Discussion corner: The Media and the effects.

[Arikado]

Originally Posted by xYinniex

Well Media, although it may 'brainwash' you, they do have some points that are good y'know.

Good points that brainwash you, yes. There's no doubt that media gets the information across to you, but they do it in a sneaky way.

Personally, I am unaffected by the media because I realized that it was a load of BS. In no way are my actions and beliefs influenced by such despicable sources.

[ante]

The media definitely has a large influence on people and the choices we make. Probably larger than most of you think. Where do we get most of the information that we base our everyday choices on? Most get it from the media, few sit and read scientific studies, etc.

Is this a problem? It can be, as long as the media stays fairly objective it isn't, but who makes sure they do? Most newspapers, news channels rely on us for their survival, they need us to read and watch. How can they do that? By giving us what we want and that isn't necessarily the truth or the whole truth. They also rely on sponsors and advertisement which can also affect their objectivity.

Considering how large the media's influence is and how much of what we know comes from the media, I find it a bit disturbing that a large private organization like Murdoch's News Corporation has such control over what we get to see.

News Corporation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rant over.

[MMM]

I don't think you can talk about "the media" and what it does as one thing. There are all kinds of media, and it is plural for medium, or a way to transfer information.

"The media" doesn't have power over your.

That's like blaming the beer mug for your alcoholism.

The beer mug gives you the power to drink, but it has no feelings or desires in the matter.

[reihiino]

Originally Posted by MMM

I don't think you can talk about "the media" and what it does as one thing. There are all kinds of media, and it is plural for medium, or a way to transfer information.

"The media" doesn't have power over your.

That's like blaming the beer mug for your alcoholism.

The beer mug gives you the power to drink, but it has no feelings or desires in the matter.

Holy hell...as I reading ths im actually drinking wine from my mug...seriously!
May be some media may have brainwashed some, but unfortunately I don't bother with the news on tv or on paper...hmmmm...could be a bad thing...i dunno...
....all i know is that I'm gonna get me a 2nd mug-o-wine!

[ante]

Originally Posted by MMM

I don't think you can talk about "the media" and what it does as one thing. There are all kinds of media, and it is plural for medium, or a way to transfer information.

"The media" doesn't have power over your.

That's like blaming the beer mug for your alcoholism.

The beer mug gives you the power to drink, but it has no feelings or desires in the matter.

If you read the thread you would have known that he was referring to the content of different media, journalism, advertising, movies, etc. Which is commonly referred to as "the media".

Or were you just trying to be a wise***?

I know that you are quite intelligent, so it would be more interesting if you offered your opinion on the subject.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by ante

If you read the thread you would have known that he was referring to the content of different media, journalism, advertising, movies, etc. Which is commonly referred to as "the media".

Or were you just trying to be a wise***?

I know that you are quite intelligent, so it would be more interesting if you offered your opinion on the subject.

That's exactly my point. "The media" is so many things: newspapers, movies, video games, commercials, billboards...

The implication I read is there is some unified message to influence us to do something. That "the media" is run by some guy behind a curtain like The Wizard of Oz, and that isn't the case.

An election is a great example of the extreme of "media influence" because we can see clearly that some people want us to vote one way, and other people want us to vote another, and the agendas are pretty crystal-clear.

But that's different than "brain-washing".

For example, I thought the nuclear-bomb test in the last Indy Jones movie was a pretty clear anti-war, anti-nuke message. But it's just that, a message. I didn't see it as some attempt to influence my subconscious, especially as my conscious was so aware of it.

So, no, it was no attempt to be a wise-a**. Like I said, it's like blaming the mug for your alcoholism. Don't blame the messenger. Look at who is sending the messages, and I think you see it is all kinds of different people with different agendas and different levels of agendas.

[ante]

Originally Posted by MMM

So, no, it was no attempt to be a wise-a**. Like I said, it's like blaming the mug for your alcoholism. Don't blame the messenger. Look at who is sending the messages, and I think you see it is all kinds of different people with different agendas and different levels of agendas.

To be honest I don't get that analogy. The beer mug would be the newspaper, the radio, the television set, not the content, which is what I believe OP is referring to. The articles, the news-feed, etc. Not the actual broadcast, but the content of the broadcast. Do you honestly believe that what we read in books, newspapers, see on telly, doesn't effect our opinions and in turn our actions?

Naturally we have a choice to believe or not to believe in what we hear and see, but what we chose to believe is based on what we know, knowledge that we have acquired largely from the same source. Like I said before, as long as the reporting is honest and objective, that isn't a problem, but since financial and political interest have a large influence on what is reported and shown, objectivity has a tendency to suffer.

[Koir]

What I personally get out of the original post of this "discussion" is the usual "Think what I do, believe what I do, don't make this about video games while I go off and talk about video games, don't disagree with me because you're wrong" type of forum statement.

Is telling people "The Media" (imagine the fingerquotes here) is brainwashing them a form of brainwashing? Seems like it to me.

To extend the metaphor beyond reasonable limits, if "the media" is brainwashing people, and the internet is part of "the media" does that mean that the superficially independant parts of it supposedly written by individuals not involved in "the media" are, in fact, not written by individuals at all, but "the media"?

Is there in truth no independant thought?

[ante]

Originally Posted by Koir

To extend the metaphor beyond reasonable limits, if "the media" is brainwashing people, and the internet is part of "the media" does that mean that the superficially independant parts of it supposedly written by individuals not involved in "the media" are, in fact, not written by individuals at all, but "the media"?

Yes, people will be influenced by what is written on different forums, web pages, blogs, etc. But like you said, it's extending it beyond reasonable limits to compare what RandomJoe on forumX is saying to what is being said by a CNN news reporter.

I wouldn't however call it "brainwashing", influencing, I think is a better word.

Originally Posted by Koir

Is there in truth no independant thought?

Naturally no, how could there be? Thoughts are formed by analyzing information and impressions. We can not think something that is completely detached from what we know. If that was what you meant by independent thought.

[Koir]

Originally Posted by ante

Naturally no, how could there be? Thoughts are formed by analyzing information and impressions. We can not think something that is completely detached from what we know. If that was what you meant by independent thought.

It was a rhetorical question on the level of "Is there in truth, no beauty?", but hey, whatever works for you