Part 1
As the news director of a local television station, I will make the death of the celebrity the lead story.
The primary role of the media is to deliver accurate and relevant news to the public. As the celebrity was a house-hold name, the story will be directly relevant to many of my viewers. Furthermore, the celebrity story, as a headline, will probably grab more attention. The closure of the parks will affect my viewers to a higher level. However, if viewers tune in to learn about the celebrity death, they will be more likely to keep watching for the park story.
Another consideration is my station’s social responsibly. The degree of social responsibility required by the media depends on the individual company and their ethics. In theory, the media should work for the creation of the public opinion. The media should shed light on relevant topics , and the media should denounce criminality. However, in practice, these responsibilities aren’t always adhered to.
Take the UK media as an example of diversity. The BBC is known worldwide. It prides itself on its high standards of impartiality and of public service ethos. Conversely, there are a wealth of tabloid newspapers that will publish highly exaggerated – and sometimes completely untrue – stories. The tabloids are well known for hiring paparazzi to obsessively follow and photograph celebrities in uncompromising positions.
Both news stories will be conveyed in an impartial way which is relevant to the viewers. The celebrity death must be handled sensitively, and journalists will only report on the facts.
As the celebrity was U.S based it won’t be too expensive for my journalists to travel out to cover the story. If the celebrity was somewhere further away, for example in the UK, the decisions I make would inevitably be different.
There are a variety of ways in which this news will be delivered. Some examples of mainstream media include print, radio, television and this internet. However the development of technology has led to the introduction of other forms of media, for example bill-boards, text news updates straight to cell phones, film and video games.
The significance of immediate news media delivery on American culture is to support a growing desire for instant satisfaction. Instant communication for via cell phones are an example of this, and immediate news is another form of this concept.
Media has changed a great deal over the last century. Firstly, in 1911 there was no radio, television of internet. Media was more heavily in the form of newspapers and posters. In the 1920s and 30s radio broadcasting became widespread.
Another example of how media has changed is the use of communication satellites. Using satellites, information can be transported, in seconds, from anywhere in the world to anywhere else. This is how people in the U.S can watch news being broadcast live from China, for example. All media, including newspapers, take advantage of this tool.
Modern day media has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, tasks are accomplished quicker and more efficiently. It can increase revenue through the growth in productivity and the decrease in manpower. On the other hand, these advantages can result in less job opportunities as less people are needed and for less hours.
Taking all factors into consideration, my local station will benefit the most by featuring the celebrity death as the lead story. The ratings will be higher and, as discussed, the viewers are more likely to learn about the park story if their attention is caught initially by the more newsworthy story.
Part 2
Culture is often reflected in movies, television and electronic games, and has been throughout modern history.
For example, the Cold War has influenced many movies and television programs. Sometimes in such works the Cold War theme of the threat of nuclear war is evident. Another common theme is the conflict between superpowers in terms of surveillance. Many media works use the Cold War as a setting for their story, whereas some directly create a conflict between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.
Just a few examples of media reflecting the Cold War are the television programs as Airwolf and Ivan the Terrible, and the movies On The Beach and The Sacrifice.
In the same way as culture can affect media, media can also affect culture. For example, as video games have grown in popularity they have had a substantial impact upon popular culture.
Video games encourage media self-production. In 1999, Doom released (on the internet) a code that empowered gamers to modify and lengthen the game. Pro-sumers such as these have united gamers and provided them with a medium through which to discuss experiences and tactics.
These corporations have added significance to the media by fostering a higher flow of images and ideas across many media channels.
There have been many influential games released within the last few years. Goldeneye 64 is renowned as being one of the most influential games in history. It introduced the gaming world to console based games with a story, weapons, secrets, unlockable characters and multi-player, among other factors. The FPS genre is now the principle genre of game in the western world, and this is largely due to the impact of Goldeneye 64.
Another example is the Grand Theft Auto series. It has influenced numerous games including Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. The concept of a vast world which is constantly changing has captured many game developers. Crime genre games such as Kane and Lynch have been created as a result of Grand Theft Auto.
Resident Evil provided the beginning of Survival Horror. It has produced several sequels and a prequel. Some games who have taken the basis of Resident Evil and used it to craft a survival horror include Dino Crisis and Parasite Eve.
Over recent years many controversial issues have arisen as a result of video games. Possibly the largest one is the health risk that physically playing the games is posing to young people. The majority of games require the player to sit still and only move their thumbs. In these times of growing obesity, the lack of exercise that gaming encourages is a widespread concern.
Another issue is the level of violence featured in some games. Extreme violence is trivialised and seen as ‘just a game’; occasionally people can transfer this stance to real life. There have even been reports of people using their gaming as a defence in court.
Leading professionals have argued notoriously concerning the restriction of video games. Such debates often focus on matters such as graphic violence, sex, violent and gory scenes, nudity and a positive portrayal of criminal behaviour.
Media such as television, film and video games have a direct relationship with culture. Sometimes media can reflect culture and at other times it media can affect culture. As with all forms of media, these three examples have changed a lot over time. Furthermore they will inevitably consider to change in the future.
