Global Political Media Influenced Culture

GLOBAL POLITICAL MEDIA INFLUENCED CULTURE
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(29 January 2011)
Global Political Media Influenced Culture
Introduction
Politics is defined as a process by which people or group of people make coactive decisions and is often observed in other group interactions like in corporate, religious and academic institutions. Politics consists of social relationships that involve authority or power and usually refers to the process of regulating public affairs within the political unit as well as the methods and tactics that are used to formulate as well as apply the policy (Flew, & Humphrey, 2005).
Culture is an intergraded pattern of human knowledge, beliefs, and behavior this dependent upon the capacity for learning as well as transmitting knowledge to the succeeding generations (Lull, 2000; Thomas, 1992). it also consist of the customary beliefs, social forms and the material aspects of religious, racial or social group which form the characteristics feature of dally way life (Safire, 2008).
According to Imre & Musgrave, (1993) politics and culture have interacted in complex ways resulting to a profound effect on the contemporary world. these effect shave been intensified by the advent of globalization leading to increased interconnectedness due to rapid flow of capital, images, goods and ideologies across the national boundaries (Aun, 2008).
Media Influence
Media influence or the media effects are often used in media studies, communication theory, sociology and psychology to refer to theories that explain the ways in which mass media affect the behavior of its audiences for instance the way they behave and think (Lull, 2000; Mash & Van Belle 2009). Some critics have suggested that media serve to weaken or delimit the capacity of an individual to act autonomously and this is attributed to eh role that it plays in connecting the world to individuals as well as reproducing the self image of the societies they come from (Harold, 1992; Larry, 1993).
A complex interaction exists between media and the society. One of the ways in which media interact with the society is trough generation of information in a network then publishing it using videos, articles and photos which are the utilized by the consumers (Lull, 2000). Using such information in turn influences individual’s way of interpreting the provided information thus potentially influencing their unrelated cultural beliefs as described in by the propaganda model. According to Locke, (2001; Merriam, 1992) the content created by the media therefore plays a critical role in influencing the culture of the society because its content often created for newsworthy events as well as the stories that are not told have consequences on the consumers thus supposedly influencing their cultures (James, 1993; Karl, 2003).
Mass media strongly impacts on the social and the culture of the society and this is predicated upon its ability to a wider range of audience with a strong influencing message. This is evident by the power of the television broadcasting to control a large amount of information over the content which the societies watch and the time of viewing (Tasker & McRobbie, 2007). This new media has led to altering of the participation habits of the public. In addition to that the expanding use of internet has created a space for more diverse political opinions, cultural view points as well as the social ideas and this has resulted in a heightened participation habits by the public and the entire society (Hunt, 2004). According to Ricci, (1984) this has led to speculations that internets use by the consumers for instance in production of information may lead to an informational overload in the media.
Media plays several roles in influencing the culture of violence in the society for instance many studies have illustrated that consuming mass media lead to an increased level of violence. One of the illustrations is that consumers who are exposed to violent media like violent films have a tendency to act violently in their day to day lives and determine their culture (Adams, 2001; Roskin, 2010). According to Raymond & Harpham, (1993) this is evident in children who become exposed to violence during their early childhood. In addition to that violent, aggressive and emotionally neglectful environments influence the behavior of the victims more than the influence resulting from the watching of violent media.
Political Influence
Albert & Tanenhaus, (1993) stated that politics influence the culture of the society especially when one considers the political criticism that pose an alternative conceptions of humans being creational and critical subjects who are often alert and sensitive to genre norms and adept at critiquing as well as interpreting of the representation of the media as opposed to absorbing them passively (Kemmelmeier, 2003). The influence is derived from the effects that commercials, voter campaigns and advertising have on the behavior of its consumers (Lockhart & Crothers, 2000; Torres, 1987). An example of the role that media ahs on consumes behavior is the role that it played in influencing the opinion of the public regarding aggressive attention that media gave on trial cases of celebrities like Michael Jackson and Roscoe Fatty Ar buckle (Truman, 1999).
Another way in which politics use media to influence the behavior and culture of the consumers is the strategies they employ in convincing the public to support their political ideologies and hence joining them e.g. the use of campaign song which are regularly featured on the media serve to influence the perception and the way they view certain issues in their daily lives (Knapp, & Wright, 2006; Baker, & Petey, 2001). The media is used by the political parties to promote their political causes hence ending up influencing the thinking as well as the actions and beliefs of their supporters and hence altered culture.
To achieve political agendas media is framed and primed by the players in politics so that they give certain information to the public. Politicians use the agenda setting process in the mass media which in most cases is unavoidable (Safire, 2008; Tucker, 2000). According to Wilson, (1998) media is compromised and made to produce information which is partial as the ethics of press and television are related to hegemonic establishment that provides a support to the existing order (Roberts, & Hogwood, 1997).
In this scenario the public is bride with good television, radio and newspapers which makes them accept the biased, misleading and status quo information hence media is not viewed as a crude agent of propaganda as it organize a public understanding (Yashar, 1997). But in the long run they public is convince to aligning their beliefs and thoughts through interpretations of the information provided based on the political ideologies in the mass media which are preferred by the ones with the economic power (Potter, 1999; Sojo, 2004). Thus in seeing comes the believing which consumers of the mass media falls prey to hence altering their culture. The agenda setting effect influences the culture of the public as voters define the issues in their daily lives based on the definitions that are carried by the information shared by the media hence the profound influence that it has in the culture of its consumers (Norberto, 1997; Ludwig, 1983). Therefore the global political environment has an influence on the culture that the society portrays especially by being the source of ideas, thoughts and beliefs which they pas to the public through the mass media and political campaigns hence gradually reshaping their way of thinking hence becoming culturally changed (Stetson, 2003).
Taylor, (1980) stated that political campaigns have been covered significantly by the media where the news, commercials, posters, adverts and voter meetings help influence the candidate people choose. This is because the media aggressively covers the events and insinuates a euphoria that is able to move the masses (Thrupp, 1990). General notions of life, relationships, religion and marriage have been changed with time due to media coverage. For example, the career woman has been greatly supported by media through media campaigns making more and more women to seek financial independence and gender equality (Berryman, 1983).
Global Influence
The world has become a global village in this era of digital age; this means that whatever happens in one of the world is known throughout the world. The news spreads fast through mass media and people get acquitted with it (Baker, & Petey, 2001). People in turn have been greatly influenced by whatever happens in other parts and get closely attached to it. Broadcast and spoken mass media communication reaches a large audience through television, radios, internet, print media and movies (Seligson & Edward, 1987; Mitchell, 1979). People also tend to adopt whatever they get from the media as a modern culture which to sociologists refer to it as mediated culture. The media is blamed for the creation of the culture where societies are given messages that are either intended or unintentional (Bigongiari, 1992; Miguez, 1993).
The messages are able to influence how people think and behave, which makes up a new culture. Such culture begins as a perception, and then is seen as a fashion which is adopted by numerous people that then influences the change of cultures. The attitude, moods, and sense of the masses are influenced and in turn translate to the culture (Mansell, 2004). First, is the concept of celebrities that people fight to be like them; some even pretending to be wannabe celebrities. They are envy their style of dressing, walking, talking, and lifestyle. People will do anything to have a glimpse of their favorite celebrities and have an autography. With such attitude and high esteem among the people for the celebrities whatever they do is copied by the masses making it affect and influence culture (Flew, & Humphrey, 2005; Iván & Palmer, 2004). Celebrities include actors, social elites, and singers; political leaders and prominent businessmen are among those featured as celebrities.
Movies are also a great medium that influence culture; whatever people see in movies is replicated in many homes (Mitchell, 1980). They such for the furniture they see on movies talk with the accent they hear in the movies, practice the activities that are on the movies. In doing this culture is abandoned with people feeling more comfortable with the new culture (Hardcastle, 2010). According to Thomas, 1959) one will not be surprised to see children practicing moves they saw on television which also affects adults.
Media not only influences the negative side of culture it has brought about revolution in the world historically. Success stories, that have liberated the world such as, the fight against racism, in the US and globally; can be quoted as an example of a revolution that changed the oppression of many (Potter, 1999). Freedom revolutions, gender equality wars, unfavorable cultures have also been discouraged through the media. In Africa, for example cultures such as circumcision of women, the role of the woman in society especially the girl child, and polygamy have been denounced (Bonkovsky, 1980).
Religion has been mostly influenced by media; people have adopted fancy ways of worship terming it as contemporary ways of worship (Lowell, 1983; Bork, 1996). Gospel music has been the worst hit where it has been revolutionized to suit the interest of the masses and attract them closer to their maker. In Africa this has been a major change from their traditional gods to following Christianity or Islam where the media has been very instrumental reaching those that are not yet reached (Seligson & Booth, 1994; Brian, 1993). Tele evangelists have braced television shows every day of worship to change what they refer as pagans. In changing religion in a society culture is also influenced in that believes and modes of worship change (Moss, 1998). For instance Africans believed in numerous gods and had a way of worship but changed by flocking to churches and mosques for worship. This continues to change as numerous are reached by the word through the mass media.
The social network has been a major threat to culture. The development of the internet where people have access to information at the click of a button has changed the world today. Social networks such as twitter, facebook, and HI5 among others have influenced how people think and act. Political agendas have been spread through writing on walls sharing on facebook, following on twitter. There have been major discussions to revolutionize the world through political issues. One most shared political event that shared numerous cover in the media was the election of Barrack Obama as the president of the United States of America (Hardcastle, 2010). This changed the perception of the world against race and the blacks Americans.
The society has become dependent on information and communication in the search for ways to follow and emulate. Societies look for what is fashionable and right to do in the media and many events that shape the lives of many such as entertainment, education, health, traveling, and relationships are affected by the media (Castells, 2001). In the towns people wake up and they must read newspapers watch the news, make phone calls, and update themselves with the social network. They affect t...