1F25 Blog response 2 Wanted: the media that we need

I decided to read the same three blogs that I did my last blog response on. After reading through my fellow peers thoughts on media and whether we get the media we want or want the media we get I notice that they had mixed thoughts as to how they felt on the issue.  I personally thought we wanted the media we get and so did Karly McInnis. She brought up a very good point “If we got the media we wanted all the time then we would know every little detail in the media to fulfill our wants.” (http://mcinniskarly.wordpress.com) I completely agree and personally don’t have the brain capacity to hold every bit of information. She goes on to talk about world issues and how people want to be informed on issues. I always like to know what is going on in the world, like genocides in Africa or wars in Korea. The media opens my eyes to knew things that I never would have imagined was happening. By living in Canada we don’t experience the drama that countries in Africa or Asia do; we make our drama and blow it way out of proportion.

While reading the blog written by Chris Garofalo, he made many points like when he said “the media will produce any technology, television show, etc., that the audience demands.” (http://chrisgarofalo.wordpress.com/) I also agree with this because the media does produce whatever we want from big to small no matter how outrageous it is. I do not agree that everything should be produced but we live in a get what we want kind of world. Chris goes on to say that when we as the audience want something and don’t get it we move onto something that we do like and want. If the media produces something we don’t want they will quickly change it to something we do want and have no problem doing so. Chris believes we get the media we want and I really liked his thoughts on it.

I also read Cale McDonald’s blog and noticed he agreed with Chris that we get the media we want. He said “if there is a program or advertisement that I have no interest in, I am free to stop watching” (http://cm11ll.wordpress.com/) This statement is very true and I do it all the time, when I don’t like something I have the freedom not to watch or be a part of it. Media cannot force us to do anything but rather influence us to make certain choices. I choose to watch television, no one is making me but media influences me to do so otherwise I don’t fit in with what my friends are talking about when seeing them.

After reading through each of their blogs I am now on the border of whether we get the media want or want the media we get. Each individual brought up good points and changed my view on the subject. Media will always affect us in one way or another.

1F25 Do we get the media we want?

The question is, “Do we get the media we want or want the media we get?” and I believe it’s both. Growing up we want the media we get because it is force fed to us. When you grow up in a middle class family you turn on the TV and you see whatever CNN provides. As you get older you start to mature and see everything from a different point of view.  As I got older I realized I wanted a different kind of media such as sports. Still to this day I wish lacrosse was aired on TV more and got more media attention but the media controls what everyone watches. If something is popular in the media they often overplay it to the point that it is all anyone can think about. Olympic commercials are a perfect example because they are overplayed; meanwhile I couldn’t careless that Michael Phelps won another gold medal. “These events…the media build them into something more, into media events, constructing rather than just reflecting them (Wark 1994).” (Media and Society, O’Shaughnessy. M, Stadler. J, 43) This quote proves that media hypes everything up so that everyone will watch, even people who don’t care take a gander just to be in conversations at work. I personally love to play sports and go to events but I hate watching it on TV because the media gives me the information I don’t need. Going to an event is way more exciting than sitting on your couch watching other people tell you about it. I want to get out and explore the world for myself and experience all that each continent has to offer. “Most of us have, some idea of what the Himalayas are, but this knowledge is most likely to be gained through representations: reading about them” (Media and Society, O’Shaughnessy. M, Stadler. J, 35) Why not stop listening to the media and find out for yourself what is happening in Korea or Sudan? Take actions into your own hands and provide your own media.

1F25 Blog Response 1: Media Impact on Others

From what I have read everyone seems to view mass media the same way I do. I’m glad to see everyone views the mass media the same way but it was nice to see everyone’s point of view on the issue.  A lot of students used their own experiences to show how mass media controls many of our lives.

“With so much of our entertainment based on following what famous people do, it is easy to get caught up in the latest fads or trends quite easily.” http://cm11ll.wordpress.com/

In Cale McDonald’s blog he viewed mass media in a very similar way I did and talk about how role models and famous people can change who we are. I agree with this completely because most people in North America watch TV or read magazines. Due to the influence of famous people in TV and all over the covers of magazines, when seeing them you always want to know what they’re doing or when they’ll appear next on a show or in a movie. I also do this and was not aware of it until I started this blog and because of how media has affected me I probably won’t stop.

“In the news many issues and world events get blown up. Many people see this as a bad thing and have a pessimistic view on this, but this is a good thing.” http://mcinniskarly.wordpress.com/

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Karly McInnis’s blog because she made many good points about how the media is good for us rather than the negative views people have about it. I agree with her about it being a good thing and that she “has a right to know.” She does have a right to know and so do I, I like when the media updates me on current world events. When playing sports we often talk about teams from the US and we learn about them through the media.

“I run into the problem of “which source is telling me the truth?”” http://chrisgarofalo.wordpress.com/

After reading Chris Garofalo’s blog I noticed he had the same thoughts I did about not knowing who to believe when information is released from media. This is true because with so many ways to release information such as Facebook, Twitter or even a blog a lot of the information being conveyed could be false. I don’t agree with people letting out false accusations but it happens and with so much access to the media there is always a chance for this to occur.

It was nice to see that everyone had the same view and that we all agreed. Some the blogs made me think about personal experiences and how media affected me and brought new thoughts into the equation. I enjoyed seeing other peoples personal experiences and comparing them to my own. In conclusion after reading many classmates’ blogs my view has not changed and that media affects us all in various ways.