Research Paper Help-Should the mass media be held responsible for the tragic incidents of what is called copycat behavior (i.e. more violence in society because of violence in the media)? At its worst, the media not only reflect tragedy but they also capitalize on it. If this is true about much of the media today, what does it tell us about the selective exposure model we raised at the beginning of the semester?
Given their central place in our society, what exactly should be the roles and responsibilities of the media? Media institutions are getting bigger and richer, and media technologies are faster and more accessible, but is content getting better? In answering this question, talk about how this course has helped you become a critical media consumer. DO NOT simply say so, but explain how reading about the role of the media in contemporary society is helping you understand better their impact on culture. You can use the example of this year’s presidential election as a case study.
Now that you know a lot about the workings of the mass media and their degree of implication in the culture of any given society, do you think they are failing us? Or do you believe the mass media actually provide a forum for society to expose and discuss its issues in the same light some early philosophers like Plato and Socrates called for to save the oral tradition of communication? Can you think of any examples from today’s mass media to support your answer?
Do you think the fact that many of the mass media (radio, television, the movies, advertising, PR, Internet, etc.) have been developed in the US has an impact on how they are adapted by other cultures? You can answer this question using cultural imperialism theory and its argument that the sophisticated American media both in form and content are saturating media around the world causing major cultural changes. Talk about how old peripheries are becoming vibrant media centers globally.
