Hyping it up!

How does mass media shape the public's agenda of issues?

Mass media goes off of what reporters think the public will be interested in but it often makes the public interested in what they produce. Agenda setting is when the media plays up what it thinks the public will be interested in and the media only focuses on this issue, no matter what else is happening at the time. Often Agenda setting is not actually newsworthy, and is simply the press putting too much attention on famous people, and what is happening to them.

For example, the royal wedding, in America all of our press is covering the royal wedding. It is not pertinent to us as Americans, it does not affect us, but they are famous so every single news station covers it and because they hype it up so much more people watch and care about it than ever would if it was not all hyped up.

What I Have Learned

Intro To Mass Media has taught me many things, from how technology has progressed into the technology I use today, to how media is presented to the public. The most valuable thing I learned this semester is media literacy, and how to establish what message is being sent by the media, and to whom it is being sent. In a world where everyone is becoming more Internet savvy and the world is spreading news much faster and easier it is important to know the intent of the information being presented. Everything else that was learned throughout the duration of the course can be broken down into being literate in the media.The information gathered during my group project about children and television also showed a strong need for media literacy because parents need to know what their children are watching and how it can impact growth and development physically, mentally, and socially. Similarly Mark Zuckerberg's creation of Facebook allows many people to get in touch with each other and take advantage of a widely used site to call attention to issues across the globe just as Twitter does. In order to effectively use these sites one has to have a concept of media literacy. This course has taught me to look for the hidden messages in the media and realize what it is there for.

The Media's Position on Issues

A fundamental purpose of the media is to serve the audience. This service to the people done by the media may not always be the "best", with issues depicted in the media quickly taking place of issues not being presented in ways for the audience to form opinions. For example, the B.P. oil spill is no longer getting significant coverage as the aftermath continues to affect the people involved, but the Royal Wedding is being covered by major news stations. The gatekeepers who decide which news will be covered greatly affect the agenda of the public. Without knowledge on an issue, people can not make an informed decision.

Ethics also plays a large role in the way news is presented, with questions constantly being raised about the means of acquiring information. For example Potter's Box, a tool used to sort through ethics questions, can help journalists and reporters to contribute sufficient information to their audience, without compromising the informants etc. This is not an easy job to maintain because there are many different views on what is right and fair, and what is not. However, with most information coming from some media outlet, the public's agenda on issues like ethics or immediate news is greatly affected.

Freedom of Speech For The Press

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and in today's society opinions are everywhere. Every newspaper, magazine, or online resource etc. has an opinion section. The First Amendment gives Americans the freedom for speech, and the right to write what they want. The news media is an extremely important piece of this right because without the news media it would be very difficult to find out about the world around us. Newspapers write stories about government, global policy, international affairs, social trends etc. and without this ability many things would go unknown.


With that in mind, the Freedom of Speech is so significant to the press because without this freedom we would live in a dictatorship and not a democracy. People around the nation have different opinions, and the opinions of an individual could possibly be affected positively or negatively according to what information the news media is allowed to produce. If there were laws concerning what is allowed to be written anywhere, as opposed to rules about obscenity etc., many people would not have the information that they possess simply because it would not be available to them. Furthermore, in the words of Harold R. Medina, an American lawyer and judge, "If you don't have this freedom of the press, then all these little fellows are weaseling around and doing their monkey business and they never get caught."

http://www.quotegarden.com/censorship.html

Are we being brainwashed?

Whether the public likes it or not, media has a major impact on society. Most people use media as a source of information and communication. The media helps them to stay in touch with the world around them.

Could a person live their whole life without experiencing the media? Is it even possible? I do not think so. Media seems to be everywhere anyone turns. Whether it’s a commercial on TV or a billboard ad on the highway, a person can never seem to get away from it.

Media controls how the population thinks by telling the people about the trends in fashion, music, politics, technology, etc. Without the media, no one would know about any of these trends. The media publicizes in any way they can. These trends control what people think about the people around them and why they are acting the way they do. The media tells us to be a flawless person, but that is not even possible.

Media has been brainwashing people unconsciously. It tries to make people try to reach goals that may not even be possible for ourselves. The population really needs to take a step back and realize what the media has done to them.

How does mass media reflect a political system globally?

Mass media can reflect a political system globally in many ways. The mass media can display the ins and outs of how a foreign government is run and how mass media is presented. Government can vary from country to country, but by having the mass media reflect a political system globally, it allows people to see how other governments are run and how they are similar or different from their own. As a whole there are two very different main types of governments, authoritarian and libertarian. Countries like Cuba and England are authoritarian because they fall under the category of being either a monarchy or a dictatorship. Cuban government is a dictatorship and in this country the media is very censored. Unlike having an established fourth estate like the United States, the government is the one to control what is being said to the mass media, so essentially they are censoring what the people think. Global mass media informs other countries of how a particular government is run. It could be considered common knowledge that Cuba’s government is a dictatorship and that they heavily censor what their people think. On the other hand countries like the United States and France are libertarian because they are both democratic. Libertarian is completely different than authoritarian because it allows people to reason their own way to right conclusions and therefore people are capable of their own governance. In the United States the mass media is not censored at all and is not government run, so the people can attain information in a somewhat unbiased manner. There is still biasness though but the government does at least not set this biasness. Through mass media people can see and get a better understanding of how other countries govern themselves.

Global mass media

Mass media reflects many nations’ political systems around the world by how they are allowed to report on issues and controversies that arise in these different types of governments. The authoritarian political system created monarchies and dictatorships in their nation’s government where the media’s role is controlled by their decisions and is censored. This censorship denies its nation and therefore the mass media of freedom of speech which is crucial to mass audience’s being able to make educated decisions in their lives. On the other side, is the libertarian political system, a democracy, which welcomes the “marketplace of ideas, where an unbridled forum for free inquiry and free expression” exists (Vivan). Freedom of speech and free expression are supported in mass media in these democratic governments and people have “natural rights” and can make their own decisions. Globally, libertarianism thrives and mass media is able to communicate openly and without governmental restraints in Western and East-central Europe, in North and South America, and somewhat in the Asia-Pacific nations. In other parts of the world, as with most of the Islamic nations, their political system is mainly authoritarian but some are a variation of this. Mass media in these nations are bordering on some limited level of open communications to the mass audiences. Around the world, authoritarian and libertarian political systems set the tone for how much freedom their mass media has to communicate with the people in their nation.

The fourth estate

The term “fourth estate” historically has its roots in medieval times when society was classified into estates. The first three estates being: the clergy, the nobility, and the common people. The fourth estate back then was commonly referred to as “the press” or the news media as we now know it. Its role was to be the “watchdog” to the other three estates and report to the general public any discrepancies within these three estates. In modern times, the three estates were transformed into the three branches of the government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. Informally “the press” again was referred to as the fourth estate, whose role it was once again, “to monitor the other branches as an external check on behalf of the people” (Vivian). So the significance of the fourth estate dating back to medieval times to the present was to monitor the activities of the government and then to report any wrongdoings to the mass media. “As one Wag put it, the founders saw the role of the press as keeping tabs on the radicals in power to keep them honest” (Vivian). “The press” and the news media have always played an important role in our democracy and will continue to do so in the future.

Politics in media

The ways other societies operate in politics varies because other countries political systems are different, however the other part is because of how media is controlled and or not controlled around the world. Freedom of speech and the press is one of Americas founding principals and it allows political campaigns to rule the media when election time comes around. Media networks usually choose a political candidate to represent because they either donated money to them or they paid to be on their network. Either way it makes the political system in terms of the media that is involved much different to that of other countries. Most news is actually controlled because governments do not want people to hear certain things or think certain things and then again not many nations have a complete democracy like ours so when there are such things as candidates the people don’t get much of a choice on who to vote let alone what they hear on the media could be complete bull shit. Politics in media is like a game each side says crap about the other side and there is definitely lying that happens on both sides.

Media as a Political System

A political system often has to make choices on what information to share with its nation or keep secret in response to protecting their people or instead, diminishing controversy. As a political system can be a censor in society, so can the media be a censor since it is considered a part of government as the fourth estate. The media somewhat works with the government in influencing what the people think about, contributing to positive or negative views towards certain topics. Though, in countries where media is given the freedom to speak their mind, such as The United States which gives the people freedom of press and speech in the 1^st Amendment, they can go against political power and uncover the truth. This truth might not be what the public wants to hear, but the media believes it is important to inform the people on the issue. However, in countries where those rights are not present, the media acts as a complete censor, covering up the truth and telling the people what the government wants them to hear, such as in a dictatorship. Hence, the media plays a part in society similar to political systems in which their role adjusts depending on where in the world they deliver news.

Media: The Fourth Estate

The fourth estate is the name given to the media by the United States government, making them a watchdog over the other branches of government. The press fulfills their watchdog function on a daily basis, reporting information on the government, and other important issues to the audience. These functions allow the media to make sure that the audience has the most information as possible, and all of the information is protected through the freedom of speech. Media has the job of making sure that the government is up keeping all that is promised, and reflects what the audience is demanding.
The fourth estate is also very important during times such as presidential elections. During times like these the media reports all the information about the individuals whom are running as they can find. This allows for the audience to make more informed decisions when voting in elections. Media is a watchdog to all governmental bodies, keeping them on track for the audience. Without the fourth estate, much of what the government does would not be reported back to the audience. The fourth estate is what allows the United States to be a democratic society. The significance of the fourth estate is the governments recognition of the need for media to report information to the audience.
-Michael Bouchie

Political Media

Politics is different all around the world partly because of the obvious which is that other countries political systems are different, however the other part is because of how media is controlled and or not controlled around the world. Freedom of speech and the press is one of Americas founding principals and it allows political campaigns to rule the media when the time comes because media networks usually choose a political candidate to represent and this is because they either donated money to them or they paid to be on their network. Either way it makes the political system in terms of the media that is involved much different to that of other countries. Most news is actually controlled because governments do not want people to hear certain things or think certain things and then again not many nations have a complete democracy like ours so when there are such things as candidates the people dont get much of a choice on who to vote let alone what they hear on the media could be complete bull shit. Politics in media is like a game each side says crap about the other side and their is no doubt lying on all levels especially globally.

Stereotypes and Socialization

Stereotyping is a mass media effect that has a large impact on society. Stereotyping allows for mass media communicators to communicate more effectively to its audience. All individuals have stereotypes for different situations; some more common ones include the “high-school jock,” the “lax-bro,” and some are as basic as being “blonde.” These common stereotypes allow mass media to create story lines with no back story because of the stereotype that will be associated with the character that is shown to the audience. With an interpretation of characters and situations mass media has the opportunity to create more complex plot lines (etc.) because the background is placed already by the audience.
Another mass media effect that has an impact on society is socialization, which is the learned behavior of children from their surroundings. With television becoming a large part of children’s lives, it is no surprise to see the influence that media has had on their development. Many television shows have taken the place of basic learning skills formally taught by children. Shows such as Sesame Street teach children basic skills, taking that role away from the parents. Stereotyping and socialization have reshaped the roles of media in development, and social impact.
-Michael Bouchie

Political Media

Mass media’s reflection of global political systems is often evident in the types and media use of those political systems.

In countries like the People Republic of China there is heavy censorship on Chinese based activities both domestic and globally, this makes it very difficult for Chinese citizens to keep informed on the events that China is doing, similarly most countries keep a much heavier form of censorship on their domestic papers, television, and internet sites to keep their general public largely uninformed on political and governmental wrongdoing.

Examples of government control in China can be seen in this video, which discusses censorship of Internet in China. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWsXhNJFj78

Similarly Chinas CCTV only seems to report the news and events the government wants you to hear about.

Although the US often prides itself of freedoms, do we have something far different?

When Julian Assange the founder of Wikileaks attempted to release real news and information the United States quickly attempted to file suite against him for releasing information that they didn’t approve of.

How can we expect to be any better or different and live up to our American ideologies when we equally like issues on human rights violations by the US censored.

Mass Media and Political System

Mass media reflects a political system globally by having the ability to reach a mass audience about our government system, and inform individuals about how our world is run globally. Everyday we experience media, and politics are one of the more important aspects of the media we need to see. It heavily reflects our opinions on governmental and global issues. What we see with mass media is where most of the knowledge on politics come from. Without any form of mass media communication, a political system would not be able to reach individuals. Ultimately leading to a corrupt government system. Mass Media truly does become the power for the political system in today's society.

-Taylor Johnson

Politically Debatable

Mass media reflects a political system in an authoritarianism way. This is the way it has been for a long time. Mass media dictates to us what we want to hear, not necessarily what is right. There are many things that mass media can’t cover due to international relations. There are also other factors that have to do with censorship. Mass media can reflect a politically system only if it goes through pre-publication censorship in which authorities preview material before dissemination. This goes for all mass media because if there isn’t censorship media can portray the political systems of other countries poorly. Different countries have their own rules and regulations that they have to follow, which aren’t always right. Other countries may be able to show things without censorship and get away with it unscathed, but later on could backfire on them. However they are protected by the first amendment and are able to say what they want as long as it doesn’t reflect poorly or inaccurately on the political system of another country. Mass media is different all over the world and they all reflect political systems differently. In some countries broadcasting bloody images of war is allowed and on others it is under heard of due to the law of that country.

How much are people informed of?

How does mass media reflect a political system globally?

Mass media reflects a political system first of all because it is has to abide by the political system. There are laws that restrict what can be published in mass media but there are also laws that protect those producing mass media. For example, the first amendment protects people's right to freedom of speech, so you can publish and post what you want to say though mass media. It also protects freedom of press, so people in the press are able to report on what they like.

Mass media also reflects a political system globally because certain governments will allow for mass media to me more or less censored. For example in America, a democracy, mass media is barely censored. The people are informed on what the press is able to find out, the government does not, or is supposed to not, restrict what they are able to publish.

On the contrary, countries like Cuba, China, and etc, that have dictatorships, have mass media highly censored. The people do not receive information about everything the government is doing- especially the bad things.

For example here is a video on youtube about what China's media will not cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4As-dVqbQI

the Fourth Estate

The “Fourth Branch of Government” or commonly referred to as the fourth estate can be related directly to the watchdog theory. To recall, the watchdog function is the responsibility for the media to make sure the truth is revealed and to watch over the government and its branches to eliminate corruption. If the fourth estate did not exist, the involvement of society with the government and politics would be significantly less. Without news and media the government would not be able to communicate with the public. The fourth estate keeps a keen eye on any news reports and any change within the news to look out for the public, acting as a democracy.

The Fourth Estate

The Fourth Estate the next branch of government for the United States. This is the branch that deals with all forms of media, and i mean all. The reason that we have this fourth branch is because the people need to be informed and up to date in the news and opinion of the world. The significance of this branch is it decides how information is put out and we all now the first amendment which is freedom of speech which is a closely guarded asset to each and every citizen as well as the fourth branch. There are however rules and regulations to how things are put out and even what were allowed to take pictures of and stuff like that.

Fourth Estate

The press was referred to as the fourth estate. The first was clergy, the second was nobility and the third was common people. The fourth estate was stated to be “more important by far than them all”. All journalistic activities are referred to as the fourth estate. This is significant because all the previous estates referred to classifying people and the fourth estate was the press. 

Mass Media Effects

Media affects us in more ways than one. For example lifestyle, media is integrated into our everyday lives since we were little. In child development, media presents people with cultural values and role models. Those two are very important in a child’s live and media has a strong pull in that. It’s a growing issue because children are becoming more immune to abuse because of mass media and also role models showed on mass media are not the best for children. Mass media has affected our attitude towards violence and cultural values. Media desensitized people by making them get used to violence and sexual media content. Because we are exposed to it every day we become desensitized and not pay attention to it or become appuled by it. 

The Media As a Global Political System

The media has fallen into different political systems throughout it's history, originating in Authoritarianism and shifting to Libertarianism as well as other global political systems. Originally most of mass media's history involved the authoritarian political system because the powerful monarchies were authoritarian. Unfortunately because this type of government is based upon a monarchy or dictatorship, the media is suppressed through censorship and other means. Typically this control does not last long because the truth is hard to suppress, for example Franco's Spain had a media blackout during the Holocaust but the people heard of the horrors of the Holocaust through other means(The Media of Mass Communication).

Oppositely, Libertarians believe that humans are capable of finding the truth through reason. Typically this refers to a Democratic government such as in the United States where the First Amendment gives freedom to the press. Even with this freedom many stories about wars in the United States over the years have been censored. Also other nations like China India and Britain have different ways of organizing their media systems, with systems like India's Bollywood, Britain's BBC and China's Golden Shield. By looking at the differences in how the media is organized throughout the world it is clear that the media is it's own political system. Just like global politics, the media has different protocols and laws throughout the world.

What is the significance of the fourth estate?

The fourth estate is very significant to how the news media is presented to the public. The fourth estate is utilized in today’s times, but it was coined during the medieval times as the press as a player in medieval power structures, in addition to the clerical, noble, and common estates. In current times the fourth estate applies to all journalistic activity and that their job is to monitor the three branches of government as an external check on behalf of the people. This in turn puts journalists in a watchdog role, which means that the press is a skeptical and critical monitor of government. The monitoring of the government helps keep the public informed in what is really happening either good or bad. If the government had control of the press people would be persuaded to believe everything the government says, but by having the fourth estate established here in the United States more or less keeps the government in check when it comes to what is portrayed in the media. Also the fourth estate prevents biasness when it comes to government news. There still may be biasness because of the reporter, but at least it is an individual bias rather than the government being biased. The fourth estate plays an essential role in monitoring the government in order to inform the public. Without the fourth estate, the public would be ill informed on what is actually happening within the government.

Media Effects on Society

People are effected by mass media in countless ways. The “Bullet Theory” for example; which is defined as an idea that, “the mass media had a profound, direct effect on people.” (Vivian 351) In other terms the media instils thoughts and ideas in the minds of the public that apply to how we view the media. In other words people tend to take the knowledge from the media we view and then formulate their own ideas on the given knowledge.

Aside from the bullet theory, another accepted theory known as the, “cumulative effects theory” focuses on how in everyday life media is constantly present. The book states that, “nobody can escape either the media, which are ubiquitous, or the medias messages, which are drive home with redundancy.” (Vivian 353) With constant exposure audiences are guaranteed to be effected by the media and the messages it yields. I accept this theory more than the bullet theory because it applies to my life as an individual. I face the redundancy of the media on a daily, if not hourly basis. For example the Planet Fitness commercial with the body builder who repeats, “I pick things up and put them down,” has become a joke within my family because it is always on the television.

Mass Media Effects

Being that the media is something that is viewed by many people, it is inevitable that it will have some kind of mass effect. One of the ways that media can have a mass effect is stereotyping. It is very common in sitcoms, crime shows, and even reality television to play upon stereotypes. People viewing these stereotypes play out on screen may in fact be influenced by the images they see and in turn take those stereotypes to be true.

One real life example of how media can have a mass effect is 9/11. On that horrific day, the pictures of the twin towers were viewed by millions of people across the world. The images evoked somewhat of a global mourning and are really engrained in the minds of the people that viewed them. Viewing the images of the attacks prompted thousands to donate money, and help out in one way or another.

These two examples illustrate both the good and bad mass effects that the media can have on a group of people.

The Fourth Estate

The Fourth Estate is a group that represents the fourth branch of the United States government. The branch deals with the news media, especially print journalism. However it also includes photographers, television broad casters, radio announcers and others. In our society we constantly need to be informed and the news media allows us to keep up to date with the world.

It may seem strange that the fourth branch off our government is the press, but it actually makes sense. In order to keep our country informed of the decisions being made for us as well as the ones we are helping to make, we need the news. Having the news be a part of our government helps us to keep it in check. The news helps to both inform and shape our culture. In 1841 Thomas Carlyle also argued that the press was an important part of a democratic society. He said that writing gives people “a tongue which others will listen to.”

The Significance of the Fourth Estate

Since Edmund Burke, the fourth estate has traditionally been regarded as one of the classic checks and balances in the division of powers. It is widely agreed that the fourth estate is the public press, referred to as a collective and encompassing photographers, journalists, television broadcasters, and radio announcers, among others.

Many people generally agree that the fourth estate has immense political and social power, thanks to the fact that the press can be used to shape societies while imparting news of note and commentary of interest. Because the fourth estate is recognized as such an important body, many nations have laws to protect the rights of the press and ensure that citizens have access to reporting on matters of interest and of note.

Because of the importance of journalism in society, most members of the fourth estate abide by certain professional and personal ethics. Many journalists attempt to cultivate an air of neutrality, focusing on reporting of the issues as they are. Therefore, people can judge the facts for themselves, while others focus on offering commentary and analysis from the perspective of a particular position.

Mass Media's Affecting Society

Mass Media affects of daily lives. Even sometimes in ways we doing know. The growth of the media has greatly grown over the past few decades. It will continue to grow as we further develop new and better technologies. From starting with the telegraph to know having 3D televisions. Media continues to produce and affect how we live. We as a society depend on constant fast paced information and communication.

With the many different media channels the most influential and most often used is the television. This is because when we watch TV we are exposed to thousands of images including advertising. The average child sees about 40,000 ads a year. With all of this information our society cant help but be impacted.

mass media effecting society

Mass media is everywhere around us at all times. When something is in our face so often it is certainly going to have some sort of effect on everyone who is exposed to it. Mass media effects a lot of things including the way we view things, and the way we shop. It effects our views in ways such as making us think someone or something is bad. Media coverage has no limits everything you could possibly think of has probably at one point been broadcasted through some form of mass media. For example; political commercials can affect the way someone thinks about another person. The viewer sees one politicians supporters commercial through mass media that lists all the negativities about their opponent. The viewer may now buy into that and vote for the former politician instead of the latter. This effect on our views may also change the way we buy. For example, if someone sees one of those commercials talking about the BP oil spill and how awful it was, they may drive past the BP station when in need of gas and fill up somewhere else since it projects the image that BP is bad. Mass Media effects many different things for the people exposed to it.

Mass Media Effects and their Impact on Society

Mass media affects our society in many ways. It affects our thoughts, opinions, lifestyle, etc. in both positive and negative ways. One theory that affects the majority of our society is the minimalist effects theory. The minimalist effects theory is when close family, friends, and “opinion leaders” who are people one looks up to affect people indirectly. Many people are influenced and persuaded by those whom they trust and look up to rather than the media as a whole, which can affect our society both positively and negatively. This can positively affect society because it enables people to see both sides to an opinion, but this can be negative too because if one is easily persuaded to think differently than before then people will not have their own thoughts and opinions. Other ways mass media affects our society is lifestyle. Mass media can directly affect society by lifestyle effects, particularly when it comes to socialization. Socialization is the process of learning to fit into society. Usually people learn how to fit into society from their parents, siblings, neighbors, friends, and those who are around them all the time. However, mass media has been playing a role into socialization. Now children can learn what is right, wrong, and taboo by being exposed to mass media. Television is the main form of mass media that affects our society. Television can teach children how to fit into society, by outlining the ideals and standards of our society. This as a whole is positive, but it can also promote wrong ideals such as fighting. Mass media is very affective and impacts society significantly, more than people actually know.

Mass Media and Society

We all know that mass media effects and impacts society every moment of everyday. Where is was once a simple and non important part of peoples lives it is now a large part of society and an integral part of everyday life. Almost everything we know is effected by media. It impacts everything from how we grow up to the food we eat to what we know whats going on in the world. Now even our basic knowledge is from the media that we consume whic tells you exactly how much mass media is apart of our lives.

Which audience analysis measurements principles and techniques are most effective, and why?

Measuring audience size for newspaper and magazine audits is very easy to analyze. It is measured by circulation. The data is formed by using pressruns, subscribtion sales and unsold copies returned from newsracks. Radio and television audiences are harder to measure. There is an entire ratings industry to analyze audience data to determine a fair price for advertisements. Nielsen ratings rank every prime-time network show in weekly Neilsen rating. These shows are ranked by audience size.
Personally, I think the most effective audience measurement technique is found over the internet. This would be Facebook and the companies ability to get easily measurable data from their audience, for free. Users pump measurable data into Facebook's database, this allows them to only have advertisements on their page that cater to the individual user. They eliminate wasted space by ensuring that every advertisement on the page is directly applied to the person that is viewing it.

Mass Media

http://hubpages.com/hub/Mass-Media-Influence-on-Society

(This is a great website for how Mass Media effects and impacts society, includes videos which impact individuals in several ways)

-Taylor Johnson

A Functioning Fourth Estate

The significance of the fourth estate is that it provides many Journalists working together as a group, which ultimately gives more support to the way communication works. The fourth estate is used as a way of mass communication as well. The messages journalists want to send can read various people with the technology we now have today. With newspapers, magazines, television and radio the fourth estate has made an impact on meeting many people's communication needs. It not only has helped journalists and the public press find a way to reach many individuals but it provides support within mass media.

A quote that truly shows the importance of the fourth estate is, "Burke said that there were three Estates in Parliament, but in the Reporters Gallery yonder, there sat a fourth Estate more important far than they all" (http://www.campwood.com/fourthestate.htm). The fourth estate primarily helps 'function' democracy in our government.

-Taylor Johnson

The Importance of The Fourth Estate

Originally the definition of the fourth estate was as the press in medieval power structures, after the clerical, noble and common estates according to The Media of Mass Communication. The first recorded use of the term came from Edmund Burke in the mid 1700s. As the U.S. Constitution was constructed it created a three branch government with an Amendment giving freedom to the press. Inadvertently the press became known as the fourth branch of government, monitoring the other branches.


As the press acts as a watchdog for the government, the public is made aware of information otherwise unknown. With the freedom of the press there is an added incentive for government officials to remain honest. An example of the importance of this "fourth estate" is shown in the Minneapolis bridge collapse where the media uncovered information about bad inspection marks for the bridge over a number years due to funding being spent on a baseball field. Examples like this show the importance of the media's ability to uncover the truth and present it to the public. Without the power of the press, government would not be forced to inform the public of many things. With that in mind it is clear that the fourth estate is the most important part of the government, reducing corruption significantly.

4th Branch of Control

To keep our government fair with checks and balances we are lucky to have the fourth estate of mass media. The goal of the media should be to keep citizens informed of important events and changes taking place in their society, culture, and governments.

As loyal citizens we expect for the media to keep us informed truthfully by the media about our government and corporate doings and to keep a fair unbiased opinion about all pressing issues but to simply stress raw facts, data, and to present issues without fluffery. With this level of media coverage figures and institutions can be held accountable for their actions and have issues exposed and good work praised.

Overall this system seems it should work, but does the media today have the freedom of press and speech we so often hear of? Is our media honest, and not trying to push a political or corporate objective of their own? Or has the media’s best intentions turned into a strive for profits, ratings, and advertising that has lent them to be a corporations tool to control the ever trusting and ignorant public opinion?

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Media is Sales

Today we live in an age in which the majority of media we consume is mass media. 95% of the media we consume comes from a few large media conglomerates. These corporations, which have been driven by profitability and stock performance, control the majority of what you listen, watch, and read. Overall the effects of their entertainment, and news change what you perceive and what you think about yourself, others, and objects. Media largely works with advertising and selling products to generate revenue as such the media tells you to consume products, telling you that you will be feel better, look better, be happier and successful.

As ratings for TV shows are what drives ad space, shows become more graphic, or focused on pure entertainment value as opposed to having an artistic. Media is focused on selling you ideas, products, and viewpoints. Political shows generally have an agenda, as do the advertisements and product placement. Although i wouldn’t think a show like CSI would have an impact, it portrays America as a violent country, while the Simpson’s make Americans seem ignorant. Although these impressions may be largely true media convinces society of things. With the onset of the Jersey shore and Teen mom its seems Americans are looking to cash in on their 15 minutes of fame, and will do just about anything to become a celebrity.

The Watchdog – The Fourth Estate

The media is often considered the fourth estate or the fourth branch of government within the United States. John Vivian, author of The Media of Mass Communication, writes, “These terms of identify the independent role of the media in reporting on the government. The media are a kind of watchdog on behalf of the citizens” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.).

We as citizens rely on the media to keep close watch and report on government actions as well as private and public institutions. Doing so keeps political figures and institutions honest and aware of their actions. In a more recent event the media worked to expose Lewis Libby and Vice President Dick Cheney and their acts of perjury and obstruction of justice during the Iraq War. The finding resulted in a 30-month prison sentence (later commuted) and a $250,000 fine. John Vivian writes, “The U.S. democratic system relies on the mass media as an outside check to keep government accountable to the people” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.).

Whether the actions of the government and institutions are good or bad, the media serves as a positive watchdog for the United States.

Vivian, John. The Media of Mass Communication . 9. ed. Boston, Ma: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2009. Print.

-Patrick Morgan

Mass Communication - Effects on Society

Early scholars once argued that media messages had strong and powerful impacts on society; this is considered the bullet theory. Scholars believed that, “The mass media were so powerful that ideas and even ballot-box instructions could be inserted as if by hypodermic needle into the body politic” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.). Although early scholars once believed this idea, it was soon found that the bullet theory was, “Simplistic and vastly overstated the effects of mass communication” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.).

This is not to say that mass communication does not have an effect on society. In fact, mass communication is said to have long-term effects. These effects include lifestyle, attitude, cultural and behavioral effects. In regards to lifestyle, mass media has the ability to introduce children to societal activities, whether good or bad. Mass media spreads information, opinions and ideas to millions of people. John Vivian, author of The Media of Mass Communication, writes, “Scholars know a lot about the effect of stereotypes, which, when repeated, can have a compounding effect” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.). Cultural effects in the media include portraying dominant society values. Lastly, it is said that mass communication persuades and influences the behavior of individuals. Vivian writes, “Advertising research has found ways to tap into consumer psyches, sometimes with tactics so subtle as to be unrecognized for what they are” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.).

Whether good or bad, scholars often debate the effects of media messages on the public. Although effects are limited in the short-term, long-term effects have the ability to influence those who are exposed to these messages.

Vivian, John. The Media of Mass Communication . 9. ed. Boston, Ma: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2009. Print.

-Patrick Morgan

Internet Audience Measures

Media Matrix, the leading Internet audience measuring company, has utilized a, “Two-track system to determine how may people view web sites” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.). The Internet tracking system has used 40,000 computers to monitor and analyze individual’s searching habits. In a society that has become technology dependent, utilizing the internet to purchase and sell goods, research material, watch movies and even read books, Media Matrix has the ability to instantly analyze an individuals preferences and habits. John Vivian, author of The Media of Mass Communication, writes, “The Nielsen ratings company has set up a similar methodology. Other companies also are in the Internet ratings business” (Vivian, The Media of Mass Comm.). The Internet has become the leading medium used by individuals to conduct any activity, whether that is e-commerce or research. Utilizing the Internet as measurement tool is not only effective but relevant in an individual’s life today.

Vivian, John. The Media of Mass Communication . 9. ed. Boston, Ma: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2009. Print.

-Patrick Morgan

Mass Media: Lifestyle Effects

Socialization skills are taught from the beginning of one's life. At some point socialization includes the mass media, and with television the media is introduced at a much earlier age than ever before. According to "The Media of Mass Communication" the average eighteen year old will have spent more time watching television than on anything else except for sleeping. Television programming can have positive and negative impacts on children, with shows like Sesame Street promoting a healthy lifestyle and other shows like Teletubbies negatively effecting speech development in children. The media also affects the living patterns of individuals, as many actions are based upon what the media shows. The production of the television led to many families staying home together. This lifestyle change affected other social actions of families by taking over. Similarly, many housewives began to rely on the evening newspaper to plan the next day's shopping, though this is not the case today. Not only does the media impact adults, but even younger children are being exposed to things considered inappropriate for their age. The violence and sex portrayed on television has created a generation where children see these "grown-up issues" much sooner than previous generations had. While the media as a whole impacts society, it has positive and negative outlets.

The Fourth Estate

First of all, what is the fourth estate? This term refers to the press, or news media, which represents the fourth branch of government in the United States.

Why would Congress allow the press a permanent voice in society by labeling them a part of the government? The reasoning was to create an informal check on the government and if they were doing their job properly. This makes the fourth estate a very important part of government, and even more important to the public as their position benefits and supports the people. By checking if the government is doing their job, the people will be satisfied and taken care of, leading to less of a rebellious nation including riots. Basically, the press is seen as a watchdog overlooking crucial decisions and actions the leaders of the country take, which explains their significance.

Mass Media's impact on Society

There is no surprise that mass media and their messages influence society in all aspects of life. The most prominent mass media effects relate to lifestyle, attitude, culture, and behavior. Since our society has been exposed to media from birth, the media has portrayed typical lifestyles that our society adheres to. This is part of how we learn how to “fit in” with society. Socializing, a key part of living, and life values are displayed through television shows in which any age can comprehend since it does not require reading. Through the decades, changes are made in society, as well as values, which mass media always adapts to. Along with lifestyle comes the display of different cultures. Through the diffusion of innovations, ideas, values and information on a specific culture can be shared all around the world. This explains the powerful effect of mass communication, as it can alter entire cultures. On the other hand, attitude, where opinions are formed as well as feelings towards different icons, is also created as a result of mass media‘s influence. Magazines, books, and TV shows help us form opinions on topics discussed, and also idolize certain profound figures that we consider “role models“. Finally, since our attitude can be influenced, so can our behavior through media messages in positive or negative ways.

Media effects on society

Mass media’s effects impact society in a variety of ways, through their lifestyles, attitudes, culture, and/or behaviors. Lifestyle effects reflect how a person is socialized into society from a very young age with TV being the main source of media communication in a child’s life. TV serves as a socialization tool to expose them to other influential factors they normally wouldn’t learn about from family and friends at this young age. Critics claim that this influence from TV is taking away a child’s innocence at a young age. Attitude effects reflect how mass media impacts public opinion and how it can be manipulated to reflect the current mass sentiment with the use of stereotyping. Mass media uses stereotyping to create an image in the viewer’s mind quickly and without a lot of words. Also with the use of role modeling, attitudes can be influenced by imitating desirable behaviors. The cultural effects reflect how mass media influences society by the use of historical and contemporary transmission. Where learned values are passed on through the generations as the historical component and other cultures are influenced by our culture as the contemporary component. The behavioral mass media effects on society are through motivational and subliminal messages. These effects use manipulative advertising that acts upon people’s hidden motivations to influence them as well as sending subliminal messages to mass audiences that cannot be consciously perceived. In this case people are influenced to buy their product or use their service without being aware of their motivation to do so. So, mass media can influence people’s decisions in many ways, through socialization, stereotyping, role modeling, historical and contemporary transmissions as well as through motivational and subliminal messages.

Fourth Estate

The significance of the fourth estate or the fourth branch of government was that its job was to monitor all of the other branches of government and to make sure that they were doing what they were supposed to do. The fourth estate is defined as being the press as a player in medieval power structures, in addition to the clerical, noble and common estates. The fourth government is defined as being the press as an informally structured check on the legislative and judicial branches of government. It is also called the watchdog role, which is a concept of the press as a skeptical and critical monitor of government. It had to make sure that each branch of government stayed within their boundaries and didn’t do something that they weren’t supposed to such as taking the power from one branch and giving it to another. In the watchdog role the founders saw the role of the press as keeping tabs on the people in power.

Media Impact

Some mass media effects are bad such as advertising which can greatly impact society in that it can sway people into not wanting to watch a certain show due to the commercials that re seen. Many companies try to mass advertise through TV, radio, and Internet therefore people get annoyed from seeing it all the time that they might not watch what they were watching or listening to the radio or going on the internet. This then could take money away from other companies that need people to make profit. Then there is good mass media such as TV, radio, Internet, Phones, etc. This is all good media in that people everyday are using it therefore companies can take advantage of creating shows or games or online magazines/newspapers. Since everyone is becoming more technologically advance a lot of the newspaper industries are moving towards putting their information on the internet so that it can be more mass produced and more people can see it at one time instead of having to go out and get it. Mass media has impacted the society greatly in that it allows for easy access to this through the Internet, and phones mainly because you have all sorts of media at your fingertips.

The true meaning?

What is the significance of the fourth estate?

The fourth estate essentially is journalists and print media. The phrase was originally only a synonym for newspapers. However with the advances in radio, television, news magazines, and television media it has evolved to mean mass media in general.

In America usage it is in contrast to the "fourth branch of government" and it means the right to independence for the press but that would suggest that the press is not independent of the government according to www.campwood.com.

It is attributed to Edmund Burke, a British politician who said there were "Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all," in reference to Thomas Caryle's book, On Heroes and Hero Worship. However, he may have been repeating what someone else had said it is not known for sure.

Society depends on the effects of mass media

What are some mass media effects and their Impact on society?

Mass media has had mostly good effects on society throughout the years. Mass media has made society aware of things they would never have been able to be aware of. Mass media has helped get information out about wars, and what has been going on around the world. For example, people in Libya would not have been so successful with their protests and getting their opinions heard without the utilizing mass media through the Internet and social networking cites. Society responded by caring about what was happening, and the media reported on the protests, so the rest of the world knew what was happening.

Another example is when politicians and big companies are corrupt; the media has been able to report on this, and through mass media, the rest of the world found out. People in society were then able to form their own opinions on these scandals.

Mass media has also created trends within society; this includes anything from clothing to opinions. Girls would not know which jacket they had to buy if it weren’t for mass media within advertizing. People would not be able to form ideas on which president they wanted without seeing what he had to say through mass media.

Society as a whole largely depends on mass media.

audience

How to know what people are watching and listening to in the media is hard to find out what everyone is doing. However there are some ways that we can see what people are watching and listening too. Depending on what is on tv and the radio and other media we can make an assumption on the audience viewing by probability sampling. The other most common ways are things like surveys and polls that are given to a certain number of people. The trick with that is it cannot be within just one segment it has to be a lot of different segments and demographics so it is possible to adjust the polls and survey numbers on a national numbered scale. But there is one in particular that has been around for a while and has proven itself to be a great audience measurement tool in the media world. The Neilson Rating system is knowm as the most accurate in determining the audience measurements. I as well as the media believe that this system is the best for accurate readings because unlike other measurements they put other information in that has to do with the people and segments they are testing that turn out better measurement audience numbers.

Chpt 13&14 blogposts

Chapter 13 - Mass Media Effects
What are some mass media effects and their imact on society?

During the last 50 years media as grown exceptionally with the advance of technology.  Our society depends on information and communication to keep moving.  If you think about a normal day, you probably rely many different types of media, including, cell phones, Internet, E-mail, radio/tv, etc. to get you through your day, help you communicat and give you the information that you need.  We use media for many things, including, news, education, communication, and information flow.  Our society has come to rely on mass media, and I believe that it would definitely fall apart if mass media ceased to exist.  We are so dependent on it that we wouldn't know what to do without it.

Chapter 14 - Media and Democracy
What is the significance of the fourth estate?

The fourth estate is a term used to emphasize the independence of the press.  It is contrasted with the fourth branch of the government which suggests that the press is not independent of the government.  According to the first amendment, there is freedom of the press - therefore, I think the press should be independent from the government.  Essentially, the press could be uncovering things to the public that the government wouldn't want us to know - which is what makes it significant.  The people will learn to trust the press.

Audience Measurment Techniques

Over the years, television broadcasting companies have used many techniques to measure the amount of views they are getting at one particular time or for one particular show. Some of these techniques include probability sampling, straw polls, surveys, and ratings. After comparing all of these measurement techniques with one another it is clear that the Neilson Rating system is the most accurate form of media monitoring and rating. The Nielson Rating System was originally created to monitor how many people were listening to certain radio stations. Now it is used primarily to track television ratings. I feel that this is the most effective measurement technique because it takes many different variables into consideration such as income, education, religion, occupation, and location. Taking all of these variables into consideration allows for a more accurate and wholesome number.

Analyzing an Audience

When media sources try to determine who their audience actually is, they use audience analysis. Audience analysis allows them to break down members of their audience and see what products they are attracted to.

When it comes to audience measurement principles, probability sampling is the most effective. Compared to quota sampling, probability sampling is more efficient, because researchers have a higher confidence level in their ability to pinpoint exactly where the average amount of audience would be.

If a researcher wants to measure an audience, the most effective way is to use broadcast ratings. Broadcast ratings allow you to see accurate demographics of who is watching what show and what channels are most viewed. Researchers can divide groups based on gender or age or both. This helps researchers to have a range of who may be viewing their media.

In addition, the Internet has helped the media greatly, because it has added another medium to the mix. It is able to reach a large audience, because anyone can get access to it.

In the end, there are many ways to analyze an audience. However, researchers must find the most appropriate ways. This will help them to use the best media possible.