Media Influence On Society

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Register to read the introduction… This has caused some media theorists to question the control that the media has over our approach and beliefs. The study of mass media has led to the formulation of many theories that are presented to each type of media to explain who the advertisement is trying to influence. Social scientist, using mainly survey research methods on relatively large population samples, concentrated on trying to measure the impact of media on society by examining single programs, or specific political campaigns (Jacobs, 1992, p.13). Current theories present an involved interaction between the media and society. Cultivation theory developed by George Gerbner suggests that the media creates stereotypes of places and people. The theory examines such things as how much time daily you spend on the internet or watching TV. It conveys the more that people watch; the more they are likely to develop certain views, possibly negative views about the world. For example, an exaggerated belief in a mean and scary world. Gerbner tried to determine the influence of television on viewers" ideas of the environment they lived in. He found that dominance of TV created a common view of the world and that it homogenized different cultures. TV portrayed the society as a bad place to live in leading to people becoming distrustful of the world. Over time,

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