Category: Media

How Does The Media Affect Society’s Perceptions Of Women’s Sports In The Modern Era?

The media affects society’s perceptions of women’s sports through either conforming to or challenging conventional gender norms and generating interest. Sport has traditionally been considered a male-dominated area and many people hold the belief that women’s sports simply aren’t as interesting. However, is this a reflection of the skill of female athletes or of the media coverage they receive? Especially in the modern context, the media, as the primary source of information, shapes societal thought. In recent years, women’s sport has reached a new threshold, swiftly growing in popularity. This has been a combination of “ingredients” or events, such as the successful inauguration of the women’s Australian Football League (AFLW) and the “goldilocks condition” of increased media coverage. The media influences societal opinion through the quantity of women’s sports media coverage, the quality of the coverage and its portrayal of female athletes.

The quantity of women’s sports media coverage shapes society’s perceptions through defining the position of women in the sporting world. In 2010, a report authorised by the Australian Sports Commission found that women’s sport accounted for less than 10% of all sports coverage across the country. Lack of media coverage for women’s sports is not isolated to Australia and is a world-wide issue. A study by the Tucker Centre for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota found that women’s sport in the US receives only 4% of the total sports media coverage. The lack of professional women’s sports coverage globally has a direct psychological impact on society. Alina Bernstein and Yair Gaily, in their journal article Games and Sets: Women, Media and Sport, argued media’s role in “fulfilling important functions regarding women’s image in general, and a particularly crucial role in the context of women in sport.” The media is such an influential entity which has the power to affect societal opinions and its under-representation of women creates the impression that female athletes are of little importance to the sporting world. When young children look to their televisions and consistently see men playing sport, it reinforces the stereotypical ideas that women are not as strong as men and should not play sport. Increasing media coverage would show young boys and girls that women can be athletes just like men and would solidify their place on the sporting field.

The quantity of media coverage also affects societal opinion through generating interest in women’s sports. The lack of professional media coverage clearly affects the amount of interest in women’s sport. For example, it would be completely unfair to compare the amount of interest in a consistently televised men’s league to a women’s league with 10% of the coverage. How can someone be interested in something that they have no means of watching? Alina Bernstein and Yair Gaily suggest that “the media cannot change the inequality of sport itself, an issue that demands profound and immediate treatment… However, the media can contribute by sparking wider initiative toward the promotion of women’s sport.” This idea was supported through the creation of the successful AFLW season in Australia. The inaugural season of the AFLW was a resounding success, particularly due the intelligent use of “ingredients” such as it being freely televised and widely advertised. Media analyst Dr Kate Greenwood suggests they “used the media really intelligently to engage the audience… [They] worked with broadcasters to get it on prime time.” The correlation between increasing media coverage and interest was revealed through the 1.7 million people who viewed the opening round of the league and the incredible turnout of over 53 000 people at the 2019 AFLW Grand Final. These statistics challenge the popular arguments that people are not captivated by women’s sport and reveal the true extent of the media’s power to generate interest and shape societal thought.

The quality of media coverage also affects collective opinion of women’s sports. A common argument against increasing women’s sports media reporting is that people simple do not find it as interesting as men’s sport. However, society’s perceptions of how fascinating or boring women’s competitions are, is derived directly from the media. Purdue University Professor Cheryl Cooky argues “men’s sports are going to seem more exciting… they have higher production values, higher-quality coverage, and higher-quality commentary … when you watch women’s sports, and there are fewer camera angles, fewer cuts to shot, fewer instant replays… it’s going to seem to be less exciting.” Her arguments are supported by three reports from the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles from 1990, 1994 and 2000. They all uncovered significantly lower production values in the coverage of women’s competitions. They were less likely to include features such as slow-motion replays, unique camera angles, statistics and graphics which would greatly decrease its watchability. As Arthur Raney and Jennings Bryant argue in their book Handbook of Sports and Media, “whether women or men, few viewers are likely to watch games in which there are unsophisticated or missing graphics, poorly informed commentators,… few replays and muffled sound.” Poor production quality makes women’s sports appear slower and less professional, when in reality it is not a reflection of the athletes’ skill but simply the lack of investment from networks into higher quality production. Therefore, the quality of media coverage can influence its audience into thinking women’s sports are less exciting or advanced as the “ingredients” and “goldilocks conditions” to generate interest are missing.

Society’s perception of women’s sports is influenced by the media’s portrayal of women which has been shown to contain discrimination that trivialises their athletic ability. Female athletes are often highly sexualised by media outlets where they are assessed on their appearance rather than their sporting performance. An example of this is the tennis player Anna Kournikova who was admired for her attractiveness rather than tennis skills, evident in the study by an English tabloid, revealing that 67% of articles on her focused on non-tennis-related issues, primarily her sexual appeal. The pop band Binge even wrote a song about her with highly sexualised lyrics such as “Anna Kournikova with legs so long,” “with the real short hemline” and “let me be your Ball Boy now.” Alina Bernstein suggests the sexualisation of female athletes “trivialises them and in fact robs them of athletic legitimacy, thus preserving hegemonic masculinity.” It creates a laughable effect that undermines their sporting performances, encouraging a collective lack of respect for female athletes and women’s sport in general. Discrimination can also come in the form of infantilisation which is when commentators and journalists render grown female athletes childlike. Alina Bernstein and Yair Gaily argue that where “men are valorised, lionised and put on cultural pedestals, female athletes are infantilised by sport commentators, who refer to them as ‘girls’ or ‘young ladies’.” Female athletes are further infantilised through what Arthur Raney and Jennings Bryant referred to as the “hierarchy of naming”. They found that women are often called by their first name and men by their last name. Name usage by commentators and journalists conveys the status and prestige of the athletes, so calling women by their first name along with terms such as “girls” creates a subordinate and less professional effect compared to the “men”. The highly sexualised and infantilised portrayal of female athletes undermines their hard work and success, influencing society’s perception of women’s sport as less significant and professional than men’s.

Society’s perceptions of women’s sport are greatly influenced by the media. The lack of quality media coverage makes female athletes appear less important and gives the sports little opportunity to generate interest. The discrimination that exists in the media trivialises the athletes’ success and encourages a lack of respect from society. To allow women’s sports the opportunity to truly succeed, they need to be given more, higher quality media coverage that respects their positions as powerful athletes.

The Correlation Between Police And Media

The Catawba County Sheriff Department is a prime organization built on a solid foundation, and moral values. The Sheriff’s office major responsibilities include security and maintenance of the county jail, as well as county schools, and other government entities. Unlike smaller departments that have main objectives of being a deterrent towards crime. The Sheriff’s office has a major responsibility with community relationship and making sure the government functions stay running. Our department is unique to surrounding departments because of the large area we are forced to safeguard. Though extremely big the sheriff department only has 198 deputies and employees. This includes people in the jail, as well as courts, and schools, which leaves very few people to do the job of patrol which is what most people think about. Though very large, the department manages to stand as the focal point, and model agency of the county. Departments like this have huge responsibilities, and to keep something like this functioning it requires active members of the community.

This is where volunteers and interns come into the equation. A day in the life of an intern involves many different tasks, and is a unique experience that promotes growth, and rounds you to be a better person. Interns play an important role in daily tasks around the office and are important to keeping a functioning office. For example, one of the major responsibilities of the sheriff office is managing gun permits for the citizens of the county. Due to the high population, and genuine political views of the county this is a very tasking job. Interns are a very important piece of this puzzle. One of the major responsibilities of interns is to keep this part of the department organized and flowing. Some days are spent filing hundreds of files in an effort to keep organized. Other days are spent doing fingerprints to make sure you don’t keep people waiting too long. Like described some days around the office can be very boring but provide a major key in the daily operation of the department.

On other days interns spend their time riding with or shadowing sworn officers throughout the department. This is often times where you learn the most, and where some of your most exciting memories come from. During the time spent with officers you are normally out of the office, which means you never really know what you are getting into. I for one have been everywhere from helping elderly people, to as much as a homicide scene. These are situations that will be burned into your memory forever, some for the good, and some for the bad, either way they are experiences you can look back on. Through each situation there is always something to learn, and often times even more comes from the conversations with the officers afterwards. This valuable experience is something that will change you forever, it forces you to grow, forces you to learn, and in the end, you come out with a completely new respect for officers, and the job they do.

Over the past few years one thing that has really been visible to anyone who keeps up with current events is how police have been labeled in the news. This internship gave me the opportunity to learn a lot through the unique experience of seeing it first-hand. Through the internship you see how an office runs, and the importance of keeping a functional office. You notice how delicate cases can be, and the detail that must be put into cases for them to see the end. But you also see how outside forces can affect how officers do their job. This was something that seems hard to ignore, and something that I had to look into. Mass media is a great tool and, in many situations, helps to develop better departments. However, there are instances in which it causes more problems than it helps.

Mass Media

Media is something that has been around since the day of man. In early times it may have just been word of mouth. Things have evolved in ways that many people could never imagine. Going from writing to now having information in the palm of our hands the way we get our information has changed in big ways. Mass media has developed through the use of technology. Instead of an audience of a few hundred people, media outlets are now able to reach thousands, which in many cases has been an advantage. For example, the Hickory Daily Record, a local newspaper, is able to communicate information regularly and keep the citizens of Catawba county informed of what is going on. However, through extensive research there are problems that can arise through this fast process of communication.

History of Police and Media

To really dig into the roots of police and media, along with whether it effects how police do their job we need a brief history lesson. Police in media is not a new thing, though it may be more readily available to people today, it is not new. Police have been criticized by the public eye far before the past few years. One case that tends to come to mind is the 1992 race riots, which involved footage of Rodney King being beaten by police (Soo-Kwang Oh and Hudson, 2017). One of the key differences from other situations before was the news coverage and how it affected how people were able to see what was going on. Though the footage hit deep and engraved feelings that were rooted in neighborhoods, and African American communities what really made this event special was how it was covered. Not only was it on display but it showed how media was able to stir opinion and cause public outrage (Soo-Kwang Oh and Hudson, 2017). One interesting thing that was shown through the riots was how the news changed its perspective based on how the audience was responding. According to the study done by Soo-Kwang Oh and Hudson (2017) they contrasted just how news changed once it was aired to the public. According to the study issues such as causes of the instances, and politics increased as the story progressed, where as legal issues, and police reaction decreased (Kwang Oh and Hudson, 2017). This study was important because it shows just how powerful media influence is on those who view it. Instead of broadcasting both sides, they are strictly feeding off of the reaction from those watching. Under the same study by Kwang Oh and Hudson (2017) there was shown to be a decrease in coverage on Rodney King, and a huge spike in coverage of racism. Though this could be evidence that media has a way of digging into the roots, or core issues and problems. It could also be inferred that instead of reporting the facts of a story, media attempts to dig deeper in search of a story to keep more views. This case was a landmark case, that sets up the backbone of this paper. Although this case is nearly 20 years old the basic foundations of media still stay the same.

Media Twist on the Story

The relationship between police and media has always been a shaky one. Due to the power police have over people, they tend to catch a lot of flak from not just people but news stations. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing our country is based on a system of checks and balances, and it is important that there is media to counteract the power given to our police force. Yet what we are here to look at is whether or not media inherently tries to make police look bad to the public. In a study conducted in Finland they studied just how a high-profile case effected the public trust in police (Kaariainen, Isotalus, and Thomassen 2016). Though the study was conducted in Finland, there was a lot to be learned from the research done. Though they are from different walks of life it is important that we look at other countries around us, and how media affects them. In this study done by (Kaariainen et al., 2016) they focused on a high-profile case involving Jari Aarnio a man who was accused of police misconduct in 2014. Though this case was focused on a single man’s behavior, it was interesting to see how police were negatively impacted by how media portrayed it. Through the course of the investigation and looking at media posted by news outlets across Finland there were 48 articles in which brought up concerns of trust in police (Kaariainen et al., 2016). As the year drew to an end, and the case started losing the interest of the public there were even more post involving police trust. Kaariainen et al., (2016) note that an additional 10 articles were posted in the month of December alone that concerned trust in police. The most interesting thing to note from this research is the data gathered. According to the data gathered by Kaariainen et al., (2016) there was a gradual increase in trust in police. However, in 2014 we see a slight decrease in trust along the same time the articles were released. Though there was no dramatic evidence to support media played a role in the negative attituded towards police, there was some evidence that showed how media chose to deliver certain stories.

Interaction of Police and Media

Though it was obvious in the study done by Kaariainen et al., (2016) that media did have a way of twisting information that they showed to viewers to better fit their audience. There are other important factors to remember when considering whether media has a direct impact of police, and their ability to do their job. In an article done by Stefanovska (2015) they describe how in some cases it is often a beneficial interaction between police and media. In rural areas such as Catawba County sometimes print media is plays a very important role as well. Unlike other sources of mass media print media is different in the way of how they get their information. According to Stefanovska (2015) print media generally attempts to focus on police effectiveness. However, something to be noted is that much of it tended to be a more positive tone, but one thing that really played a role was the political stance of the paper (Stefanovska, 2015).

Print media is different from other sources of media in the way they gather their information (Stefanovska, 2015). Print media only comes out once a day, and the stories take a day, sometimes more to reach the reader. Because of this media outlets are able to do more research, and in some cases show a more accurate picture of the events they are reporting (Stefanovska, 2015). Another reason for this is that in small towns papers often contact the departments and attempt to make contact and speak with reporters prior to releasing the stories (Stefanovska, 2015). This is something very unique to small print media shops because they generally have access based on their location, and direct relationship with departments. Print media is unique in the way that they tend to run their stories.

However, regarding this study done by Stefanovska (2015) it is important to remember that these positive media releases were not the same across the board. Depending on the political nature of the paper the stories tended to sway as to how they impacted police. For example, one media outlet showed only 3.3 percent of its articles related to police were positive in the tone in which they were delivered (Stefanovska, 2015). This shows that not all print media shops have the same relation that was previously described, but instead adjusted the story to fit the narrative they had set. This is something important to remember when going forward in our research.

Use of Video in Media

So far research has shown that there is not really a huge impact regarding media, and the ability for police to do their job. But one thing that has not been explored yet is the effects video has on the public, and how that may turn public opinion. Though all research is important, video has been a focal point of media activity in the recent years. Due to this being so recent it is imperative that it be covered, and to see just how impactful it really is. As talked about earlier as technology has advanced so has the way we view media. Split decisions officers are forced to make are now played out for the world to see and having an idea of the role this plays in public opinion is imperative.

In an article by Boivin, Gendron, Faubert, and Poulin (2017) they attempt to find the answers to these questions. The study was done in response to use of force videos and attempted to gather the reaction and how it impacted people (Boivin et al., 2017). One thing that was extremely important is that the study did not focus on minorities, however surveyed a spectrum of people including all races. Though this may not seem very important it can ultimately be important because it gathers information based on a whole population, and not just one specific population (Boivin et al., 2017). Use of force is something that has been a focal point of media attention and has played a key role in many recent riots, and public outrage towards police forces across the country. To effectively know whether media is the direct impact of this it is important to see how people respond to these questions without watching the video (Boivin et al., 2017). The interesting part of this study was that it proved prior suspicion regarding just how impactful these sources of media could be. Those who did not view the video prior to answering questions regarding whether police used excessive force tended to have the lowest responses regarding police use of force (Boivin et al., 2017). On the other hand, those who watched the video tended to respond that police did use more excessive force than necessary in situations (Boivin et al., 2017). Overall, this study shows just how impactful media use of video can be to the public. Though in prior studies such as the one done Stefanovska (2015) regarding print media there was not a huge impact on public perception of police. We now see that the new wave of mass media and use of video plays a more prominent role after all.

Impacts of Media on Police

Through our research the primary goal was to determine whether there was a role in whether or not media had an influence on police, and their ability to do their job. Media is a daily part of our lives, and due to the little public interaction officers have with individuals on a daily basis, much of the opinions drawn on by police are due to what we see in the news, and different sources of media. Through research it has shown how much of the media we see on a daily basis has little impact on how we view police (Kaariainen et al., 2016). Yet we also know that much of the information provided by media outlets depends on their political agenda, and in turn media outlets often times tweak the story to better fit their political views (Stefanovska, 2015). Something to be drawn from these findings is that regardless of how little it may affect the viewer, or what story is being shown it does have some effect, and in some cases that may just be the image of police we have in our mind (Rantatalo, 2016). Image is everything for those involved in public departments, and with so much of that image drawn from regular viewing of media, it is something that must be looked into. In a study done by Dowler (2002) they do just that.

One interesting thing done in the Dowler (2002) study is the impact regular viewing of media related to police has on people. Though there was little evidence to support the claim that media has an effect on public opinion of police effectiveness, there were some interesting findings (Dowler, 2002). For example, one thing to note is that this was not the same across all groups of people. Dowler (2002) states that the African American community showed to have some negative attitudes towards police, and this may have been linked to direct viewing of media. There was also an interesting finding that attitudes tended to differ depending upon the amount of media that was viewed on a daily basis (Dowler, 2002). Overall this study was imperative though it showed no direct findings there is evidence to support the claim that media has an effect on those who regularly view it.

Secondly, in an article by Rantatalo (2016) they discuss the image of police, and how it is drawn from the public eye. Policing like any other public service is all about public image. Policing involves direct contact with the public whether that be arrests, or community relations keeping a good positive image is at utmost importance (Rantatalo, 2016). In this study much of the data analyzed was positive regarding police, whether it be their effectiveness, or recent busts, it was more positive than negative (Rantatalo, 2016). However, one thing to be noted was that regardless of what was in the media it tended to effect public opinion, and the more negative the more impactful it was (Rantatalo, 2016). Going forward if there is one thing to be noted it is that not all that is posted in the media regarding police is bad. But like seen in the Rantatalo (2016) study all it takes is a small amount of negative media to effect how you are viewed in the public image. For police to effectively do their job it is important for them to hold themselves at the highest standard possible and limit the amount of bad media that is published.

Integrating Research and Practice

Looking back on the Rodney King case, and how media twisted the story to achieve more views (Kwang Oh and Hudson, 2017). We can now look back and see that not much has changed on how media works today. This internship has given me the unique experience to be able to see the responsibilities of a police force first hand. But more than that it has given me the ability to see how outside forces effect how police forces are able to do their job. Looking back on the instance of Rodney King we are able to see the need for media. Media is a balance that is able to balance the power given to police forces, and in that since it is much needed. However, there are instances when media serves a different role, and in that since media can act as a burden.

First and foremost, it is important to acknowledge that not all media is bad. During my internship I was often in close proximity to different news outlets. For example, during a day spent in the courts I noticed two reporters from the Hickory Daily Record sitting in on a high-profile case going on in the area. For the most part they said nothing bad but were merely reporting the facts of the case to the public. However, I did start noticing some changes as the trial went on that connects back to some of the research. Looking back, we went over how media twisted their story to better fit the audience (Kwang Oh and Hudson, 2017). But we also noticed that this was often times to fit in with the narrative set by the editors, which was especially evident in the research done by Kaariainen, Isotalus, and Thomassen 2016. Through this case I saw examples of both of these factors as work. During the trial the defense argued that there were issues in the investigation, and that the defendant may in fact be innocent. They attacked the integrity of the Sheriff’s Department, as well as the integrity of the officers involved. This story began running through the papers, and you could see public opinion starting to turn. This is something that was apparently obvious to me as to how media is really able to stir public opinion, on major issues involving law enforcement.

Another aspect that is important to remember is how media throughout the United States impacts even our small department. In the article by Boivin, Gendron, Faubert, and Poulin (2017) they discuss just how impactful use of force videos in media can be on public opinion. With the immediate access to recording devices, and body camera footage, more and more videos tend to be popping up in today’s time. This is something that must be taken into account because as shown by Boivin, Gendron, Faubert, and Poulin (2017) it has a huge impact on how citizens view the police. Through my internship I have had numerous discussions with deputies, and officers, about how they feel their job was affected by these events. Some officers wish that our department would use body camera footage, they feel there would be far less complaints, if they were able to show the whole situation, rather than just being complained on, others feel this would only cause more problems. During one of my discussions it was brought up how media doesn’t show the whole story. They take the incident and air it out to the public without showing the footage that led up to that event. It appeared through much of this conversation that the individual believed that media outlets wanted nothing more than for him to mess up so they would have a story to run with. These instances happen in the blink of an eye, and in many times, officers are put in the position to make decisions that will affect them forever. To get rid of bias, media outlets need to begin their own investigations and focus more on facts, than creating their own stories.

On the other hand, through gathering information around the department there is a sense of fear in their ability to do their job. Not because they feel unequipped but because they feel as though the public is against them. Through conversation there has been many instances when officers would not risk pulling their gun because they are scared someone will be videoing and it will end up on the news. Though some may say this is a good thing, and may lead to less excessive force incidents, there are problems. This fear leads to issues with officer safety, which is also important. An officer that is scared to do their job at the end of the day is not an effective officer.

Though there are many instances in which media causes problems for police, it is a relationship that is important for both parties. Through my experiences I have grown to know many local reporters on a personal level, it is important for both parties to work together. In an article by Stefanovska (2015) they talk about how these relationships are not always bad, and this is true from what I have seen. It is a relationship that must work, but there must be respect and privacy. Through conversation with those that are directly involved with the press, I have learned that there is certain information you just do not talk about. There are instances that protein to officer safety, as well as privacy that if you let press to close, they will run with. On the other hand, I have learned that you must share, you can’t hide stuff from the press, or it will only turn out bad.

This internship has taught me a lot about the relationship between media and police forces. It has shown how dangerous bad press can be to an agency, as well as how hard it can be for officers to do their job in the wake of bad press. Officers have a hard-enough job as it is, once the public trust is gone in police it makes the job that much harder. Police have a duty to protect the public, yet they rely a lot on the public to do their job. Through media some of that trust has been eroded, as this happens so does the effectiveness, and ability for the police to do their job. Whether intentional or not media does have an effect on officers. It has led to policy change, and effects the minds of those on the front line. Going forward it is important that police and media fix this crucial relationship and help to rebuild the trust of the public.

Reflection

This internship has been a huge learning experience for me both as a student and as a person. First and foremost, it was neat to see things I have learned through my time at Appalachian play out in a real setting. I have learned to see patterns in criminal behavior, and in turn have a better understanding of how to approach different situations. But one thing I have noticed is that there are certain things in policing that cannot be learned through class, or books. You notice through working alongside these guys that most of the most valuable skills to be an effective officer is learned through experience. Looking back, I will be grateful to finish this internship because of the lessons I have learned through my own experiences.

First as an intern you get used to working in an office. This was new to me, though I have worked full time jobs in my life, I had not worked in an office. Getting used to working in this environment takes some time. Time goes by slower, this was something I had to get used to. Coming from working outside to working in an office time seems like it drags. You find yourself looking at the clock, and it becomes hard sometimes to stay on task. Another thing that can be challenging is dressing professional. This doesn’t seem like a hard task, and in the end, it is not but it does take some getting used to. You have to allow yourself plenty of time in the morning to get ready, and make sure you have plenty of dress clothes. Though this doesn’t seem hard it is just something else to get used to. Overall office life is not bad, you get close with those that work around you and soon after you start those small hurtles don’t seem to bother you anymore. However, it is important to remain professional and diligent throughout your time there.

Though there are some speed bumps through this internship there are chances for you to really see areas in which you could see your career. For me that was working with investigations, and the warrant division. These are areas of law enforcement that really caught my attention. First investigations, an area where I could really see myself making a career. I have always had the drive to never let a problem go unsolved and being able to do that on a professional level is something I have always wanted to do. Though there tends to be more paperwork than the movies show, the reward is even better. Being around the detectives and being able to tell someone you solved their case is a feeling I will never forget. On the other hand, riding with warrants was something I didn’t expect. The warrants division is unique to other departments I have talked to. Daily task involves nothing but tracking down people with warrants. Though this area is more dangerous than other areas, it was something I really thrived in. Like stated earlier this internship was unique in that it allows you to experience different areas of law enforcement and see areas in which you would like to get into.

Overall this internship will forever be something in which I look back on with a smile. I have built more relationships during my time here than I would have ever imagined. But more than anything I have grown as a person. I have noticed through this internship that my priorates have changed. Through situations you learn to be grateful for the things you have because there are people out there that don’t have the same opportunities that I have had. On the other hand, you grow a deeper respect for people who work in law enforcement. Prior to doing this internship I always knew being an officer was a hard job. But you never know how hard it is until you witness it first-hand. Those who work in law enforcement have to deal with people on the worst days of their lives in one way or another. For some it may be an arrest that will change their lives forever, for others it’s something that has impacted for there life. Either way most interactions with police are never good. Yet each day officers come in and do it to the best of there ability. If there is one thing, I have gotten out of this internship it is that everyone of us should be thankful for the job they do, because it is an extremely hard job. This internship gives you a different outlook on everything around you, and for that I am grateful.

In finishing up my career at Appalachian State I would say this internship has been a highlight of my career. I have learned more in this semester than I could ever imagine. I have learned how to deal with people. Learned tricks that would help me to be a better officer. But most importantly I learned that I am capable of being an officer, and believe I have what it takes to be an officer. I have grown into a better person, a better student, and can now leave Appalachian a student eager to enter the workforce.

Reference

1. Boivin, R., Gendron, A., Faubert, C., & Poulin, B. (2017). The malleability of attitudes toward the police: immediate effects of the viewing of police use of force videos. Police Practice & Research, 18(4), 366–375. https://doiorg.proxy006.nclive.org//10.1080/15614263.2016.1230063
2. Dowler, K. (2002). Media Influence on Citizen Attitudes toward Police Effectiveness. Policing & Society, 12(3), 227. https://doi-org.proxy006.nclive.org/10.1080/10439460290032369
3. Kääriäinen, J., Isotalus, P., & Thomassen, G. (2016). Does public criticism Erode trust in the police? The case of Jari Aarnio in the Finnish news media and its effects on the public’s attitudes towards the police. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology & Crime Prevention, 17(1), 70–85.
4. https://doi-org.proxy006.nclive.org/10.1080/14043858.2016.1144315
5. Rantatalo, O. (2016). Media representations and police officers’ identity work in a specialised police tactical unit. Policing & Society, 26(1), 97–113. https://doi.proxy006.nclive.org/10.1080/10439463.2014.942844
6. Soo-Kwang Oh, & Hudson, J. (2017). Framing and reframing the 1992 LA Riots: A study of minority issues framing by the Los Angeles Times and its readers. Revista de Comunicación, 16(2), 123–146. https://doi-org.proxy006.nclive.org/10.26441/RC16.2-2017-A6
7. Stefanovska, V. (2015). The Image of the Police in the Printed Media. Balkan Social Science Review, 6, 75–90. https://login.proxy006.nclive.org/login?url=http://search.ebsohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=112975034&site=ehost-live&scope=site

How Are Muslim Women Represented In The British Media

The methodology chosen for the research is discourse analysis, specifically analysing contemporary media texts (post-2010) that depict images or focus on Muslim women in the forefront of the articles. The media texts are newspapers, with a mix of tabloid and broadsheet newspaper articles. The language, visual elements and the contextual meaning behind the articles will be analysed. “The method explores power relations from a critical standpoint to make sense of the social world by providing new critical insights – a positive contribution to both theory and research” (Morgan, 2010). This sort of research is essential to examine the social standing of Muslim women as depicted in the media with a critical view. It is required to understand how the media represents Muslim women, answering questions such as: do their voices act as a narrative? , are they still depicted with generic stereotypical tropes?, has their image in the media worsened after Islamophobia? etc.

Since this research contains the social standing and representation of Muslim women – “discourse analysis involves the text’s ‘socio cultural practice’ of which the communicative event is part” (Fairclough, 1995a:57), events here being activities that Muslim women have been a part of or are involved in. The article’s language will be analysed in-depth especially as “language use is always active, it is always directed as doing something; and the way in which language achieves this activity is always related to the context in which it is used” (Richardson, 2009).

It is also important to note that the bias found in certain newspapers depends on the company or force behind the paper. We must keep in mind the news values of the publisher and their (often) singular objective. Different newspapers will be encoded with the same ideological message but will be written and depicted in various ways depending on the voice of the paper. This could also be a limitation of using discourse analysis – “our ‘meaning’ of the text is often affected by our judgement of who produced it” (Richardson, 2009).

Examples of critical discourse analysis include the subject of racism (Dijk, 1993), and welfare reform (Fairclough, 2001). These subjects are complex and require critical discourse analysis to assess a situation that a majority of the country faces. A critique of this sort would provide accountability of these newspapers that are often responsible in creating an image in the eyes of their readers. “This model incorporates very specific concepts, and social conflict and ideology can be evidenced in evaluative accents, or judgements, which are conveyed by words” (Morgan, 2010).

The analysis will go deeper than what meets the eye and challenge the media publication and the reason behind the story. The analysis’ aim is to understand how Muslim women are represented, and why are they are represented in that manner. As racial profiling is a big part of this conversation, “discourse analysis is a useful tool in explicating racism because it allows for a nuanced analysis of the socially and historically informed discourses that are available for negotiating racial positions” (Gee, 1999; Van Dijk, 1993). For some of the articles, we will witness social reality of the subject by researching what consequences followed post publishing these articles.

Media Portrayal Of Men And Women In Sports

Media carries an impactful role that can affect society’s perspectives of different genders, races, and cultures. Whether it is a negative, or positive effect, media plays an ongoing significant role that can change the outcome. There are numerous types of worldwide media such as: newspapers, magazines, television advertising and radio. Social media and television have been rising and influential platforms that many people in this century engage with. Many people have the option to stay updated with their family, friends, role models, or favourite celebrities.

However, media and gender representation unfortunately do not go hand in hand. Gender differences and stereotypes have been a traditional consistent piece in society. Misrepresentation in the media can reveal negative stereotypes and limited standards for society. Media has the ability to alter society’s assumptions, values and expectations. It places heavy pressure on people to act differently, or attempt to act a certain way to live up to what is expected from the people and to reach society’s standards.

From perfect scores across the board to podiums and medals, media bears a major influence on the way athletes and their successes are represented. Sports and media have been used as a platform to share accomplishments that is viewed as “means of achieving health and fitness, personal empowerment” (Weber & Carini, 2013, p. 1). However, it does not mean that representation is always accurate. Bernstein (2002) explains that sports have only been entitled to men and that it was viewed as a masculine event. On the other hand, women are presented as fragile and have been judged based on their appearance thus not being encouraged to participate, as women do not have the masculinity that is required. Male athletes are often presented and exposed to media more than women. Yet, when women in sports are represented in media, they are predominantly based on society’s stereotypes. A woman’s ability, achievement, and accomplishment are hidden behind their roles as a woman and their physical aspects. Though there has been an improvement of popularity among women’s sports and athletes, women are continuously being misrepresented and are still considered to be inferior to male athletes.

Female athletes have various skills and talents, yet women’s sports do not obtain as much media coverage in comparison to men’s sports. Approved on June 23, 1972 by U.S Congress, Title IX declared that “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity” (Augustyn, 2019, p. 1). This made a significant impact for female athletes, as this created an opportunity for them to be more involved in high school, or college league sports. Conversely, before it was passed, Women’s Sports Foundations (2016) discusses how only one in twenty-seven females participated in athletics. In 2016, the proportion increased to two in five females. However, with the increase in participation, it would be ideal that it would result in an inflation of broadcasting for women’s sports. However, the result of increase, or equal coverage for women’s sports has yet to happen.

The lack of coverage of women’s sports from provincial, or national media affects the opportunities and beliefs for young girls, or women in general. Lewis (2014) reveals that the total broadcast time for women’s sport was only 1,000 hours. Additionally, the percentage of media exposure was quite low, as only “5% of media coverage in the UK is devoted to women’s sport” (Lewis, 2014, p. 1). Based on self-report results, 66.7% of participants chose that they always noticed male athletes on newspapers, or sport covers. On the other hand, 100% of participants answered that they sometimes see female athletes on the same platforms. The consequence of this outcome is that young girls do not have anyone to look up to. It is difficult to find role models to fill this position, as the women who are needed are not being covered in media, or exposed to the community. Female athletes are competent to compete and play every sports, just as well, or even better, than men. Despite the skills and abilities than a female athlete has, media coverage for women’s sports are unquestionably less in comparison to men’s sports.

Not only does the lack of athletic awareness and acknowledgement of female athletes in media can affect the motivation of athlete to continue to participate in sports, but it also can influence how a female athlete sees herself. It is important to increase the coverage for female athletes as many women’s sports go unnoticed and to open opportunities for aspiring athletes. Women are misrepresented in media on a regular basis. Their portrayal and coverage consists of their appearance and features rather than their athletic capabilities and victories. The importance of accurate representation of female athletes and women’s sports have the greatest influence on young female athletes and young generation, in general. If the media continues to make a woman’s appearance, this will unfortunately changes society’s perspective on women’s sports. Bissel & Duke (2008) examines how there was direct attentiveness towards a woman’s sex appeal and femininity, as there was a “high level of sexualized talk and concentration on the athletes’ body parts” (p. 1). During the Women’s Beach Volleyball during the 2004 Olympics, more than 20% of the photographs were focused on players’ chest. As well as that, just a little over 17% were established to be buttock shots. This leaves society a “lasting memories of players’ bodies” (Bissel & Duke, 2018, p. 1) rather than remembrance of sports and athleticism.

While male athletes are shown as strong, masculine and dominant, female athletes are presented in a sexualised way. Knight & Giuliano (2001) analyzes how female athletes are valued for their attractiveness instead of achievement. Male athletes have the luxury to b primarily portrayed as high performance athletes, unlike females (Liang, 2011). Female athletes are viewed as “women first, athlete second” (Liang, 2011, p. 1). In magazines, or sports covers, male athletes are shown in a sport, or competitive context. In contrast, female athletes barely have remarks on their athleticism. Based on self-report survey results, 48.1% of participants agreed that media sexualises female athletes and do not give the athletic recognition that they deserve.

An example of the lack of acknowledgement of athletic abilities is tennis player, Anna Kournikova. Harris & Clayton (2002) discusses how Kournikova was successful, but was hardly recognized for her success and domination in tennis. Instead, she was recognized for her modelling and superstar status. Furthermore, Carty (2005) acknowledges how Kournikova was featured in the 1999 edition of ​The National Sports Review​. In her feature was a list of ten reasons on why the audience loved her. Carty (2005) reveals that nine out of the ten reasons were regarding her beauty, fashion and appearance. Only one reason commented on her athletic qualifications and skills. This type of exposure decreases the priority of women being seen as legitimate and genuine athletes, as it focuses on her physical beauty. By continuing to sexualize female athletes, this will reduce the importance of their accomplishments and strengths.

Society molds athletes to have a specific set of attributes, behaviour and characteristics. Men are more favoured to participate in more aggressive and competitive sports like football, or basketball, whereas women are more preferred to participate in delicate and pleasing sports like gymnastics and figure skating. Society has created standards for athletes that divides the sports along masculinity and femininity. This traditional gender issue places a physical and psychological limit on athletes. While there may be physical differences, it does not affect the skills and strengths that one may have.

Schmalz and Kerstette (2006) conducted a study regarding the involvement of gender roles and sports. The authors found that social and gender roles contributed to stigma in sports. From a young age, children attempt to fit the mold that is designated for their gender. The young sport enthusiasts “curb their behavior” (Schmalz and Kerstette, 2006, p. 550) and put in the extra effort to conform to society’s social norms. In their one on one interviews, children as young as eight to ten years old are aware and troubled by the gender stereotypes. Children learn about such stereotypes, as they observe their environment. They classify what they see in male and female athletes on television. The study led by Schmalz and Kerstette (2006) proves that girls are disheartened to participate in “masculine” sports, or activities and vice versa for boys.

A sport that an athlete engages in affects the way that they are seen by society. Jones, Murrell, & Jackson (1999) divides sports in three different categories. The first one being masculine, such as rugby, or basketball. The second one being feminine which involves cheerleading, or volleyball. The last one being neutral which consists of cycling, or track and field. These matters have “created unfairness and discrimination” (Katz & Luckinbill, 2017, p. 1) and have influenced the participation in sports. In a self-report survey, 85.2% of participants agreed that it was as good idea to have the same standards and rules for both male and female athletes. The gender inequality is being challenged by both male and female athletes that are ready to break the social norm and traditional values and roles.

The increase of participation from female athletes breaking stereotypes has made a big impact on traditional stereotypes and society. This is because of the high amount of female athletes challenging the system and wanting to increase the female participation in sports. Women have “gradually entered more areas of sport” (Tjønndal, 2019, p. 87), yet men continue to “dominate positions of power in sport on a global scale” (Tjønndal, 2019, p. 87). The sports world continues to play the antagonist role towards female athletes. However, this norm is now being challenged by athletes who refuse to fall under the categories and labels that society and media have made for them. Male athletes are shown as powerful, dominant and strong, whereas female athletes are viewed in a more sexual way where their appearance is more valuable than their skills.

References

1. Augustyn, A. (2019, October 16). Title IX. ​Encyclopædia Britannica​. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Title-IX
2. Bernstein, A. (2002). Is it time for a victory lap? Changes in the media coverage of women in sport, International Review for the Sociology of Sport 37: 415- 428.
3. Bissell, K.L., & Duke, A.M. (2007) ‘Bump, set, spike: An analysis of commentary and camera angles of women’s beach volley ball during the 2004 summer Olympics’. Journal of Promotion Management (13), 35–53
4. Carty, V. (2005). Textual portrayals of female athletes: Liberation or nuanced forms of patriarchy? Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 26 (2), 132-155.
5. Jones, R., Murrell, A. J., & Jackson, J. (1999). Pretty Versus Powerful in the Sports Pages: Print Media Coverage of U.S. Women’s Olympic Gold Medal Winning Teams. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 23(2), 183–192. ​https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723599232005
6. https://www.britannica.com/event/Title-IX
7. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723599232005
8. Katz, R. S., & Luckinbill, R. W. (2017). Changing Sex/Gender Roles and Sport. Stanford Law & Policy Review, 28(2), 215–243. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.langara.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=123947078&site=ehost-live&scope=site
9. Lewis, G. (2014, March 20). Nicole Cooke calls for women’s sport to have equal coverage on BBC. ​BBC​. Retrieved from ​https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-26653208
10. Liang, E. (2011). ‘The Media’s Sexualization of Female Athletes: A Bad Call for the Modern Game.’ Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 3(10). Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=587
11. Schmalz, D. & Kerstetter, D. (2006). Girlie Girls and Manly Men: Children’s Stigma Consciousness of Gender in Sports and Physical Activities. Journal of Leisure Research. 38. 536-557. 10.1080/00222216.2006.11950091.
12. Tjønndal, A. (2019). “Girls Are Not Made of Glass!”: Barriers Experienced by Women in Norwegian Olympic Boxing. Sociology of Sport Journal, 36(1), 87–96. https://doi-org.ezproxy.langara.ca/10.1123/ssj.2017-0130
13. Weber, J. D., & Carini, R. M. (2013). Where are the female athletes in Sports Illustrated? A content analysis of covers (2000–2011). International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 48(2), 196–203. ​https://doi-org.ezproxy.langara.ca/10.1177/1012690211434230
14. Women’s Sports Foundation. (2016, September 2). Title IX and the Rise of Female Athletes in America. ​Women’s Sports Foundations​. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.langara.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=123947078&site=ehost-live&scope=site
15. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.langara.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=123947078&site=ehost-live&scope=site
16. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-26653208
17. http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=587
18. https://doi-org.ezproxy.langara.ca/10.1123/ssj.2017-0130
19. https://doi-org.ezproxy.langara.ca/10.1177/1012690211434230

The Muslims Struggle In Media

The image and portrayal of Muslims through the media and the current president of the United States, Donald Trump, has dramatically affected the Muslim community. Subsequent to the terrorist attack of September 11th, the Muslim community became victimized by the media and portrayed as terrorists. As a result, Muslims are victims of bullying in schools, hate crimes, and prejudice in the everyday world. The negative image that the media paints of Muslims have led to a dramatic increase in the fear and stereotypes of Muslims, also known as Islamophobia.

On September 11, 2001, a horrific terrorist attack that left the entire country of the United States in complete despair occurred. People needed a way to make sense of the tragedy they had just bore witness to. The media immediately started reporting that the attack was performed by Muslim terrorists. Due to the way the terrorists appeared many concluded that all people with a similar appearance must also be terrorists. This appearance described most of the Muslim community: which included their black hair, beards, brown skin, and the similar clothing that Muslims choose to wear. The quick connection that people made between those men who committed the attack of terrorism and the entire Muslim community was rash and unjust. However, many are unaware that the term Muslim refers to anyone who practices the religion of Islam. Meanwhile, the term Arab refers to the people who speak Arabic and ironically there are even Christian Arabs. The fact of the matter is not every Arab is Muslim, and not every Muslim is Arab. An Arab or Muslim doesn’t even have to be from the Middle East! Muslims can be anywhere and look like anything because it’s only the religion that defines them. People with the prejudiced mindset see Arabs and Muslims as being the same. They also used the term “Arab” as a reference to anyone who looks like a “terrorist”. This view on Muslims is a threat to society and leads to acts of hate and a life full of violence.

Muslims are suffering while living in turmoil. According to Benjamin Shearer, “between 2001 and 2002 there were 525 backlash incidents involving Muslims. The previous year there were 366 incidents, a forty-three percent increase in just a year.” (Shearer) Muslims have not been safe in the workforce either. Shearer states that “the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported 706 discrimination cases in the workplace between September 11, 2001 and September 10, 2002.” (Shearer) That was more than double the previous year in which there were only 323 reported. These acts of discrimination range from being wrongfully discharged to being denied work because of religion or customs. While also including harassment in the workplace. Some are denied prayer breaks, called racial slurs, victims of physical abuse, or in some severe cases having meat or blood thrown at them. Even though the EEOC set a law that you cannot deny someone a job because of religious customs, such as wearing a hijab, it still gets violated. Although even if this law is followed, they can still be harassed by coworkers causing violence in the workplace that can lead to the person leaving the job willingly.

Not only is the Muslim community facing prejudice in the workforce, but kids are also facing harassment in school and college. Schools everywhere are making it harder for Muslim kids to follow their religion in a safe space. For Example according to Laura Finley, “some schools in the United Kingdom have forced kids to pray outside rather than allowing them to meet and pray in peace in the confiding of a private room, despite schools having an obligation to allow students to observe all religious practices, they choose to ignore it.” (Finley) In recent history France has passed a law banning Muslim students to wear a hijab in public schools. Not only does this bullying come from peers in the classroom, but from their own teachers. (Finley) Since the tragedy of September 11th, more anti-Muslim speeches are being given on college campuses and an increase in harassment of Muslim students have taken place. “ In 2003, a hate crime against Muslims was committed at the UCLA medical center, prayer rugs at the chapel were soaked in pork blood.”(Finley) Bullying and harassment are prominent in schools and colleges around the world, caused by kids and adults just the same.

Donald Trump running for election and ultimately becoming the President of the United States was another event that negatively affected the Muslim community. Prejudice attacks against Muslims skyrocketed and reached an all-time high since 2001. At some points throughout the presidential election, Trump seemed to be competing against Muslims rather than the Democratic party. Trump stated during his campaign that if he became president he would seriously consider shutting down mosques throughout the country. He also had an idea to register all Muslims in a nationwide database. The attacks only continued to rise once Trump was elected President of the United States. Each year more and more hate crimes against Muslims are carried out. In 2016 CAIR stated that “Anti-Muslim hate crimes rose by more than 40% when being compared to 2015.” (Al Jazeera America) As the leader of the United States Trump passed a travel ban that included five countries in which the population is mostly Muslim. Trump’s travel ban has been criticized and thought to be unconstitutional because it discriminates against Muslims. Many consider the travel ban to actually be a “Muslim ban”.

The religion of Islam and its followers are severely scrutinized, unlike any other religion. There are many acts of terrorism that claim to be acting in accordance with their religion. One example is Robert Dear, the one who carried out a Planned Parenthood shooting was Christian and was characterized as a Christian terrorist. Robert Dear entered the site with an automatic rifle and killed three people and injured another nine. The Ku Klux Klan is another example of terrorist that had strong ties to Christianity. The burning of the cross was meant to symbolize the light of Christ, the white robes to symbolize purity, and Bible scriptures were picked out to preach white supremacy. In fact, many members of the Ku Klux Klan were preachers and churchgoers. Many Protestant churches in the South supported white supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan. Some propaganda that was used to help spread the Klan’s message and grow in popularity included an image of a Klan member in uniform standing in a church. The teachings of Christianity were never questioned and Christians have not been harassed or labeled as terrorists or white supremacist. Why are Muslims getting all of the blame for being terrorists when in reality a terrorist could be anybody coming from any background.

The Muslim community since September 11th has struggled with its portrayal that the media has continuously painted them with. Muslims are wrongfully treated and viewed by many as a terrorist because of the actions of a few extremists. The religion of Islam and its followers are criticized unlike any other. Donald Trump has publically displayed prejudice toward Muslims during his presidential campaign and as current President. Since Trump became president hate crimes have drastically increased. People with the prejudiced mindset now feel more empowered to act knowing that the President shares similar views. Are all Muslims radical extremist? No. There are extremists in every branch of religion yet Muslims are the only ones who get stereotyped and judged to the point where the entire religion is in question.

The Correlation Between Mediatization And Religion

Introduction:

In this essay I will explore a variety of topics relating to the concept of mediatisation and mediated communication. I will critically discuss the concept of mediatisation, it’s impact on society with it being no longer conceived as being separate from cultural and other institutions as well as describing the mediatisation of religion throughout this essay. I will also be dwelling on scholars such as Hjarvard and many other relevant authors and theorists as well as discussing how the media affects us personally and how it can shape our minds into viewing a mediatized world. Towards the end of this essay you should fully understand the concept of mediatisation and I will also conclude how mediatisation has led to religion becoming mediated.

What is Mediatization:

In order to fully comprehend this essay it’s important that we take a first look at understanding the concept of mediatisation as this will be our main theoretical framework . Mediatisation is considered as one way of theoretical framework in which we can view the relationship between the media and society. There has yet to be a wider definition accepted of the term, however according to the famous scholar Hjarvard (2008) “Mediatization is to be considered a double – sided process of high modernity in which the media on the one hand emerge as an independent institution with a logic of its own that other social media institutions have to accommodate to. On the other hand, media simultaneously become an integrated part of other institutions like politics, religion, work and family as more and more of these institutional activities are performed through both interactive and mass media.” The media is increasingly shaping our views on culture and is becoming increasingly important in the production and circulation of various forms of knowledge. It has now become the principal for public discussion relating to a variety of topics such as politics and many more.. Many of us share our political views and other views which aren’t political on social media sites such as Twitter. It has become quite clear that the media has now become central to “modernity’ and social change.

The Impact of Mediatization on contemporary society:

According to Hjarvard (2008) “Contemporary society is permeated by the media, to an extent that the media may no longer be conceived of as being separate from cultural and other institutions”. In order to fully comprehend this statement, we must study the ways in which the social institutions and cultural processes have changed their characteristics and their structure to the presence of the media. This altered message of how we begin to understand the media’s importance doesn’t essentially mean that ancient queries relating to aspects just like the effects of mediated messages on public opinion or the purposes to which people use the media, are no longer relevant. However, it does mean that understanding the importance of media in the modern society and culture can no longer rely on models that conceive of the media as being completely separate from the society and culture. A significant share of the influence media exert arises out of the fact that they have become an integral part of other institutions and organisations operations, while they also have achieved a degree of self-determination and authority that forces other institutions to a greater or less degree to submit to their logic. The media certainly are a part of the fabric of culture and society and an institution which is independent stands between other social and cultural institutions and coordinates their mutual interaction.

The duality of this structural relationship sets up a number of preconditions for how the media messages from given situations are used and perceived by its senders and receivers, thus affecting the relations between the public. Thereby, traditional questions about the media, it’s usage and effects need to be taken into the account of the circumstances that society and culture have become mediatized. Hjaravrd deduces that the media has become an integrated part of today’s society especially since we now have the existence of other new social media that we use in our daily lives. New social media, a set of identity-centric information and communication technologies, otherwise known as ICT’s, enables the production and sharing of digital content in a mediated social setting (Studstzman 2009) such as Facebook and Twitter. These social media sites have successfully attracted millions of users with many of them integrating these social media sites into their daily practices and transformed them from a situation of information scarcity to one of information abundance. Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are some of the most visited sites on the internet with many users engaging with and sharing their opinions on various topics and issues such as cultural, political, social, religious, etc. With the current upcoming UK election, celebrities such as Dua Lipa have been taking to Instagram to post stories encouraging fans to vote Labour and not Conservative. This is a prime example of how politics becomes mediated.

Facebook and Twitter have also played an increasing role in Politics especially American with constant debates/discussions online about the behaviour of president Donald Trump and these sites have also facilitated an online community to raise funds for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims as well as assist innovation that plays a significant role in cultural change. The existence of interactive and collaborative features produced by these social media platforms have allowed the dimension of political, social and cultural advancement to become more prominent. However, it appears questionable to simply claim that social media alternately acts as the ground of political revolution or creates new social identity and induce cultural change (Boyd, 2011, Green 2011, Hoffman & Kornweitz 2011). A single click on a merely tweet or a Facebook group do not always make people politically activated or socially changed. Boyd (2011) emphasises that it seems to be only a “majestical lustre” that the structure of technology instantly influences people’s behaviour. Correspondingly Green (2011) also voices an interesting quandary if social media actually enhanced the democracy itself. It is reasonable since Twitter and Facebook are not a replacement for motivation that are at least required for a revolution to be taken place or a new community to be formed. Nonetheless it is likely understandable from current events that social media certainly has the power to be able to persuade and pursue as by providing platform toward social community, political revolution and cultural advancement yet bring negative and positive consequences for all three of those subjects.

The Mediatisation of religion:

Using the concept of mediatisation, we can clearly see that religion is becoming increasingly subsumed to the logic of the media, both in terms of symbolic content, institutional regulation and individual practices. The media has become a channel of communication that has become the primary source of religious ideas, practices and also a language that the media mould our minds with the concept of religious imagination in accordance with the genres of popular culture. Michael Biling’s theory of “Banal Nationalism” is very inspiring to look at. This concept/theory of “Banal religion” is developed to help us understand how the media provide a constant backdrop of religious imagination in society. If we look at the media as a cultural environment we can see that it has taken over many social functions of the institutionalised religions, providing both moral and spiritual guidance as well as a sense of community. As a consequence, in the modern western societies it has been said that institutionalised religions play a less prominent role when it comes to the communication of religious beliefs hence the idea of elements of banal religions taking to the front of the stage and causing religion to become mediatized.

With the existence of most sophisticated media technology, the supernatural and metaphysical phenomena have required an unprecedented presence in today’s modern society. Movies such as Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, Narnia and many other blockbuster movies have unicorns, magicians, elves and monsters who seem possessed by evil and spirits working for the good. These media representations of the supernatural world have acquired a richness in detail, narrative and character which makes the supernatural world appear natural to the human eye. The idea of the supernatural world is furthermore supported by its everyday character in the media especially with the emergence of programmes such as Buffy the Vampire. The supernatural world is not only just associated with the genre of fiction, during recent years there has been factual programming on television showing an increasing interest in supernatural, paranormal and traditional religious issues. There has been many countries such as the US, UK and Denmark which have produced movies/programmes associated with ghosts, paranormal activity, exorcism and reincarnation.

However, we must note that it is not only superstition or new religion that has gained a lot of interest and a higher presence in the media. Institutionalised religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc have also achieved some great coverage across the media with the emergence of factual programs on these religions as well as journalistic coverage. A lot of religious institutions are now frequently appearing in various forms across the media such as documentaries on religious issues like Ireland and the Catholic church with their scandals, the Tuam babies and discussion programmes such as when Ireland was voting for Repeal the 8th. It has certainly become clear in recent years that the media has become a platform which has allowed and catered for the discussion of religious ideas and movements through communication on the internet. The Mediatisation of the Catholic church has been led by documentaries such as the Magdalene laundries and has been leading to the growing decline of faith in Ireland. Irish people have now become more open minded in terms of religious beliefs over the years, we no longer accept the mistreatment of LGBTQ people as we feel that is no longer accepted in modern society and have now moved on to legalise gay marriage as well as abortion.

This increased emergence of religious themes in the media may be seen to falsify the ideas, that secularization has become the hallmark of high modernity and that the media have become agents of enlightenment. According to (Demerath, 2003) we may interpret this development as an increased tendency towards a re-sacralisation of modern society in which secular tendencies are gradually being replaced or challenged by the resurgence of Christianity, Islam and other newer forms of religion. However, if we look back on a longer period of time, it is clearly visible that a prominent secularization of society is present and during this time process the media have taken over many social functions that would be carried out and performed by religious institutions. Various rituals, worship, mourning, celebration are all linked to social activities that would rely on institutionalised religion but have now been taken over and reshaped into a more or less secular activity by the media. It is much more important for us to understand how the modern media not only represents religious issues but also changes the authority and ideas of the various religious institutions and alters the way in which people communicate with each other when it comes to dealing with religious issues. It can also be said that the increased presence and availability of such forms of faith across national television have increased the legitimacy of “superstition” and has also challenged the cultural prestige of the institutionalized church. Many documentaries, films and books based off these institutionalised religions can completely reset our agenda on how we view them for example Dan Brown’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. A Danish Bishop has also stated that after the screening of the TV series The Power Of The Spirits “Danish Culture will never be the same after this series.” (Lindhardt, 2004).

Banal religion: The idea of the term “Banal Religion” is a very important concept to understand when it comes to discussing the mediatisation of religion and really helps us to further understand how religion has become mediatised by the various forms of media. Michael Billig (1995) develops this concept in his book on nationalism and cultural identity. It is meant by banal religion that we have to consider that the media not only report on the established religions but they also deliver in a sense their own kind of religion through fictional formats, news formats, etc. However, this type of religion has become less coherent and less elaborate of the religions we find in institutions. The media describe a backdrop of our understanding on what religion is in a modern society but not by giving explicit, elaborate religious narratives but rather by giving fragments from both institutionalised religion, folk religion and the religion produced by the media themselves for instance those portrayed in Harry Potter movies, Lord Of The Rings, The Da Vinci Code and many more. So Banal religion is the kind of religion that in a sense is a more fundamental character, it’s about symbol, images, short narratives that may or may not be considered as religions by people who use the media.

How The Music Industry portrays religion: Another important element that shows us how the media affects religion is by looking at the music industry. Many artists are using music videos to portray religion such as Lady Gaga and her music video for her song “Judas”. In her music video she states that she is in love with Judas and people of a Catholic faith may find this offensive however the message she is trying to portray is how she is in love with a toxic person who is bad for her but she still wants them. Some fans even take to Twitter stating that Lady Gaga is their religion. Religion can also be portrayed in various song lyrics from other artists.

Another example of how the music industry portrays religion is how the celebrities themselves talk about, one really good example is Matty Healy from The 1975 who is an atheist. He recently did an interview with Ted Talks where he stated that if you’re piously religious in today’s society you should be ashamed of yourself. He also stated that he was bored of certain religions as well because certain racisms are aligned with them thinking that you can’t criticise them and you can’t criticise Islam as a set of ideas, you can’t criticise these kind of these because you’re inherently criticising people. He talks about how religious people are always allowed to be offended and doesn’t know when he is allowed to be offended as an atheist. “I have to get up every day and read something abhorrent that’s happened in the name of religion and I never get a day where I’m allowed to be offended. Where are my rights as an atheist?” he talks about how people use the internet to create this “perfect profile” of ourselves when we should be trying to connect with one another despite race/colour/sexuality as he loves people for who they are. He also briefly mentions how we all live with this phenomena that we will all live forever and never going to die. Thousands of his fans have interacted with this interview online, discussed it and supported Matty which is another example of how the media mediatises religion. His views can be sometimes controversial and the religion is also portrayed in their song “Nana” about Mattys nan who passed.

Conclusion

To conclude this essay, we can see that from performing a critical assessment on the concept of Mediatisation, we can begin to understand the meaning of it and fully comprehend its concept. By looking at how the media affects society, politics and various culture issues using the theoretical framework of mediatisation we can clearly see how it may no longer be conceived as being separate from cultural and other institutions. Also by carrying out at critical analysis of the mediatisation of religion and considering factors such as films like Harry Potter, Paranormal documentaries, religious documentaries, music videos, how celebrities talk about religion, understanding the concept of banal religion and various religious opinions/debates shared on social media we can state that religion has certainly been meditated. The concept of Mediatisation also shows us how powerful the media can be and how it can completely change religion, culture, politics and society. By using Mediatisation as a key aspect/theory in this essay we get a deeper meaning and insight into how religion becomes enchanted and how the media can act as a backdrop into producing these fantasies, banal religions and completely reshaping our view. Online debates/discussions about religious issues in Ireland has certainly proved that religion has become mediated especially with the Magdalene laundries scandal which has caused many Irish people to turn away from Catholicism. Modern society has led to the emergence of new views, religious caused by the media, thus religion has become mediated.

References

1. Billig, M. (1995) Banal Nationalism. London. SAGE.
2. Campus, D. (2019) Mediatization and Personalization of Politics In Italy and France: The Cases of Berlusconi and Sarkozy. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 15(2), pp. 219 – 235
3. Eric John Herbert, D., Greenhill, A. and Gillespie, M. (2013). Social Media and Religious change. 1st ed. Berlin, Boston: De Gruter.
4. Giorgi, A. (2019) Mediated Catholicism – Minority Voices and Religious Authority in the Digital Space. MDPI Religions Journal, 10 (8).
5. Hjarvard, S. (2008) The Mediatization of religion: A theory of the media as agents of religious change. Nordic Journal of Media Studies., 6, 9-26.
6. Hjarvard, S. (2008) The Mediatization of Society: A theory of the media as agents of Social and Cultural Change. Nordicom Review, 29 (2), pp. 105-134.
7. Mitchell, J. and Marriage, S. (2003). Mediating religion. London: T & T Clark.
8. Moberg, M. (2012) Religion in popular music or popular music as religion? A critical review of scholarly writing on the place of religion in metal music and culture. Popular Music and Society. 35 (1), pp. 113-130.
9. Rothenbuhler (1998): Ritual Communication. From Everyday Conversation to Mediated Ceremony. London: Sage.
10. Sky, J. (2006): “Harry Potter and Religious Mediatization”, in Sumiala-Seppanen, Johanna, Lundby, Knut and Salokangas, Raimo (eds): Implications of the Sacred in (Post)Modern Media, Gothenberg: Nordicom, pp. 235-254.

Disadvantages Of Media Development

Media development refers to change that occurs over all forms of media. It can be influenced by many factors; rule of law, how supportive diverse views are by society, freedom of expression, the attitude of journalists. This essay will focus on how whether the development of media had been a positive or negative impact on society. The publication of the World Wide Web to the public in 1991, which allowed users to build websites of their own, marked the start of media is accessed by the public and how they retrieved information. In order to understand about society and to get informed, the people rely on the mass media sources such as television, newspapers, radio, news that are accessible online etc. This is one of the primary sources of information for the public.

Media can create a very strong influence in the public’s mind which can potentially lead them to changing their opinion regarding a certain subject. Media has become a vital part of our life, we become up-to-date via media, and it could be argued that in some cases the public believe blindly what has being portrayed through media without knowing or questioning the authenticity of the news they hear. The more susceptible portion of the public fail to think about the validity of the news sources they are acquiring information from, nor do they question what their underlying motives are. Nowadays, many believe that media and media culture has gained an upper hand over the general public’s thoughts and opinion.

The media arguably controls what citizens see. This is because they only make available to us the news that is a priority to them. The problem with such news is that its focus is likely to contain subjects that will raise their news value and increase their rating. With the time and as new technology develops, the media needs a new definition in a more general way, so that it includes any technological tools that also have communication roles.

Over the years, the modern-day media has developed so much that we acquire a vast variety of data at our fingertips, wherever we are now we get information about the world from any location. Sitting back at home we get informed what’s happening in other part of the state or country, this development has taken the media into another level.

Media is one of the biggest and growing commercial industries to date, if they are not able to retrieve eye catching news, they create one. The technology has made it easy too for this. This is because online news is far less demanding in terms of having authentic news sources. With the high turnover of news posts and articles, writers are far more fixated on producing news to either meet targets and deadlines, that they are spewing out unaccredited news. The rise in technology has made the news spread among the globe in a fraction of seconds.

The increased volume of internet mediums such as blogs, forums that are now available at everyone’s fingertips means that media has a much more increased capacity for jobs, income and revenue. Now we can see that there is more online journalist, this platform has given a new job opportunity for the people. Now everyone can access news, it has become more convenient for the people. media has portrayed different cultural practices and which made another cultural group to see different cultural practices.

Media has educated people through television and radio programmes. it has benefited many people with it. Children have learned gained knowledge by the quiz programme animal programs which comes in television and radio programmes. The media has also served as good platform for entertainment, it helps people to understand each other and embrace their difference.

As a coin has two sides even media has as a bitter side to it. The media makes people spend too much time on the internet, viewing television. A form of addiction could be argued to develop in people, especially the younger generation, who have grown up with modern technology to hand. A negative consequence of this is that socialization with family, friends and neighbours is jeopardised, thus leading to individualism. Therefore, the development of media may not always be for the best if it impedes social characteristics. Furthermore, the glamorisation of alcohol and drug use through media and advertising, portrays to the public an ideal that they should aim to and if not intentionally, unintentionally promotes this to the more susceptible to follow through.

Furthermore, not all the content in the media is suitable for children and restricting the audience that has access to any sort of media is extremely difficult. Once a piece of information is released into modern media, it is nearly impossible to control how it spreads, and who will gain access to it.

A further disadvantage of media developing more is the unending increase of fraudulent users, imposters and hackers. As a result of how fast media and technology is developing, there is unlikely to be related laws governing that area, which means that it takes longer to find those committing online crimes or crimes using newly developed technology.

Bullying also takes place because of the internet as many mediums of media, online news forums, blogs give people behind a screen the freedom to write anything and everything they want, with zero question of authenticity and no supporting evidence. This thereby miss informs the general public and also spread rumors about things and situations and make them panic and also sometimes in extreme cases cause riots. Media has developed in many ways, and still has a long way to go. Over the decades the changes have being magnificent, from print media to electronic media, from black and white movies to colour three-dimensional and four-dimensional movies and also animation movies. The media has developed in a significant manner across the world. New technologies have been accepted and every institution is updating itself with the new media change. Media development has caused society to forcefully change and adapt the new technology. This development has made things much more easier and pleasing but everything has a small side effect too. Likewise, the emergence of more technology causes people to fall into the lazy pit. People become less productive and their lives revolves around more of the online electronic world, thereby they a forget the real outside world. In the long run, developments themselves are a positive thing when used responsibly, otherwise, they are of no use. You should be the one using media, it should not be the media using you.

Influence of Violent Media on Human Misconduct

One of the biggest debates in today’s society is whether Violent Media can be accused for Human Misconduct. Violent Media can be defined as visual portrayals of acts of physical aggression by one human or human-like character against another (Huesmann, 2007) but this isn’t exclusive to solely visuals, as its been noted that even violent lyrics in Music can lead to aggressive acts (Fischer, 2006). In fact, this can be through any source of media that consumers can consume any information that depicts violence. Violent Media dates back to the 1600s, around the time where Newspapers came into fruition during the Medieval Days (Stephens, 2012). A few hundred years later, it became the main source of violent propaganda during both World War 1 and 2. Violent Media is still used today, and it can be argued that it’s one of the main contributors for Human Misconduct.

Violent Media saw a huge increase, particularly in the 20th Century. In the 1920s, Movies were becoming popular. However, there was a rise in concern for content in some Films. There were worries over the effect that Movie Depictions of Sex & Violence had on Children. Members of the Public put it to the Film Industry to act on this. Organizations had carried out studies amongst Children and Young Prominent Scholars from the late 1920s to the early 1930s to delve into the impact that these Movie Scenes have on them. In many of these Studies, People had been reported as having imitated Movie Characters and having fused Scenarios from Movies as part of their play behavior and everyday lives as Children. A perfect example of the results of these Studies can be taken from The Payne Fund. The Payne Fund is a privately funded foundation in the US and provided needed funding that the US Government wasn’t funding at the time. The Studies carried out by The Payne Fund showed that more than an overwhelming “75 Percent – of the fifteen hundred films that were studied could be categorized as dealing with crime, sex or love.” Most of the respondents in the Study also displayed a huge influence of the Crime Scenes on their everyday lives (Blumer, 1933). In the early 20th Century, the Viewership of this sort of content throughout Film & TV was very new and possibly exciting for Viewers so the impact this had on Viewers would’ve made for it to influence society to act in certain ways in Public. To add to this, there was very little censorship on Content.

The 1950s saw a significant rise in youth crime and juvenile delinquency. Governments started to discuss violence in Radio & Television, and it’s influence on Children & Youth. By this time, Television Licenses were granted to just over 2 Million Members of the British Public (Vahimagi, 2014). This shows that very few had access to a Television, and Youths particularly could have shown an interest in taking inspiration from what they had seen on TV. This issue with Youth Crime continued through both the 1960s and the 1970s. In 1969, the Report of National Commission on the Causes mid-Prevention of Violence declared TV Violence as one of the contributors to Society’s Violence Problem. In the 70s, Court Cases investigated the liability of TV in cases of real Violence. Domestic Violence became an increasing concern in this decade. This was the time where “words like ‘domestic violence’ and ‘battered women’ were coined, illustrating the fact that this was a social, not just a private, problem (Ashcraft, 2000: 3; Loseke & Cahill, 1984: 296; Yllö, 1990: 39). From this, Domestic Violence entered the Media and the number of reports of these incidents peaked heading into the 1980s. However, early into the rise of Domestic Violence, there were inaccurate reports or reports in an unrepresentative way (Dobash & Dobash, 1992) (McManus & Dorfman, 2003).

The 1980s saw the real rise in Media Violence. Moral Panics were high due to the new Violent Video Game releases. Examples include ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ released in 1983 which received many complaints from the Public as being very distasteful and gory, and setting poor examples for the Children that inevitably ended up playing the Game. The Video Game and Film Industry also coincided with each other when it came to Violent Content. One of the biggest instances of this came with both ‘Halloween’ the Horror/Thriller Movie that came with a Video Game based on such. Both Games contained enough Adult Themes and Violent Scenes to have it removed from Store Shelves. Some businesses even “refused to stock it completely, or in some cases, hidden the Games behind the Counter” (Lamble, 2013). There was an eruption of Protests for such Games to be completely banned set up by Parents and Family Members concerned for the Content that their Children were viewing and indulging themselves in to, particularly in 1983, for the Games mentioned and in particular, ‘Custer’s Revenge’.

One of the most Violent Games ever to have been reported is the 1993 Game, ‘Night Trap’ was one of the most talked-about issues in the December of that Year. It was cited as ‘shameful, ‘ultra-violent, ‘sick’ and ‘disgusting’. It was also described as “encouraging an effort to trap and kill Women.” Officials in the Government found disgust at scenes involving one of the leading Female Characters, ‘Lisa’. They felt this was very insensitive and distasteful and provided an awful outlook on how Women in Society should be treated. Another game focusing on in the 1993 Discussions between Parliaments was ‘Mortal Kombat’, described as the first Video Game to feature lifelike, realistic Violence. However, unlike the previously mentioned Games, this Game managed to stay in Stores as around this time, there was the formation of the Entertainment Software Rating Broad (ESRB) in 1994. They overturned the potential government regulation, and instead assigned age and content ratings to Game Releases.

Towards the latter half of the 90s, Violent Games & Media started to be treated as much more of a legal issue. Jack Thompson, an Anti-Video Games Activist and Attorney, filed the first of what was soon to be a huge number of Lawsuits claiming that Video Games were largely responsible for violence perpetrated by Teenagers. This lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Parents of 3 Children that were killed in the Shootings at the Heath High School in the US in 1997. The Investigations carried on the Perpetrator showed that they had regularly played various Computer Games that depicted Violence and accessed pornographic websites and owned a Videotape of “The Basketball Diaries” which depicts a High School Student thinking about shooting his Teacher and Classmates. The Lawsuit claimed that the Producers of all this Content were ignorant to how distributing this content to a Minor would desensitize them and make them more prone to Violent Behaviour. Violent Media in Video Games has also been a huge catalyst in conversations for tragic events such as the Shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. A common occurrence in these Events were that the Suspects were exposed to Violent Media at Home through Films and Games (National Coalition Against Censorship, 2012). In 2003, both Ofcom (The Office of Communications) and PEGI (Pan European Game Information) were set up to regulate TV & Radio and Gaming respectively.

There are a few Theories that had been set up to find a common correlation between Violent Media and Human Misconduct. The Social Learning Theory, set up by Albert Bandura, set out to prove that Children could possibly become aggressive from seeing others do the same (Bryant, 2008). Bandura showed Children a Video of an Aggressive Model and the Model messed around with tinker toys but then changed their focus to a Bobo Doll and became violent towards it. They punched, tossed it and kicked it. Verbal Comments were also made. They then left the Children in a room with a Bobo Doll to see if they too will act in the same way they had seen from the Model. It was found that the Children involved in the experiment acted exactly how they witnessed in the Video. However, with this came criticism as it is difficult to generalize from aggression to a Bobo Doll, which is intended to be hit, to person-on-person Violence. Because of this, another Theory built on Social Learning Theory. This is known as the Social Cognitive Theory and suggests that aggression could possibly be caused by learning and equipping aggressive scripts. It is believed in this Theory that repeated exposure to Media Violence can cause emotional adjustment so that anxiety and disgust levels weaken or completely diminish. An example of this could be from a 2016 Study where a group of College Students were randomly assigned to either a Non-Violent or a Violent Video Game for 20 Minutes, and then were shown a 10 Minute Video of Real-Life Violence. The results of this shown that the Students that played the Violent Video Game were less affected and less sensitive to the viewing, as opposed to those who played the Non-Violent Game. Social Cognitive Theory has been argued to be the most powerful example of Media Violence Effects for many Years, despite criticism (Freedman, 2002; Savage, 2004) on how these Theories are outdated and should therefore be retired (Ferguson, 2012).

Another Theory to make note of relating to the possible link between Media Violence and Human Misconduct is the Moral Panic Theory. This suggests that concerns about new media are outdated and recurrent. It’s believed through this Theory that a society predetermines a negative view on a new medium that most typically is not used by the elder generations and the most powerful members of society (Gauntlett, 2005). Studies and Research Positions by Intellectuals and Politicians mostly confirm the pre-existing belief, as opposed to dispassionately observing and evaluating the issue. Eventually, the panic thins out over several years or decades, but they resurface when another new medium is introduced. From my findings, I can tell that Violent Media is most definitely a huge catalyst in the rise of everyday Human Misconduct, both in small levels and in extreme cases. However, my research into the Theories involved in Violent Media can show that it’s loose to say that all real-life violence can be stemmed from what suspects have seen through TV, Film or Video Games. This last decade particularly has seen a rise in crime, particularly involving youths that have been exposed to Violence in the Media and that has been a common finding in most cases involving Youth. Research conducted in 2017 had shown that Social Media is also a big cause in promoting and inciting gang culture and violence (Peterson, 2017). With the rise in toxic politics and culture particularly today with issues such as the Brexit debate, this evidence can be linked to much of the left-wing and right-wing members of society having toxic disagreements, particularly in an online world. This is also in my opinion, a direct result from Television Propaganda.

In conclusion, I have found that there is a huge correlation between Media Violence and real-life Human Misconduct. I also, however, don’t think that the Media is the sole cause for Violence. The People we surround ourselves with can also be impactful on the way we act in society. Also, Violent Media cannot excuse any wrongdoings. We all individually choose to be influenced by different things and if we have chosen to be influenced by Violence we’ve seen through the Media or People we surround ourselves with, that’s very much on our own selves and is not a way to justify our ill actions. A huge part of our mental health is what we consume and I think we have to determine what is right for us and what we need to let go of before we become affected by those particular sources, and become much more dangerous to be around, and become a bad influence on others.

Representation Of Native American In Media Sources

Throughout the history of the United States of America, Native Americans have been represented in many different ways through various media sources. In films, they are depicted as evil savages who are out for blood with a tomahawk in one hand and a scalping knife in the other. In novels, they are all put together in one monolithic body with one set of practices and beliefs. Media giants are out to do whatever they can to draw in audiences, so they will resort to all sorts of measures in order to achieve that. However, not only were they portrayed incorrectly but also were forced to go to boarding school to eliminate their traditional ways of life. So at the end of it all, people are misguided and expected to see them as tomahawk carrying savages while their roots slowly diminish from their lives. In her novel, “Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story”, LeAnne Howe tells the story of a Native American baseball team by using original and fictive documents, like newspaper clippings and journal entries. Throughout her story, we see many instances of misrepresentation of Native Americans and their culture, like certain expectations to act or dress according to stereotypical depictions. By doing so, Howe is able to emphasize the vast amounts of misrepresentations and assimilations that Native Americans had to endure while living in the United States and throughout its time periods.

To start off, Native Americans starred in films that completely misrepresented their culture and overall appearances. In Miko Kings, the opening prelude describes a film set getting ready for the movie of the baseball team. The producer, Carl Laemmle, got the team to wear modern clothes to “represent savagery gone civilized” (Howe, p.7). He then tells “the Choctaws to ‘act jolly’ as if they were enjoying wearing long johns, socks, and tight shoes” (Howe, p.7). Here, we can see that in order for the film to be shot, the Native American baseball team must wear normal clothes because that symbolized a civilized society. This is an example of the misrepresentation of Native Americans during that time period because they were seen as savages because they did not conform to society’s expectations, like wearing jeans and shoes. The obvious truth is, no one was savage, it was just the ideas of the film industry to make people assume that. Moreover, in the actual film, His Last Game (1909), an Indian star pitcher, Bill Going is killed by “swift Western justice” after enacting self-defense (“His Last Game (1909)”), according to centuryfilmproject.com. This is important because Bill was never allowed a trial, let alone a lawyer to properly accuse him of his actions. This shows how Native Americans were shown in films, as uncivilized people that are only served “swift Western justice”. If Western justice includes the amendments to a trial and legal representation, then were these not applied to Native Americans? Overall, it seems that the point of films was to label Native Americans as people of barbaric cultures that are simply worth their stereotypes to help earn money for the box offices.

Not only were films an issue to Native American representations, but also boarding schools posed a problem as well. Boarding schools were created by the American government to eliminate traditional ways of Native American life and replace them with mainstream American culture. According to the National Museum of the American Indian, boarding schools separated Indian children “from their families and cultural ways for long periods, sometimes four or more years” (“Native Words Native Warriors”, 2007). These children were then subjected to erasing their cultural identity, by cutting their hair and wearing modern clothes. The effects of this are life long because not only were they no longer connected to their culture, but also they were humiliated for it. Hair was a symbol of identity to them and when cut, it erases that. They were even forced to give up their Native names and take on English ones. Basically, their culture and self-representation were all slowly being diminished while they were in these schools. Furthermore, in Miko Kings, Howe writes, “Hope’s the kind that needs someone around to tell him what to do. Damn boarding schools” (Howe, p.196). Clearly, Hope’s experience at the boarding school has made him completely dependent on others, which restricted him to think for himself. Another example is in Ezol’s journal, specifically during her days at boarding school. Ezol writes, “The girls of our school are taught to sit quietly and learn good habits of sewing and cooking” (Howe, p.138). It is clear that the boarding school pushes modern American influences onto these girls at a young age without letting them embrace even a modicum of their own culture. All in all, these boarding schools were created by the American government to erase all traces of tradition and assimilate everyone into American society.

So how do these items go on to affect the future of Native Americans, like today? Well, we already see some of the effects in Miko Kings, like Hope’s inability to think for himself and Ezol’s inevitable assimilation with American influences. However, there is more to this than just the two people in the book. According to The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, the impacts of boarding schools include “loss of language, loss of parental power, loss of sense of community, and weakened nation structure” (“Impact of Historical Trauma”). In addition, the 2014 White House Native Youth Report lists the major issues, like suicide rates and poverty. The report states that “Native children are also 70 percent more likely to be identified in school as students with an emotional disturbance […] suicide is the second leading cause of death for Native male youth in the 15 to 24-year-old age group” (2014 Native Youth Report, p. 24). This is significant because emotional disturbances in schools can be caused by bullying or simply the feeling of being left out. All of this can then be summed up to how Native Americans are being mistreated by how society views them, leading to humiliation or torment. The report also states that “The poverty rate among American Indians and Alaska Natives was 27 percent compared to 15 percent for the nation” (2014 Native Youth Report, p. 22). The reason for this is because of the designated reservation lands due to assimilation and so while everyone else’s income rises, the income of American Indians continues to stagnate. So we see that there are many negative effects that comes with decades of societal oppression and forced assimilation with educational progress at the center being hindered by poor infrastructure.

Ever since the start of our nation, Native Americans have been subjected to our harsh, cruel actions and policies. Powerless and unable to fight back, they endured our nation’s horrible policies, like boarding schools, and our society’s negative views. Even after overcoming these obstacles, they still were met with a plethora of issues, like health and socioeconomic status. Authors like LeAnne Howe was able to give readers insight into what Native American life was like during the 1900s through her book, Miko Kings. Government reports and organizations, like the White House Youth Report and National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, presented statistical data that showed the poor conditions that Native Americans have, despite living in a country that is supposed to have prosperity and success. The difference between one hundred years ago and today is really not significant. However, federal and state officials are making improvements in a number of areas, including education and health, but lack a significant increase in financial investment and political support, so the path forward is uncertain. We as a nation have progressed through many tough times, like the Great Depression or the World Wars, but we have yet helped progress the ones that have been here since the beginning.

Mass Media as an Agency of Socialization

Socialization

Socialization is a procedure by means of which culture is transmitted to more youthful age, also men become familiar by the guidelines as well practices of social gatherings to which they have a place. So by this procedure, a youngster figures out how to carry on throughout everyday life and take an interest in a gathering in public area. Every general public form an official structure inside which socialization of teenager happens.

Agency and Agents of Socialization

Agency alludes toward someone or something through which control is applied or an end is accomplished. Agents of socialization are the people, gatherings, or establishments that encourage us what we have to know so as to take an interest in public eye, We remain presented to numerous specialists of socialization all through our lifetime; thus, we have an impact on those mingling agents and associations. Individuals who go about as socialization’s specialists incorporate relatives, companions, instructors, businesses, religious pioneers and mass media. They all add to an individual’s convictions, sense of life, qualities and view.

Mass Media

The term mass media alludes to the channels of correspondence (media) that exists to contact an expansive open gathering of people. Mass media incorporates papers, magazines, comic books, computer games, motion pictures, TV, radio, and all the more as of late, the Internet. It advises individuals about occasions that they would somehow or another think minimal about. Mass media correspondence is typically fast, in light of the fact that the media will report a vital occasion as fast as conceivable after it occurs.

Mass Media-Agency of Socialization

The Mass media, which fill in as the medium of communication, is one of the agencies of socialization. Through the mass communications, people can learn and embrace new ways of life and practices which, toward the end, turn out to be a tradition in the public area. A case of this is Fashion.

Mass media present an altogether diverse type of socialization than some other, on the grounds that they offer no open door for communication.

Media Function as Socializing Agent

The media work as mingling operators in a few different ways:

1. They illuminate us about occasions
2. They acquaint us with a wide assortment of individuals
3. They give a variety of perspectives on current issues
4. They make us mindful of items and administrations that, in the event that we buy them, will as far as anyone knows help us to be acknowledged by others
5. They engage us by giving the chance to live vicariously (through other individuals’ encounters).

Mass media and Socialization

Sociologists have come to see the mass communications as an powerful agent of socialization. It has the ability to manage how we find out about what is happening on the planet, just as how to fittingly connect with each other. It associates individuals to different social foundations. For instance, amid decision years the media gives full inclusion of the discussions notwithstanding displaying master investigation of these discussions. Therefore, voters might be all the more effectively influenced by what they see and hear in the media than by what they find out about the applicants through going to town lobby gatherings or perusing their battle writing. The procedure is comparable with other intervened occasions, for example, pro athletics—editorial and examination runs connected at the hip with the real occasion.

The Mass media is a noteworthy power in current culture. Sociologists allude to this as an intervened culture where media mirrors the standard of conduct of certain people inside a general public. Media are the diverse procedures that encourage correspondence between the sender of a message and the recipient of that message. It might likewise be characterized as any correspondence—regardless of whether composed, communicate, or spoken—that contacts an expansive gathering of people.

Applications on Children

To say mass media as powerful agent, is consistent with some degree since now youngsters are investing more energy before the TV than blending with their folks and other relatives. along these lines broad communications assumes an essential job in the socialization of youngsters.

Impact of Internet

The Internet has turned into a fantastically open medium that empowers people to trade data and feelings by means of steady visual and sound streams.

Impact of Television

In any case, in spite of the Internet’s fame, TV keeps on being an incredible medium, too. The individuals who work in the broadcast business are extremely talented at figuring out what will speak to the mass market and controlling messages to urge purchasers to get tied up with thoughts and items. For instance, in spite of the fact that in earlier decades a great many people got along fine without mobile phones, today numerous adolescent trusts that they are a need. Sociologists who receive Marxist points of view frequently refer to the mass media as a ground-breaking agent in the upkeep of industrialist social orders.

• Drawbacks and Usefulness

What’s more, Television is known to be the medium with the best socialization impact, outperforming the various media by a long shot in its effect on the youthful kid. The very truth that TV isn’t an intelligent specialist is enormously critical to the improvement of youthful youngsters. While watching, youngsters have the inclination that they’re interfacing, however they’re most certainly not. That is one of the drawbacks of TV as a socializer—it fulfills social needs to some degree, yet doesn’t give youngsters the social abilities (or the genuine practice in those aptitudes) that enable them to work successfully with individuals. Since the normal kid watches 3 to 4 hours of TV daily, the time left to play with others and learning social aptitudes is radically decreased. Indeed, even babies normal around 90 minutes of TV seeing multi day between the time they are conceived and age 2 (Wright et al., 2001). Obviously, guardians can control the time their youngsters spend staring at the TV, yet many don’t. They can screen the choice of projects, however some enable their kids to watch whatever happens to be on. A few guardians don’t think about how they can utilize TV to encourage basic leadership. They neglect to influence youngsters to know about the way that when one program closes they can either gauge the different benefits of the following contributions or turn the set off. A few kids, particularly those with a remote control close by, flick through the channels intermittently, haphazardly ceasing at whatever gets their enthusiasm right now. Youngsters likewise find out about current subjects and issues, both from reports and shows—issues, for example, abducting, the destitute, and the spread of AIDS. The majority of these issues and topics are disturbed ones, and many are exceptionally unnerving, particularly when kids watch programs that are expected for grown-ups. That is altogether different from basically analyzing alternatives and deliberately settling on one. This is the place parent instruction could be compelling. A few guardians who grew up with TV themselves haven’t given much idea with the impacts of that medium, and how to diminish these impacts.

In any case, there are a few projects which are useful with bunches of data for the kids. For instance; there is a decent program called ‘Dora the traveler’. Youngsters can figure out how to communicate in Spanish and furthermore do things, for example, singing, standing up and articulating words in English. There is additionally another program called ‘Blue’s Clues’. In this program, kids figure out how to think, sing and find hints. At the point when youngsters watch these projects, they are not similar individuals any longer since they can turn out to be increasingly educated. These projects are extremely great since they change youngsters’ brains and make the kids unique in relation to what they were previously.

Research additionally proposes that youthful kids acquire significant political and social data from TV.

Conclusion

To date, most research has examined the impacts of visual, sound, and print media like TV, radio, papers, and magazines. In any case, Internet that can possibly at the same time reach and impact numerous societies has been added to this rundown. In synopsis, one could contend that the media helps shape human collaboration. Besides, a large portion of the data individuals accept is presently founded on what they see and read in the media, as opposed to on close to home understanding. Furthermore, correspondence media has a critical impact in urging people to help the current standards and values or restrict or transform them. They are the instrument of social power. They impact us with their messages.

References

1. Briggs, Asa & Burke, Peter (2010). “Mass media and Socialization Polity Press”. p. 10-15.
2. Newhagen, J.E. (1999). ”The role of mass media and the television”. In Kent, Allen. Encyclopedia of library and information science, Volume 65. CRC Press. p. 210.
3. Pavlik, John, McIntosh, Shawn (2017). Converging Media: “A New Introduction to Mass Communication”. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 75.
4. Splichal, Slavko (2006). Agent of Socialization. In Berry, David & Theobald John. Radical mass media criticism: a