- Identify the issue as a social problem
The market for mass media increases as the society keeps growing. Mass media plays a vital role in ensuring people understand the society they live exist. The newspaper was the first form of mass media to be introduced in 1440 in Germany. Since its invention, people have been relying on the newspaper for gathering information until other forms of media were made available (Barber). Since the introduction of television in 1970s, the demand for newspapers has gone down many people terming them as things of the past. The development of mass media forms other than newspapers such as TV and the internet brings some problems in our society.
Firstly, the introduction of other forms of mass media has significant effect in the fields of economy, politics, government and culture. Different countries have their own issues with the media. Mass media has the possibility of introducing confusion of people values. The daily propagandas discussed in the mass media have the ability to create a disagreement between individuals. Most people have access to the internet and television more than they can access a newspaper. Information found on the TV or the internet has the capacity of reaching a large number of people compared to information written in a newspaper. The above issue creates a challenge to the present society that is highly influenced by materials derived from TVs and the internet (International debate education association).
Secondly, ignoring newspapers and opting for other mass media forms has led to issues associated with the culture. Most people, especially the younger generation, have ignored their own culture and take other cultures shown on TVs and the internet. The availability of moving pictures and a more field of research allow users to find more on other cultures. This issue has brought many problems in the society. For example, people have started practicing same-sex marriage and other evil practices that are not acceptable in some cultures.
- Critically analyze potential solutions for the problem
The above problem requires a high profile solution to get rid of it. Newspapers form the most trusted form of information compared to other forms of mass media. In order to ensure the media creates no negative impact to the viewers, bloggers and readers, the following should be done. Firstly, the government should be screening all information in the media before releasing it to the society. Through this move, any information meant at inciting of causing disagreements among people in the society is eliminated. In addition, all those who involve themselves in writing inciting messages and stories should be searched and brought to book so that they can act as a lesson to others willing to write bad things. The problem with this solution is that most mass media TV stations are owned by politicians and government officials who are always poking fingers on each other’s eyes for political gains.
On the other hand, people should be encouraged to get back to the newspapers and ignore other forms because the newspaper provides higher quality journalism compared to any other form of mass media. As George Washington stated, the newspaper is the only social media channel that can preserve the liberty and stimulate the society through good morals and knowledge creation. The internet is prone to editing before the information is released to the society, which can lead to people absorbing the wrong information. The advancement in technology and globalization cannot allow people to ignore the internet for the sake of defending the society.
The final solution to the problem will be conducting knowledge campaigns to educate the society on how to react to information found in the mass media. Newspapers act as the best form of delivering information to people because all the information written is weighed to ensure regional balancing. Newspapers are losing their popularity in the developing world, and the society should be aware of how the internet edits what they present without people realizing. Awareness campaigns would be the most effective in educating the public on how to determine the originality of an issue in the mass media before making any reaction towards or against any issue. Such campaigns might not be very effective due to the ignorant nature of people. Curiosity will always make someone look at any information on the mass media.
- Employ a formal systematic approach to problem solving.
Figure 1: The systematic approach design process
The design process shown in figure 1 will assist in solving the above problem. A systematic problem solving approach involves steps taken in order to get a solution to a problem.
Analyze:
This section requires need assessment in order to determine performance requirements and the difference between what the problem holds and what really exists. The problem in question is on how the present mass media forms have caused instability in the society by providing unnecessary information.
Design
Under this section, a perfect design to the solution will be made. The design will involve conducting research on the best methods to employ in order to solve the problem at hand and prevent future occurrences. The design will be based on cost, time, knowledge and availability.
Develop
After an effective design is arrived at, the team will develop the best procedure to follow in order to make the solution available to the society. Some of the most common methods include advertising, awareness campaigns and public meetings.
Implement
The implementation process will follow where the research team will deliver the information to the society and teach them how to implement the proposed solutions. The best and most cost-effective solution will be implemented.
Evaluate
Once the solution is implemented, an evaluation will follow to determine its effectiveness. Evaluation process will involve going back to the society and conducting a research to determine whether the problem has been eliminated, or it still exists.
- Decide on a feasible solution using empirical evidence for support.
The most feasible solution to the problem of mass media in the society is for the government to regulate the type of information presented by mass media organizations. Empirically, the government through the constitution and policies has the power to suspend some mass media forms that introduce problems to the public. In United Kingdom, citizens are used to reading newspapers more than any other form of media, which clearly shows that newspaper is not really a thing of the past. If the government can introduce new policies in the mass media industry that regulates the type of messages and information presented to readers and viewers.
The following feasibility approach will be used to find solution to the above problem
The problem of media affecting the activities of a society has generated many issues that affect daily operations of a nation. Solving this problem will be worthwhile because it will not only help building a responsible society but also improve the image of the nation. Mass media plays a critical role in distributing information to the public. Theory predicts that the mass media provides a reflection on media’s incentives to provide news to different groups in relation to their political views and the public policy. Regulation of this information would be very critical in ensuring a peaceful society prevails (Strömberg and Snyder 25).
Are there constraints?
Any feasibility solution must have some constraints. On this solution, the major sources of constraints are in the areas of budget, scheduling, operations and technical. The recommended approach requires a huge budget since it involves travelling from one city to the other and booking appointments with government officials. In addition, the group must work on a tight schedule in order to conduct the process within six months. On the area of operations, the cooperation between the group members and the target group will determine the level of interruption to be achieved. In addition, the technical team is well prepared and is made up of computer professionals who have skills in data collection and analysis.
Budget
Implementation schedule
After conducting a research and determining the best approach to solve the problem, a possible solution will be developed. The program schedule is shown in table 2. The research team will go to major government offices requesting them to assist in solving the problem by putting up regulations and policies in the type of information presented by mass media. Once the process is over, several campaigns will be planned to educate the public on the best form of media to rely on and how to distinguish between false information and the correct information. On the other hand, advertisements will be made on major audio stations, bill boards and company websites.
Works cited
Barber, P. A Brief History of Newspapers, 2011. Web 13, June 2011:
http://www.historicpages.com/nprhist.htm
International debate education association. "This house believes that newspapers are a thing of the past."idebate.org. N.p., 2 Oct. 2011. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. http://idebate.org/debatabase/debates/culture/house-believes-newspapers-are-thing-past.
Strömberg, D. and Snyder, J. M. The Media’s Influence on Public Policy Decisions, in Islam, R. (ed.) Information and Public Choice. From Media Markets to Policy Making. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank. 2008, pp. 17-31.
