How powerful is our voice and our presence as civil society in the media environment?
When we were little children, some of us were encouraged to always say what we needed to say and some of us on the contrary were told to respect other people’s opinions before ours and not interfere when adults were voicing their opinions and therefore developed a more or less submissive character when it comes to voice our ideas. These ways of approaching the world shaped the way in which we voice our opinions as adults, and helped us distinguish between what we communicate and what we think is better to keep quiet or buried in the darkest corner of our beings.
In the same way, the media environment shapes the way we voice our opinions or the way we become quiet about them, and also contributes to the production of meaning and culture in our societies (Castells, 2007).
Is media as caring as our parents were when presenting us with their view of the world?
Does media really care about the outcome of the way civil society is being shaped and what the cost of this is?
Does media really care about feeding us well? Is it giving us what we want to consume?
What implications do power relations and framing have in the way we consume the stories that are presented to us in the media?
When discussing further the role of media in our lives, we should analyse power relations, which are those forces that establish and form the basis of every society, and understand how these power relations also depend on communications (Castells, 2007).
Besides, it is necessary to see how these power relations contribute to framing the experience we have of the world in the same way our parents contributed to frame the experience of the world around us when they caringly presented us with their vision of the world.
Frames basically present the visions or judgements of those who create the messages or ‘framers’ (Hallahan, 1999) and set a specific scenario of meaning and interpretation.
This can further be analysed by distinguishing between media frames, which have been understood as ‘devices embedded in political discourse’ and individual frames that refer to ‘internal structures of the mind’ (Scheufele, 1999) which are shaped since childhood. Both of them contribute to the way we understand the media environment and the way we engage with what is presented to us.
In addition, media stories are also shaped by the consumers that devour these stories, who also possess their individual framing.
Media stories are also produced by journalists who also have a specific individual framing, therefore not all the process of framing is made consciously (Hackett, cited in Hallahan, 1999), but responds to the ‘internal structures of the mind’ (Scheufele,1999) (Jung, 1964) of those who tell and read the story.
Are we passive victims of this big puzzle of media, framing and power relations? Can we contribute to change this scenario? Is our voice valid inside this landscape?
We still have a wide horizon to discover. We can contribute to shape it and become active creators or decide to remain as passive victims and silent spectators.
Note to readers: This post is part of my reflections of Critical Issues in Campaigning at the University of Westminster MA in Media Campaigning and Social Change.
References
Castells, M. (2007). Communication, Power and Counter-power in the Network Society. International Journal of Communication, 1, 238–266. Available from: http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/46/35
Hallahan, K. (1999). Seven Models of Framing: Implications for Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, //(3), 205-242. Available from: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~amgutsch/Hallahan.pdf
Jung C,G. (1964). Man and His Symbols. Anchor Press Doubleday New York London Toronto Sydney Auckland.
Scheufele, D.A (1999). Framing as a Theory of Media Effects. Journal of Communication, International Communication Association. Available from: http://www.phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de/fileadmin/Redaktion/Institute/Sozialwissenschaften/Kommunikations-_und_Medienwissenschaft/Vowe/Forschergruppe/Scheufele_Framing_theory_media_effects.pdf
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This is a really interesting blog looking at the way media can affect us personally and as a society. At the end you ask “Are we passive victims of this big puzzle of media, framing and power relations? Can we contribute to change this scenario?” I think the way to not be passive victims of media and its framing and power is to become media literate. To do just as we are now, and study the way in which the media works and the blocks on which it’s built. I think in this very digital age that people should start learning about this in school from a very young age. While I don’t know know if will ever be able to harness or overcome some of the negativity media can create, I think if we are all educated on the subject we have a better chance at understanding how it works and contributing to making it better.
Dear Kendall, thank you for these interesting points you raise about becoming media literate and educate children and teenagers in schools about the implications of media in their lives. These contributions have certainly given me more food for thought and more inspiration to write! Thank you so much!.
This is a very interesting website about becoming media literate from DR. Bobbie Eisenstock who ‘teaches, writes, and consults about the social and psychological effects of new interactive media on children, teens and families’ (Eisenstock, 2009-2016). I guess you might find these sources interesting to read.
I will keep you posted on my new articles about these interesting topics. Thank you!
great blog. I like the way you involved psychoanalysis in your analysis of our relatonship with the media
Thank you Inka, I’m glad you liked the inclusion of Jung’s analytical psychology theories. They are always a very powerful tool to understand the intrinsic relationships that happen in every field of experience in the world around us, and media is one of them 🙂
Our psyche plays a very important role in our lives as individuals, therefore in society as a whole, as we are a ‘sum of various psychic and developmental processes’. This is one of the reasons why Jung also talked about the differences and similarities between the personal and collective unconscious and how they are interrelated. You might be interested to have a look at this as well. Thanks again!
I found this post really interesting. I totally agree with what Kendall said.
The way many people blindly believe the media is at the same time fascinating and appalling for me. This is exactly where the power of mainstream media lies. Sometimes I find myself arguing with my grandmother or my parents, trying to persuade them that what their favourite TV journalist or TV presenter said is not accurate. Even if they love me and they think highly of me, they tend to trust the media. This is why it is important to educate people on how to responsibly watch the news or read the newspapers. Not forgetting that also news found on social media or online media outlets should be read with scepticism sometimes.
Thank you for your comment. It is interesting what you point out about your family ‘blindly trusting’ what appears on TV, and you trying to convince them on the contrary. This makes me wonder: what are your sources of information in those situations? and how can you be sure that ‘your version of the story’ is the most accurate?
How do you judge what is accurate and what it isn’t? I would love to hear your views on this. Thank you.
This is a very hard question actually.
I usually try to read those newspapers that are, according to me, more ethically and morally trustworthy (The Guardian for example). I also use my own empathy, reasoning, and experience.
I know I would never trust a newspaper like The Sun or The Daily Mirror. I know that TV news programs cannot be trusted, even when they are not explicitly one-sided. Also, when I hear a story or read an article, I always try to deduce why “the other side”, “the bad of the story” did that. One book that helped me a lot in this is “Letters against the war” by Tiziano Terzani. I hope this answer helps!
Thank you! So much food for thought here. I stopped reading mainstream newspapers and watching the news last year. Or I tried my best to. It was quite hard and practically impossible if you’re on Twitter and Facebook…or have a smartphone…so I tried to go off them for a while too. It’s really hard! The main reason this was the lack of diversity, it’s the same news or “scandal or personalisation of politics” (with hardly any analysis or why to the what, when, where)…I guess am saying we’re being served up the same version of reality from seemingly different media outlets that in fact have roughly the same owners. So, I think for me it’s definitely, in answer to your question, about media literacy (yes Kendall) and also digital literacy, that way we can make our own news and find that voice or voices…it’s hard and perhaps idealistic but there’s lots of examples out there am sure you know of a few too, starting with this blog 🙂
Dear Isabel, thank you so much for your thoughtful reflections and for sharing your experiences. How did you feel after having stopped reading mainstream media? Did you experience any difference in your life and also regarding to your views on communications?
It’s a very important and interesting challenge the one we have in front of us. I am sure that by remaining ‘true to ourselves’ we would be able to produce more conscious and aware pieces of news or articles.
Thanks for bringing more inspiration for more conscious writing.
I look forward to reading you too. Thank you 🙂 Good writing! and good living!