmassmediaon racialconflictsindicatedthatthewaytherace-relatedmaterialishandledbythe massmediaservesbothtoperpetuatenegativeperceptionsoftheblackstodefine thesituationasoneoftheinter-groupconflict.Theyalsofoundthatincommunities with a conflict (e.g. competition for housing) the media will reinforce the thinking of blacks versus whites about the situation, and the existing social strainswillbeamplified.Soincommunitieswithdiverseethnicgroups,where thereisnoobjectivebasisforconflict,aconflictmaybecreated,becausepeople cometothinkintermsofconflictafterexposedtocertainmessagesonmedia.
DenisMcquil(1976)explainsbeautifullyrelationshipbetweenMediaandSocietyandtheeffectsofmediaonsocietyinfigure1.Forhim,societieshavealways beenshapedmorebynatureofthemediabywhichmencommunicatethanbythe
contentofthecommunication.Itisimpossibletounderstandsocialandcultural changeswithoutknowledgeoftheworkingofmedia.McLuhanassertsthatthe mediumisthemessage,andlookaroundtoseewhat'shappening.McLuhansays thatMedia,byalteringtheenvironment,evokeinusuniqueratiosofsenseperceptions.Theextensionofanyonesensealtersthewaywethinkandacttheway weperceivetheworld.
Figure1:Source:McQuil,Denis(1976).SociologyofMasscommunication. Harmondsworth(Middx).PenguinBooksLtd.
Media,Mediationandsociability
Mediahaveamediatingrolebetweenobjectivesocialrealityandpersonalexperience.Themassmediaareintermediateandmediatinginseveralsenses.Itisa kindoflinkbetweenthereallifeandwhatwefantasizeaboutotherlives.Thisis done when mass media makes messages, entertains us with programs. In other words,theyoftenliebetweenus(asreceivers)andthatpartofpotentialexperience,whichisoutsideourdirectperceptionorcontact.Theymaystandbetween ourselvesandotherinstitutionswithwhichwehavedealings–law,industry,the state,etc.Theymayprovidealinkbetweenthesedifferentinstitutions;themedia arealsochannelsforotherstocontactus,orforustocontactthem;theyoftenprovide the material for us to form perceptions of other groups, organizations and events.
Therearedifferentmediathroughwhichmediationcantakeplacewithvarying degree and kind of activity, purposefulness, interactivity, and effectiveness.
Copyright©2023,IERJ.Thisopen-accessarticleispublishedunderthetermsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution-NonCommercial4.0InternationalLicensewhichpermitsShare(copyandredistributethematerialinany mediumorformat)andAdapt(remix,transform,andbuilduponthematerial)undertheAttribution-NonCommercialterms.
Mediation can mean many things ranging from direct relationship of one to another Itisnotrestrictedinonedirection.Thevariationscanbecapturedbythe followingcommonimages,whichexpressdifferentaspectsofdailylifeinwhich themediacorrectustoformreality Itisawindowofexperience,whichextends ourvision,enablesustoseewhat'sgoingonforourselves,withoutinterference orbias.Ithelpsustointerpret,aplatformorcarrierforinformationandopinion. Mediaisamirror,whichreflectsbackanimageofsocietytoitself–usuallywith somedistortionbyaccentuatingwhatpeoplewanttoseeoftheirownsocietyor sometimeswhattheywanttopunishorsuppress–ascreenorbarrierwhichconcealstruthintheserviceofpropagandistpurposeorescapism.(Anand1994)
FunctionsofMediainourEverydayLife
Themediaplayawiderangeofrolesinourlives.Someoftheserolesareconstructive and some are destructive. Media work as Information Provider and Interpreter The media provide people with important information about their environment (e.g. political, cultural, social issues) and respond to more imminentproblems(weather,traffic,naturalcatastrophes,etc.).Atleastinpart,peoplemakedecisionsaboutwhethertodressforwarmorcold,choosepoliticalleaderstovoteforinelections,andjudgeothergroupsinsocietybasedonthemedia.
Themediainterpreteventsbeyondourphysicalrealmandhelpusmakesenseof them.Withtheimprovementoftechnologiesandtheadvancementofnewmedia suchastheinternet,mediaplaysanincreasinglymoreprominentroleinourdaily communicationandentertainment.
Recognizingthediversitywithinmediaprofessionalsisafirststepincritically analyzing how best to use the media to support conflict prevention and peace building.Forexample,theOtporMovement,developedin1998bySerbianstudents, responded to new restrictions on academic and media freedom with a highly unconventional movement called Otpor ('resistance' in Serbian). Otpor developed their own grassroots media campaign to provide information and inspirationtoallwhoresistedtheMilosevicgovernment.
HaroldLasswell(1949), apoliticalscientist,whohasdonepioneeringresearch inmasscommunication,hasnotedthreemajorfunctionsofthemedia.
A. Surveillance of environment: This means collection and distribution of informationconcerningeventsintheenvironment,bothoutsideandwithinaparticularsociety Tosomeextent,itcorrespondstowhatispopularlyconceivedas the'handlingofnews'.
B.Correlationofpartofsocietyinrespondingtotheenvironment:Correlationhereincludesinterpretationofinformationabouttheenvironmentandprescriptionforconductinreactiontotheseevents.Inpast,thisactivityhasbeenpopularlydefinedas'editorialpropaganda'.
C.Transmissionofsocialheritagefromonegenerationtoanother:Lasswell saysthatthetransmissionofculturefocusesonthecommunicationofinformation,values,andsocialnormsfromonegenerationtoanotherorfrommembers ofagrouptonewcomers.Commonly,itisidentifiedas'educationalactivity'.
As industrialization brought mass production and mass distribution, the media becamemorethaneverlinkedtotheeconomyanditsoperations.Throughadvertisement,themediaplayanimportantroleinbringingtogetherthebuyersandthe sellersofgoodsandservices.Bydoingso,theycontributetoahighlevelofconsumption,helpallocatethenationssourcesandservices,stimulateproductvariety and help make possible prices that are favourable to consumers. Of lately another category, entertainment is added to the above three, because it has its own importance not less than the above three. Entertainment has evolved an importantindustryemployingmorepeoplethananyothersector Entertainment referstocommunicativeacts,primarilyintendedforamusement,irrespectiveof anyinstructionaleffectstheymayhave.Toprovideentertainmentisoneofthe principalfunctionsofallthemedia.Commercialbroadcasting,films,magazines, books,radioandevennewspapersarehavingmoreandmorenewsasentertainment is one form or another.Acomprehensive depiction of functions of mass mediaisdoneinfigure2.
Conclusion
The role media is widely accepted for the proliferation of healthy democratic Society(Peterson,Jenson,andRivers(1966) Freedomofmediaguaranteesfreedominademocraticsocietywhichinturn,isobligedtoperformcertainessential functions for society John S. Mill has emphasized the instrumentality of mass mediainprotectingcivilliberties.Thepurposeofthemediaistohelpdiscover thetruth,toassistinthesuccessfulworkingofthesocietybypresentingallevidenceandopinionequallynecessarytosafeguardthecivillibertiesofthepeople.
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