According to the Constitution of the Land, the President, Congress and the Judicial system is the most powerful entity in the union. Thanks to technology, a greater and more influential entity known as the Mass Media has emerged. The primary function of the media was to report news and also to entertain the public. The new Mass Media consists of television stations, radio stations, and most importantly the Internet. The combination of these giant bodies allows the general public to have around the clock access to news, sports and entertainment. Comparable to other powerful and influential things in society, there is a lack of checks and balances in the mass media industry, which leads to the abuse of power. Individuals and groups who deem necessary to sometimes blatantly promote racism and discrimination for political or financial reasons mostly control the Mass Media. The first amendment is what sets the United States apart from other countries but sometimes the Mass Media uses its influence to represent minorities and women in a degrading manner.
News organizations are very aware that Headlines are all that matter in this present world. A large number of newsreaders proceed to read the entire article depending on how catchy the headline is. There is a bias in the media when reporting on different ethnic groups in our society.
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| Headlines from a AP during the aftermath of hurricane Katrina showing the bias in reporting |
We live a world where entertainment shows like Jersey Shore and have higher ratings than even the election coverage. TV stations play to this appeal by depicting certain people in a stereotypical way or any means possible to boost revenue.
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Flava Flav had a reality TV show on VH1 to pick a single girlfriend from a group of 20 females
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The media gives different levels of attention on issues based on demography, social class or status and also the victim or perpetrator. The media is quick to make judgments on some issues depending on who is involved.
Some media outlets are mainly involved in promoting propaganda for certain political parties and also to create or enforce a negative image for specific groups or individuals for their audience.
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| This is an anti-Obama comparing him to socialist Adolph Hitler |
