After reviewing several classmates’ views about today’s state of the media and its influence on us, I have come to realize that many common fears and suspicions about the media are evident in the opinions that were voiced. Whether or not we just all belong to the same group of educated, critical viewers, or if our views reflect the larger general public is open to speculation. It is refreshing to see that some of my scepticism of today’s mass media is articulated by most of the class. Namely the issue of representation in the media, how particular information can be publicized in uncountable ways to influence opinions and attitudes towards a product or situation. The word propaganda comes to mind, and while most of us are of the same belief as the blogger Lifeofloe when proclaiming: “I am not of a generation that allows for the wool to be pulled over my eyes,” (http://lifeoflowe.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/1f25-post-1-media-impact ) it is impossible to filter every piece of data we encounter in our day to day lives. On that note, I also consider myself better armed than your average media consumer in the battle against continuous bombardment of insignificant, superficial advertising and other media influence. One problem is that the scope of the media has infiltrated our peers to the point where information we gain through face to face conversation also often originated from some secondary media source. Keenbeau80 makes a great point in commenting that “Even if you don’t own any of these devices, there will always be someone eager to tell you what they saw, or heard, or read” ( http://keenbeau80.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/blog-entry-1/). I’ll admit that even the counter culture references relating to things such as internet privacy and protection of information or other critical knowledge regarding contemporary propaganda and fear mongering via media channels sounds suspicious to me as they are just as bias as those under corporate or government control. I am also reluctant to confess that even the trust I put in my closest friends regarding many of these issues usually end at the source from which it was mediated. This brings me to my final response, an eye opener to me personally.
Contrary to my initial opinion that one positive factor of the media is its potential to empower individual creativity and broadcasting of original ideas, the accumulative effect of social media and what has been described by Eli Pariser as the “filter bubble” (http://www.thefilterbubble.com )may actually have the opposite effect. So while people may be putting new information out, what actually reaches the masses is often either recycled or only pertaining to the individual consumer’s past (digitally) expressed interests. David O’Connor gives his blunt summary of this current state of media when he observes that “anything unique or creative that could have existed is now gone.” (http://oconnormedia.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/mass-media-and-personal-worldview/ ) Unfortunately unless we have a good idea of what we want to hear (in which case are we just looking for views that back up what we already know anyways?), we will undoubtedly be subject to what mass media and their databases project in our direction. Following this trend, I can safely say that my views on the media have not changed much compared to before this response, however I have drawn from what I have read to expand the notions already present within me. To reiterate what may be obvious of my stance on mass media, I end this response with another quote from Keenbeau80’s blog which is rather in line with my own opinion. “The key point here is to really question everything you hear, and form your own unbiased opinions without the influence of others.” (http://keenbeau80.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/blog-entry-1/)
An Insight to Media and Culture 