ruggerp11

I would really like to comment on two different subjects. I will be the first to admit that I was unable to read the entire thread due to time constraints. This is probably one of the best threads I have seen here. The topic has shifted several times (just seeing what I skimmed over) from the effect of mass media on daily life, the hidden meanings of commercials, to the effects of political campaigning. A little background on me (very little) I am currently a senior in college at a private university in MN. I am majoring in Political Science and Advertising. I would someday like to have James Carville's job. Currently I am writing two large papers for projects. One is the effect that negative campaigning has on first time voters (this is a research design, but the secondary research is still pertinent). The second is about news selection or news judgment (what news gets on the front page, and how).


*disclaimer* some of this might already been talked about, if that is true here is my two sense if not, then have at it


Keeping that in mind here are my thoughts on mass media, advertising, and political advertising in particular.

Mass media (TV, radio, newspaper, magazines, all the major outlets) can be a scary thing. We are bombarded by messages every day about what is going on in the world. If you watch enough CNN or Fox news you should be an informed citizen right?

I say no. Here's why. Nearly all of the mass media outlets that I described above are controlled by 10 large conglomerates who control media from across mediums and into advertising as well as many other commercial companies. This scares me because it makes me wonder how my message is being moderated. Are important stories not covered because they might hurt the company? Are some asinine stories covered because they will help business? That is one issue, international coverage is another one. Overseas news desks have been closing for a long time because they aren't as profitable as they used to be. How well do you think an earthquake or riot in southern Chile is covered by a guy manning the news desk in Mexico City? Not that well, you can't get the emotion that someone immersed in that areas culture would. At risk of being clichéd I often feel that we are giving in to the man. We are lying still while the message is getting narrower and narrower.

The way to combat this I believe is two fold. One, forget impartial news. No one by definition of having thought can be impartial. Just be upfront about it. I am not for the life of me saying that you should misrepresent the facts or not tell certain ones, but instead tell us why you believe what you do, what motivates you on a particular issue. Bring some passion back into journalism. I believe that you can do this and have both sides represented. People need to venture out of their TV room caves and start to have critical thought. This brings me to my second point. Be informed; know where your media is coming from and what how that shapes the way it looks. You can't be an informed citizen without knowing where your message originates.


The same thing can be argued about advertising (that you need to be informed). Ads in other countries are much more suggestive and often quite lewd. The difference I feel is that we get offended when someone uses our own perceptions to sell us things instead of realizing it for what it is. An advertisement. It is designed from day one to sell us something. To use what our brain says, and how it works in order to get us off our couch/rocks and out of our TV room/cave in order to purchase their products. I honestly believe that if someone can see the motivation behind the act (say advertising, PR, or journalism) they can look at it in a very different, more lucid light. This again comes back to being informed. This time however we need to become informed consumers.


This brings me to politics. The bane of living free right? We pick a middle of the road candidate who half represents what we believe to make decisions that affect the lives of everyone including us. Being radical and bucking the norm is a great thing, it spurs discussion and thought. Unfortunately it also doesn't create immediate change (usually, on the grand scheme of things it does not). Work within the system and make one change at a time. My example would be Nader. He's great, he represents a large group of people who don’t' agree with either side of the political coin. However *disclaimer liberal views ahead used to make a point* I believe that if he truly believed in his cause then he should bow out of the race and send his support Kerry's way. Kerry will be much more environmentally conscious then his opponent. Well, I digress.
The main issue here to me is being informed. Here, with politics its being an informed voter. many people, and this is what keeps me up at night, see the commercials and use political messages (sound bytes even, grrr) to decide whom to vote for. Political advertising can be a wonderful thing. It can inform and enlighten, but it can't be used alone. A voter must find issues that move them and look into it. What does the candidate really feel? What does he plan on doing about issue X?
People also then get mad at negative campaigning. They say that it ruins the race; it makes people disillusioned about the political process. You have to realize though that it does exactly what it is designed to do. It creates free press, and motivates people to pay attention. Even if this attention is caused by outrage towards the negative ads, they are still sitting up and being accounted for. Maybe then the result of their actions will be one of intrigue into what is really happening.

The key through all three of these issues (media, politics and political ads) again is being informed. The issue why we are not informed, even when compared to the rest of the world is a completely different issue (I could rant on the apathy of society for just as long, lol). My point tying all of these together is STAND UP, BE CURIOUS, ASK QUESTIONS, and BE INFORMED.


Sorry for my rant and how completely random it is but I got on a roll and thought it best to go with it. My only hope is that it spurs discussion and insight. Feel free to rip me a new one if you so choose, or agree with me. Either decision is your right, so USE IT! Lol

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--Me
BUT!
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