It has been said many times that in the United States, we get the government we deserve. I believe the same can be said for media. Why are television shows that have no intellectual value always the most popular? Why does no one know of important events in the U.S. and around the world? Simply, mass media is brainless because he American public, as a whole, is brainless. Nothing of worth is brought to traditional forms of mass media due to the fact that there is no audience for such things. A source that brought about insightful news programming, thought provoking works of fiction or complex entertainment would soon find itself out of business or speaking to a scant few. Large audiences "are more interested in themselves than anything else in the world" (Lippmann). Perhaps this would explain why most would rather post what they had for breakfast on Facebook than seek information on America's use of predator drones in far flung foreign lands. Yet, couldn't it be said that powerful interests wish to keep the public ignorant of the real state of the world? Wouldn't mass media be the perfect tool to pacify us? While both of these are true, I feel that the idiocy of the general population plays right into such plans by evil entities more than it is caused by them.
There could be hope for our society. Lippmann's plan for a group of elites running important functions may sound evil and controlling, but it doesn't have to be. If one could find a large group of intelligent people with only the best interests of the public in mind , we might well flourish. However, where Lippmann correctly grasped the public's inability to deal with complex issues, he overestimated humanity's capacity to rule with justice and good will in their hearts. So, with that out as a possible solution, where do we turn? As a young person, I would like to be excited by new technology and it's potential to save mass media and the minds of the citizenry. Since "we cannot be interested in, or much moved by, the things we do not see", satellite television or the power of the Internet can show us so much more than ever (Lippmann). Already though, these brave new frontiers have been perverted by the huge majority of morons in the world. Just look at the most viewed videos on Youtube. Thanks heavens they aren't anything important.
Works Cited:
Lippmann, Walter.
Public Opinion. Fq Classics, 2007. Print.
Do you think that the public settle for anything ,as far as what we watch and hear on t.v ? Do you think that if we follow the Dewey's philosophy, that we will be a better society?
ReplyDeleteYou mention saving "the minds of the citizenry." How do you think we should start doing this?
ReplyDeleteYoe wrote "If one could find a large group of intelligent people with only the best interests of the public in mind , we might well flourish." Do you think it's possible to find those types of people in today's culture?
ReplyDeletec-c: I think that following Dewey's path is impossible, because it hinges on journalistic outlets that focus on facts, delve deep into context and remain completely unbiased. There are no such sources of news in this day and age. A few might exist on the Internet or in other types of mass media, but their audiences are too small to facilitate positive change.
ReplyDeleteBrianna: There would be a lot that would need to be done to save the mind of today's average person. As a nice start, people could read a book or at least look in the direction of a newspaper or any source that tells them the slightest bit about what is going on in the world around them. Still, I won't pretend like I have all of the answers. I just know that most people have are very apathetic towards the state of mass media today. Maybe that means everything is fine and all of our problems will work themselves out.
Kearsten: I believe that there is a lot of good in the world. I also believe that in order to be a good person, one must overcome certain things that come along with being human. Can we really give as much power as Lippmann would to a group elites and expect them not to give in to the trappings of the human condition? Sadly, as we can see from most governmental positions, those who may be best suited to lead stay far away from the job. Greed, arrogance, and a self serving nature are what you'll most find in people who run for office. If we can somehow convince Stephen Hawking, Tyra Banks, Kofi Annan, and Batman to drop what they are doing to be our "elites", then we just might have a shot at a brighter future.