THE MEDIA INDUSTRY

OYEGUNLE JOHN 

An Overview of the Media Industry

The media can also refer to the group of journalists and others who constitute the industry involved in providing these forms of communication. The media industry has continued to grow as demand for information has increased. Significant improvements in technology have allowed the industry to develop and duplicate products efficiently with very low production costs. Examples of this include developments in printing presses, advances in television and radio technology and the introduction of the internet as a new medium.
Such rapid developments in production methods have made the media industry very profitable, allowing media conglomerates to develop. Serious concerns have been raised about the issue of media ownership, with large corporations such as News Corporation and Time Warner leading a small group of media conglomerates that control a large proportion of the world's media. Many of the concerns raised relate to the apparent political and other viewpoints these corporations express through their media assets. However, the corporations themselves strongly deny that their assets reflect the opinions of the corporation. The media industry has undergone significant structural change, growing to become a pervasive and increasingly influential force in society. These structural changes are linked to the strategies pursued by the major media players as they respond to pressures from investors for short-term profits. In turn, these structural changes and industry strategies have raised significant questions and prompted key debates about the role and future of media.

Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. John (2006) Broadcast media (also known as electronic media) transmit their information electronically and comprise television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other devices like cameras and video consoles. Alternatively, print media use a physical object as a means of sending their information, such as a newspaper, magazines, brochures, newsletters, books, leaflets and pamphlets. The term also refers to the organizations which control these technologies, such as television stations or publishing companies. Internet media is able to achieve mass media status in its own right, due to the many mass media services it provides, such as email, websites, blogging, Internet and television.

The media industry includes (Manohar, Uttara 2011):

1.      The print media- this includes the book, magazine and newspaper.

2.      Broad cast- Films, video games, audio recording and production

3.      Internet- blogs, RSS fields, Podcast, mobile

4.      Outdoor media

Relationship between media industry and social world

Michael O’Shaughnessy and Jane Stadler (Journalism 2A Reader) have analysed the relationship between society and the media by examining three key areas namely: Contemporary society, how the media works, the effects and influence of the media on the society. O’Shaughnessy and Stadler firstly noted three characteristics of contemporary society namely: change and crisis, inequality and difference, and maintaining conscent in western democracies.

The next area they focused on was the way in which media works. They gave three staring point positions which are: The first representation “media products do not show or represent the real world; they construct and re-present reality” The second interpretation “the media are just one of the ways by which we and society make sense of the world, or construct the world”. The final one, evaluation: “the media are owned, controlled, and created by certain groups who make sense of society on behalf of others”

Role of Media Industry in the Social World

The media industry has made a very special place for itself in our society and our lives. The media industry has become so important as food and clothing. The media industry is playing a very vital role in making the world small i.e. a situation where everybody can know what they want to know when they want to know it. Through the use of television, newspaper or internet, we are able to connect to a large number of people around us. According to Pember, (1987 :2), “mass media is constatntly supplying us with information, and influencing, educating or entertaining us”.

Smith S.E (2011) described the media using the mirror since it reflects each and everything about a society to us. In an article entitled Mass Media Influence on Society, Rayuso (2008) argues that the media is dominated by five major companies (Time Warner, VIACOM, Vivendi Universal, Walt Disney and News Corp) which own 95% of all mass media including theme parks, movie studios, television and radio broadcast networks and programing, video news, sports entertainment, telecommunications, wireless phones, video games software, electronic media and music companies. Whilst historically, there was more diversity in companies, they have recently merged to form an elite which have the power to shape the opinion and beliefs of people. People buy after seeing thousands of advertisements by various companies in TV, newspapers or magazines, which are able to affect their purchasing decisions. The definition of what is acceptable by society is dictated by the media. This power can be used for good, for example encouraging children to play sport. However, it can also be used for bad, for example children being influenced by cigars smoked by film stars, their exposure to sex images, their exposure to images of violence and their exposure to junk food ads. The documentary Supersize Me describes how companies like McDonalds have been sued in the past, the plaintiffs claiming that it was the fault of their liminal and subliminal advertising that "forced" them to perchance the product. The Barbie and Ken dolls of the 1950s are sometimes cited as the main cause for the obsession in modern day society for women to be skinny and men to be buff. After the attacks of 9/11, the media gave extensive coveage of the event and exposed Osama's guilt for the attack, information they were told by the authorities. This shaped the public opinion to support the war on terrorism, and later, the war on Iraq. A main concern is that due to this immense power of the mass media (being able to drive the public opinion), media receiving inaccurate information could cause the public opinion to support the wrong cause.

Impact of the media industry

Every coin has two sides. There are both positives and negatives of one single given notion. The media, known as the fourth pillar of democracy, has a huge impact on the society. The effects are of course, positive as well as negative. It is up to the people to decide which effect they want to bask in. Media is such a powerful tool that it literally governs the direction of our society today. It is the propeller as well as the direction provider of the society. Opinions can change overnight and celebrities can become infamous with just one wave by the media. Read how media affects the society today by reading its effects.

The Bright Side

·         Downing, John (2004) Information on the latest happenings reaches people in just a matter of minutes. The vision of media reaches even the remotest corners of the country and makes sure that everyone is aware of what is going on in the country. The easy and swift availability of any given information makes media one of the most reliable sources for forming public opinion. It bridges the gap between the leaders and the masses by becoming their channel of communication.

·         It brings into open the innumerable achievements that are going on in the country. Media gives ordinary people the power to reach out to the society as a whole. It can make heroes out of ordinary men. The media acts as a deterrent on corrupt practices and keeps a check on the working of the government. Media has significantly promoted social causes like literacy, health management, anti-dowry practices, discouraging female feticide, AIDS awareness, etc.

·         Manali Oak (2011)Research has revealed that media is responsible for influencing a major part of our daily life. Media contribute to a transformation in the cultural and social values of the masses. Media can bring about a change in the attitudes and beliefs of the common man. The persuasive nature of the content presented over media influences the thoughts and behavior of the general public. Media has a direct impact over the lifestyle of society.

On the Contrary…

·         Media can adversely affect the thinking capability of individuals and instill negative or destructive thinking patterns in the society as a whole. As already said before, media has the power to form and alter opinions. This means media can portray an ordinary thing so negatively that it may force people to think or act in quite the opposite way. Media glorifies violence and contains graphic descriptions or images. When viewed by the vulnerable portion of the society, i.e., the children, it can have grave effects on their upcoming and thinking patterns. 

·         The media can sometimes go out of the way in advertising or glorifying certain issues. Usually, a bad or detrimental message is packaged in a glorious way and is made accessible to the public. Movies that depict filthy rich thieves who don’t bat an eyelid before killing someone or extorting someone and the getting away with it, sure give entertainment to people. At the same time, it encourages them to act in a way that promises adventure and thrill in life. This way, media glorifies the bad aspects of people and encourages them to act in forbidden ways.

·         Negativity: To some extent, media is responsible for generating negative feelings among those exposed to it. An early exposure to bold or violent films, books publishing adult content and news portraying ugly social practices has a deep impact on young minds. If children are bombarded with fight sequences, stunt work, sex and rape scenes, suicides and murders through books or movies, they are bound to leave a scar on these impressionable minds. And not just children, the unpleasant can impact even an adult's mind. Adults may have the maturity to distinguish between the good and the bad, but bombarding only the bad can affect anyone at least at the subconscious level. Haven't you had experiences of a bad dream after watching a violent movie? Or of imagining something scary happening to you after watching a horror film? Or a sudden fear gripping your mind after reading about a murder in your city? The reality should be depicted but not so gaudily that it'll have a lasting impact on people's minds.

·         Health Problems: Media has negative effects on the physical and psychological well-being of society. People spending hours in front of a television or surfing the Internet experience eye problems. Lack of physical activity leads to obesity problems. Media influences public opinion and impacts the choices that people make. The media does play a role in portraying thin as beautiful and fat as ugly. It has led to a general opinion that size-zero is the in thing and fat and chubby are out. This makes the overweight feel out of place. They are ready to starve themselves to lose weight. This can and has led to increasing cases of anorexia. An inferiority complex and lowered confidence in people with not-so-perfect bodies can lead to eating disorders. In a survey done on fifth graders by the National Institute on Media and the Family, it was found that kids had become dissatisfied with their bodies after watching a video of a certain very popular artiste and a certain scene from a popular TV show (names omitted on purpose).

Conclusion

The media industry operates within a social context as one of the many sub systems. From the use of the normative press theories as a background behind historic events such as apartheid and Germany under Hitler’s rule as well as the more as the more libertarian states such as Great Britain and America it is evident that media industry can have a profound effect on the society with its function.

REFERENCES

1.        Nerone, John (2006). "Approaches to Media History". In Valdivia, Angharad N.. A companion to media studies. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-4051-4174-1.

2.       Manohar, Uttara. "Different Types of Mass Media". Buzzle.com. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-mass-media.html.

3.       The Role and Influence of Mass Media". John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/The-Role-and-Influence-of-Mass-Media.topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26946.html

4.       Smith, S.E. (4 October 2011). "What is Mass Media?". Conjecture Corporation. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mass-media.htm.

5.       Downing, John, ed. (2004). The SAGE Handbook of Media Studies. SAGE. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-7619-2169-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=isFAwqhITCUC&pg=PA296.

6.       Pember, Don R. (1987), Mass Media Law. 4^th ed. Dubuque, IA: William .C. Brown company publishers

7.       O’Shaughnessy, M. Stadler, J. 2005, Media and Society, An introduction, Australia: OUP Australia and Newzealand Croteau.