I helped set up the Year of China Festival. This particular event created a certain appreciation of Chinese art. There were beautiful lanterns, sayings written in Chinese script, little Buda figurines, and many more. The most interesting part of the day was the music. Quite honestly, it was a frightening sound. The traditional Chinese music differed from anything I had ever heard. The music sounded as if there was a ghost moaning in agony at the thought of never being among the living anymore. Most of the music I heard was sombre and mysterious, because I did not understand the words spoken. To me, it was a just a mixture of sounds enlaced to make a ‘song’. The rhythms and melodies were also very different from the music I am used to listening to.
The music had the biggest impact on me, because it showed me how different people perceive beauty and talent differently. Which led to a further thought of how even our likes and dislikes are a social construct. This thought brought me to the realization that even though we, as individuals who are active members of our societies, like to claim that we are individuals who can stand above the influence, the influence is all around us and we can never completely stand above the norms and values of our society. Some people stand at further away from the middle ground than others. This ‘middle ground’ is the place where society gives us a guide on what we should do and who we should be. The middle ground encompasses the norms, values, symbols, gestures, and beliefs of a society. Every individual is pushed toward that middle ground, but each person has the choice to deviate or stay along that path. Either way, we are all somewhat tainted by our societies.
The star gazing was the first event of the Year of China. We all sat outside, on the gym’s lawn, and patiently waited as the stars began to emerge one by one. The night was still as Dr. Gregory began to speak of traditions in China. He focused on how Valentine’s Day differs in China. Dr. Gregory first explained that Valentine’s day in China is formally known as the Qixi Festival or the Magpie Festival. This festival is very different from the American Valentine’s Day. It is not the traditional day for cant and roses; Qixi, is the day for young ladies to show their domestic skills in order to attract a husband.
The most important part of the festival is the carving of the melons. Young women who can skillfully and beautifully carve melons are deemed to be eligible bachelorettes. This greatly differs from the American tradition of the man bringing some type of present to his woman to display his love for her and vice versa. In China, as Dr. Gregory pointed out, ‘Valentine’s Day’ transcends the superficial, in the sense that this is a day when a single woman may go home with a new fiancé and potential husband.
The reason why we all went star gazing was because of the story behind the Qixi festival. This story differs from region to region, but the plot always centers around star crossed lovers. The variation that Dr. Gregory told us was that of the Princess and the Cowherd. The princess was a fairy whose mother was a goddess. Her job in heaven was to weave clouds. The young woman became very bored with her job and her live in heaven and decided to descend to Earth for some fun. Upon arrival, she met the cowherd. They fell in love and were married without her mother’s consent. Once the Goddess found out that her was married, she became furious. Her daughter had not only married a mere mortal, but she also had two children by this cowherd. The Goddess immediately ordered her daughter back to heaven. The cowherd was saddened by his wife’s disappearance; when his oxen magically began to speak to him. The oxen explained that the princess had gone back to heaven and the only way he could get to see her was if he killed him and used its hide to be able to fly. So the cowherd killed his beloved oxen and used its hide to fly t heaven with their two children. When the Goddess found out, she used her pin to create a river in the sky (the Milky Way). The cowherd and his children could not cross to the other side, so he sadly watched as his fairy wife also sadly weaved clouds on the other side. But once every year, the Magpies come and create a bridge for the lovers to meet and once again be careless.
This story was sad, but beautiful. It showed how differently people perceive love and Valentine’s day all over the world.
Today, with the advancement of technology, the world has become increasingly interconnected. With this increase in connection and communication, countries’ borders are also increasingly blurry as cultures cross borders and new people adopt new ways of life and new manners of thinking. Generally, the world powers have crossed cultural boundaries all over the world; and among these world powers, the United States has had a tremendous international influence. The United States’ cultural imperialism is apparent through the media, but Americans have grown increasingly ethnocentric despite the increased cultural diversity in the U.S.
First of all, cultural imperialism occurs when one ‘dominant’ culture infuses itself into another culture, sometimes this destroys the native culture. Over the years, the media have facilitated America’s cultural spread. It’s as if the whole world knows the United States, and most people have a sense, even if misguided, of what it’s like to be an American. The United State’s cultural dominance is apparent predominantly through fashion, music, and movies. For instance, some people strive to wear merchandise from American designers such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren’s Polo, and Dona Karan’s DK. Stores like American Apparel have locations all the way in Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and Brazil.
In addition to style, American Pop music reaches every corner of the world. In places like Nigeria and Ghana, not only are people listening to American artists, but they also have their local star who are basically African versions of American celebrities. For instance, Ghana’s Itz Tiffany made a name for herself as Ghana’s own version of Nicki Minaj.
*Itz Tiffany is a young female rapper*
Not only that, but the United States also has the largest film industry in the world, so American movies play in over 100 countries every day. These movies are often remade with local flavor, but the more people watch American films, the more they try to emulate the norms they observe.
With that said, many Americans have a growing sense of ethnocentrism due to cultural imperialism. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view other people’s culture’s from one’s own cultural perspectives. This basically means, that the person judges other cultures based on the norms of his or her own society. The problem with that is that many Americans don’t try to understand other cultures before labeling their norms as strange, bizarre, or even barbaric. The idea is that Americans have grown used to being emulated, to the point that there is sense of cultural superiority rather than respect and intrigue for others. This leads to a general misunderstanding of others and stereotypes that place a whole people into one square. Now, don’t get me wrong, Americans are not the only ones who display ethnocentrism. The ethnocentric attitude is present in every society, and people have to educate themselves in order to understand others with cultural differences.
*Accepting cultural difference*
One of the main issues with cultural imperialism is whether individuals from the dominant culture actually accept other people’s cultures or do they become culturally exclusive. The book pointed out that only 2% of the movies that come out in American theaters these days are foreign. This means that people are less likely to watch foreign films. What does this say about Americans? Are people actually rejecting other cultures in favor of theirs or is it just a preference because they understand these norms better. In the 1920′s and 30′s, people were more likely to watch foreign films. As the U.S’s cultural imperialism expanded, people simply became less interested in foreign media.
In conclusion, cultural imperialism has had many effects on American culture and the world. As American influence expands, it seems like more Americans are losing interest in other cultures. In a way, even though cultural imperialism is creating a connection among all the nations, it is also creating a disconnect among different people. Despite the cultural diversity in the U.S there are many people who don’t strive to understand other who are culturally dissimilar. Hopefully, this generation, which is considerably more open minded than previous one will be more inclined to travel and learn about the different ways people live today.
French philosopher Dennis Diderot once said “Good music is very close to primitive.” This was the main point that the documentary Before the Music Dies. Even though Dennis Diderot lived in the 18th century, he expressed an idea that many feel is becoming our reality. The idea here though is that because of media consolidation and deregulation, music has not only become generic but it also has lost its depth. After 1996, radio stations fell under the control of a few powerful mother companies, music became for the masses, and an increasingly number of people have abandoned their radios in search of more meaningful music.
First of all, 1996 marked the end of one musical era and the beginning of a new era of popular culture. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed the radio station industry, which had been mainly privately owned, to drop into the hands of a few powerful companies. The radio was the first electronic mass medium; and when it first became a household item in the 1920′s, there was a requirement to operate in the public interest. At the time, the number of licensed radio operators went from 322 in 1913 to 13581 in 1917! Most of these companies did not sell advertising time, but by 1930, nine out of ten radio stations sold advertising time. This slow shift from no ad time to practically everyone advertising, marked the beginning of the trend of affiliation with large networks for financing. These days, the number of radio owners continues to drop as an increasing number of large networks own radio stations.
Because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, communications companies who had their eyes out for smaller companies to swallow up were able to go on immense shopping sprees. For instance, Clear Channel communications immediately purchased 70 other companies and a few radio stations. In addition, before Jacor became part of Clear channel, it owned 233 radio stations in 55 different markets! With less and less companies owning radio stations, there has been less variety in the music world. The goal now is to get those who can make a ‘hit’ and sell as quickly as possible. The music industry as now become a race track where every media company is trying to reach the best looking people who will attract the most listeners. This point leads to the idea that the music world has now shifted from looking for talent to looking for beauty. As the various artists in the the documentary Before the Music Dies, the artists that came before the consolidated mass media would not have a chance in today’s industry. Artists such as Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, who are considered prodigies, would not have made it in today’s music industry because of their bindles. It’s simple as that, the movie pointed out that today’s musicians must look good in order to even have a chance.
In addition to good looks, one must be willing to fit the entertainment mold. It’s no longer what genre the musician himself wants to communicate to audiences, it’s all about what will sell as quickly as possible. As mentioned earlier, the music world has now become a race track. These few companies at the top of the food chain, like Clear Channel Communications, are all racing to make the most money as soon as possible. This also brings us back to the radio requirement to adhere to public interest.
As the mother media companies race for the finish line, is the public interest really still the first thing on the priority list? An increasing number of music consumers believe that their musical demands have not been met. These days, only a few artists have the honor to be heard on the radio. People like Beyoncé, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, One Direction, Chris Brown, etc. These artists are entertainers that fit the popular culture of music mold and their albums sell out as quickly as they come out. Popular culture does not appeal to all listeners, so now people have found different ways to find interesting musicians who have escaped the popular music mold or who were simply not allowed to be themselves as they tried to make it to the top.
*Both these songs portray women who have had enough*
Today, there are multiple music forums and websites that display self released artists and others who are not commonly displayed in the mainstream media. Websites such as pitchfork.com, refinery29.com, and themusicninja.com are all websites that adhere to those who do not feel entirely satisfied with todays’s radio music industry. In addition to these websites, youtube.com, and pandora.com also allow consumers to explore the music world to find new undiscovered artists.
So, in conclusion, ever since the radio world has become more consolidated, musical variety has decreased. The mother companies have made a model for musicians to follow. It is a mold meant to bring money as quickly as possible, with no plans for long term artists. People are now exposed to only a handful of singers who fit the requirements, so many consumers have resorted to finding unknown artists through different mediums. I am not trying to say that the mainstream television performers are not talented; the point I am making is that there are more talented people who stay behind the curtain simply because of their appearance or their reluctance to change their musical styles. Personally, I believe that media consolidation will continue to decrease musical variety on the radio, but this only becomes a problem when consumers stop using all their resources to find music that adheres to their taste.
Globalissues.org is an informative website founded by Anup Shah, a man of Indian decent who grew up in England. The site’s main focus is addressing the various social issues that plague the world today. The website, whose articles were mainly written by Shah, focuses on controversial issues such as racism, world problems such as hunger and poverty, and even war and weapons. All the articles are written in order to accurately represent global issues. Shah says that many issues are misrepresented in today’s mainstream media, which is one of the reasons why he decided to write articles sharing his findings on issues of interest to him. He believes that a significant amount of poor quality media that misinform the public. Shah says, “Many global issues appear to be misrepresented in the mainstream for various reasons such as politics, profit motives, to stifle debate, suppress dissent, and so on. Some of these issues may not be receiving enough—or any—mainstream media attention and therefore there is a lack of enough open and public debate, while other concerns seem to be getting a biased attention only” . This quote proves that Shah has a passion for educating media consumers. Shah has a wide range of sources that he uses and refers to in his articles. He has more than 7000 links, in addition to multiple books and scholarly journals he frequently reads. His basic goal is to inform readers where mainstream media fail.
Shah’s article “War, Propaganda and the Media” is a perfect example of all the resources he uses in order to give a mainly unsullied view on war and how the media affect public opinion during times of conflict. The article focuses on how propaganda and the media affect the mental state of those involved in regional or international conflicts. “War, Propaganda and the Media” sites multiple experts on propaganda and how the media changes during times of conflict or while tensions are building between the adversaries. Shah uses a variety of quotes from great thinkers like American Journalist Walter Lippmann, British Prime Minister during World War II Winston Churchill, and even quotes from authors such as Mark Twain. In addition to the direct quotes, Shah also uses links from other websites that further support the different point he raises about propaganda. Some of the links, like U.S. intensifies the war of words, lead to other articles on the global issues website. Other links, like Fighting dirty, lead to other websites where the reader can uncover more information. At the end of the article, Shah placed further links that direct readers to other articles related to propaganda in specific areas of the world.
*Hitler and Fumimaro Konoe (Japan’s 34th, 38th, 39th Prime Minister). This poster was funded by the Department of agriculture.
*This poster was made right after the Pearl Harbor attack. Parents were the most vulnerable to this poster because they felt that their children and the next generation was in danger of being over taken by Fascism. “War, Propaganda and the Media” mainly focuses on how propaganda precipitates war in times of building tensions, and how the media communicates increasingly distorted information to the public in order to receive support. The article opens with a quote, then Shah explains how conflicts involve both the mind and the battle grounds through propaganda. He basically gives a simple yet analytic definition of propaganda. As the article progresses, Shah delves into how the propaganda is mainly sugar coated facts that raise favorable responses from the masses for the ‘victim’ portraying the ‘enemy’. Shah effectively remains neutral about the issue of propaganda as he explains why propaganda works. The overview of propaganda is negative, for instance he starts out saying that “ People wish to believe the best about themselves and their country”. Even though propaganda is obviously depicted as a great evil, Shah is able to recognize that he media used to make and distribute propaganda is “very professional”.
Despite the fact that the majority of the article focuses on propaganda, Shah does not fail to discuss the effects of the media’s involvement during times of war. Shah points out the dilemmas that reporters have to go through, especially when trying to decide how much of the truth should be communicated to the rest of the world. The main focus of this part of the article is how much more controlled the media becomes during times of conflict. The sections pertaining to the media in general during times of war also contain multiple links that further the argument.
All in all, globalissues.org is a site that was meant to educate the masses about social issues around the world. ”War, Propaganda and the Media” greatly educates readers on propaganda and the media during wars. Shah emphasizes that the media is a powerful potter who molds public opinions, whether through propaganda or news. With that said, he also stresses the power of knowledge and honesty in order to respect democratic values. the wealth of information, and the undertone that accentuates the importance of knowledge means that this website allows readers to become analytic thinkers who can pinpoint areas of weakness in the mainstream media.
*This video is a parody, but it portrays how some of us are so unaware of the world’s problem because we are so wrapped up in our own world.
The frail paperboy quickly riding his bike, clutching a tote bag full of newspapers; the eager dog dashing for his master’s newspaper roll on the front porch; and the man quietly sitting at the dinning table, completely engrossed in the printed news may one day all become a thing of the distant past. It’s no secret that the print journalism industry is struggling to stay prominent in the media world; but with the rise of online journalism, it seems like a decreasing number of people turn to print journalism to stay informed about local and international occurrences and to stay connected in general. Today’s print journalism industry faces obstacles such as: a major drop in sales, declining advertising revenues, and the ever growing internet journalism world, obstacles that have led many experts to question the continuity of the industry.
First of all, there have been notable drops in newspaper sales over the past five years. For instance, in April 2006, the New York Times reported that sunday sales had dropped by 6.5% and weekly sales went down by 8.7%. The trouble is that the declining sales are steady with brief periods of minor increases. According to pweresearch.org, the total sales loss has accumulated to forty three percent over the years. These losses have led many newspaper companies to take drastic measures in order to stay in business. For instance, in 2009, the New York Times announced that it was laying off 100 newsroom jobs (nytimes.com). Other print journalism companies have proceeded to partnerships with other companies to share coverage, and some are even cutting the sizes of the newspaper in order to save money . As sales decrease, newspapers everywhere are having to work harder than ever to stay above the turbulent waters of the ever growing media world.
Another obstacle that faces print journalism is the decline in advertising revenues. The decline in advertising revenues has been partly due to to availability of cheaper advertising tools such as Craigslist and Google. The print journalism industry is essentially fighing against the progression of the media and the internet. This leads to the idea that, what may be hurting the print journalism world is the inability to adapt to the changing trends. Television, the internet, and radio are media that have a solid grip on consumers, while the print journalism industry continues to slip.
Advertising Decline Hurt NewspapersThirdly, the issue with print journalism is not that there are no more news, the problem is that consumers are increasingly turning to digital journalism. The internet provides a wide array of views, faster updates, and most of the information is free of charge. In addition to online edition of trusted newspapers, consumers are able to get a constant flow of breaking news, and trivial news through sites like Twitter. In addition, digital journalism offers allows consumers to directly voice their opinions and interact with each other at a quicker pace. All these advantages appeal to avid users of the internet and people who simply want to remain more connected.
In conclusion, the print journalism industry’s downward spiral is mainly due to the decreasing number of sales, the decrease in advertising revenues, and the growth of digital journalism. the industry’s decline is a sure process because the media world continues to expand and cater more to consumers needs and desires. It may only be a matter of time before the all the weak links are pushed out existence. Fifty years ago, the idea that newspapers may not be around for very long was a very unlikely nightmare for avid readers; but today, this nightmare has become very tangible.
Globalization. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of ‘globalization’? When I hear globalization, I think of how the nations around the world have become economically interdependent, but I never thought of the globalization of the media. This type of globalization is the result of the emergence of new communications technologies (radford.edu) and an increasing number of alliances among companies. Seems like every media company is owned by an even larger company that no one really knows about. These power houses are practically invisible, yet very influential. Take VOGUE magazine for instance. Before I started researching the fashion magazine, my intent was to discuss how VOGUE Magazine has had such a great impact on American fashion; I did not think that it would have many affiliations in the media world. After all, it is just a fashion magazine.
The first thing I uncovered is that Condé Nast Publications publishes the monthly issues of Vogue. I thought, this is it! Condé Nast is the mother company, but just to stay on the safe side, I furthered my research and found out that Condé Nast Publications is actually a division of Advance Publications, Inc. (the forty sixth largest private company in the United States)! Advance Publications, Inc. is the invisible giant in this case. This powerful corporation not only owns VOGUE, but it also heads multiple websites, regional newspapers , and multiple magazines (through Condé Nast Publications).
Now, you may be wondering why this information was especially mind blowing for me… I truly expected the ‘giant hand’ behind VOGUE magazine to be specialized in fashion magazine publishing only. Instead, the Condé Nast Publications publishes magazines with subjects that range from golf to technology! This leads to the fact that the globalization of the media has led to the creation of media oligopolies. A few giants control most of the media that circulates. What does this mean for consumers? Do we, as consumers, get a wide scope of views, or are we now caged among the interests of the few elite? And is the media completely molding the world’s various culture into something that is more homogeneous?
It’s true that the media is very influential and the few powerful are now the heads of the companies that dish out the magazines, newspapers, sites, etc… that keep us interconnected with the rest of the world, but we decide how far the media can control us. This means, we can either be the hungry baby who allows himself to be fed with some mysterious green mush, or we can be the food critic who studies the taste, texture, and temperature of the food before he decides whether the food is delicious, bland, barely passing or a complete disaster. What this means is that we can either sit and accept everything the media gives us, or we can be active consumers and do our own research, using the media’s info as a starting block. The media can only be an evil source when we are mindless consumers. But as analytical consumers, it becomes a source of knowledge, a building block of power.
Furthermore, the fact that we now have different channels and magazines that adhere to different interests is not entirely bad. Yes, the few elite are behind these media mediums, but we, the consumers, still have the choice to be caged or to absorb the information and expend our knowledge through research. These days, we cannot simply accept one type of media’s views on life, culture, technology, news, politics, etc… We have a wealth of mediums such as the internet, newspapers, social networks, magazines, blogs, television news, specialty channels, apps that keep us connected to the rest of the world, and online forums. This means that the power is still in our hands, as the media dishes out whatever it is that they want us to know or to talk about, we, the consumers, are able either blindly accept or use the resources available to us and make educated choices that do not compromise our core values.
“Now we see everything that’s going wrong with the world and those who lead it, we just feel like we don’t have the means to rise above and beat it. So we keep waiting , waiting on the world to change.” John mayer (“Waiting on the World to Change”). These powerful words clearly described how the media can mute a whole portion of society just by controlling the information available to consumers. As the media continue to every year, their influence on societies all over the world also increase. Television news have had one of the greatest influences on individuals, because televised news are able to emphasize certain ideas and points of views, leading some into the the spiral of silence, which in turn has proven that the media are capable to shape public opinion.
First of all, whether we like to admit it or not, the media have become a major part of our society and our lives. Countless people own smartphones, or laptops, or a tablet, etc… And to add to that, social media has also boomed since the creation of Facebook and Twitter. The thing is, some new form of media pops up every year, whether it’s a website to connect international users; or a cool new gadget to keep people informed. Television, has been a constant driving force throughout the years, and may be the biggest culprit when it comes to how much the media can influence public opinions.
One way that the media affects public opinion is through a theorized phenomenon called the spiral of silence. This spiral of silence was first discussed by Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann, who said that people are more likely to be silenced when they think that their positions belong to that of the minority. With that said, how does television news create the spiral of silence? Basically, Noelle-Neumann said that the media gives a false sense of who the ‘majority’ is. Sometimes, the news focuses on one side of the argument , this gives the illusion that the televised position belongs to the majority. John Mayer’s “Waiting for the World to Change” reflects how the television news silence a group of people through its control of the news that are communicated to the public.
Even though television news may have an influence on who speaks out, viewers are still able to think critically because there are many other sources. The internet is a great source of information, books, and even watching different stations can widen a person’s perspective on certain issues. While an informed viewer can think critically, there are many others who tend to accept the television’s facts as the only truths, no matter how biased these ‘truths’ may be. Take westerners’ view of Africa and its inhabitants. As an African, I’ve been asked if I lived in a hut, or rode to school on a giraffe. These questions come from the fact that most of the stuff televised about Africa is the wild or famine and diseases. No one talks about the tourist attractions or the cultural diversity and the fact that not all Africans are starving or dying from AIDS. In this case, the media’s focus on the negative side of African society has kept many who rely heavily on television for their facts in the dark about all the beauty in Africa.
So, overall, television news can greatly affect public opinions just by focusing on a certain position. It doesn’t matter whether that position accurately represents the majority; those who are not represent become increasingly likely to keep quiet about their views. Throughout every aspect of society, whether it’s politics, education, fashion, etc… Whatever’s televised more often will receive more support.
Imagine living in a place where everything you do, say, and desire is controlled by people you don’t even know. Not only that, but the rest of the world watches you as you go through each day. Seems like everyone is enthralled by your every move. The worst part of it all is that you’re completely unaware of your fame. This nightmare actually describes Truman Burbank’s (Jim Carrey) life. From the moment he was conceived, Truman Burbank became a star. One of the major issues that The Truman Show explores is the media’s role in our lives. The Truman Show portrays how the media affect the viewers’ emotions, how they also serve as our entertainment, and how they are capable to shape a person’s dreams and aspirations.
First of all, the movie proved that the media has a powerful grip on our emotions. Take the ‘bathtub man’ for instance, he remained in his bathtub for the duration of the movie and was completely fixated by Truman’s every move. He may have been an exaggeration of how far the media’s powers extend, but the movie portrayed how strongly the media can grip their consumers and leave them suspended as long as they want. This man practically became Truman! He slept as truman slept. He was hysterical when Truman’s life was in danger. Every move that Truman made somehow translated to him also. He was completely drawn into the movie and never grasped the fact that he allowed the media to have control over his composure.
The Truman Show‘s ‘bathtub man’ was not the movie’s only example of the media’s hold over our emotions. Remember Lauren (Natascha McElhone), Truman’s love interest throughout the movie? She was also completely drawn into the show. She felt as caged as Truman was. Her desperation was very obvious as she knelt before the television and silently prayed that Truman would finally realize that his whole world was a cleverly constructed stage. The Truman Show infuriated her. She felt a special connection to Truman, as did every viewer of the show, and as he was being taken advantage of, her anger escalated.
In addition to the media’s grip on emotions, The Truman Show also proved that the media is able to shape a person’s dreams. As Truman grew up, the producers of the show had to fid ways to keep Truman locked up in the ‘utopian’ world they had created for him. When Truman dreamed to become an explorer, the teacher quickly shot down his dreams. His whole environment was controlled to the point that as he grew up, Truman buried his dreams and his life became an boring routine. He woke up at the same hour everyday, greeted the same overly cheery neighbors, met the same old identical twins at the same corner, and entered his work place. In this case, the media muted Truman’s dreams to become an explorer.
In some cases, the media can kill dreams, but there are instances when the media plant the seed for a new dream. The media definitely inspired my dream to become an international news broadcaster. I remember that I was trying to decide among being a a designer, a fashion model, an actress, a doctor, or an astronaut; ad one day as I watched CNN, I saw Anderson Cooper reporting live from Haiti in 2010. From the moment I saw him, the seed had been planted. I could practically envision myself holding the exact same microphone as I spoke to the news anchor via satellite. This example is an instance when the media shaped a major decision in my life. But the media’s power is not just with important decisions, sometimes, even our food choices, or travel destinations are influenced by the media.
In conclusion, the media are powerful tools that are not only able to influence consumers’ sentiments and aspirations, but they also serve as entertainment. The media’s ability to almost control consumers’ emotions and personal desires makes them seem like a threat to cultural and personality diversity, but the only way the media can make the world homogenous is if the consumers are rid of their free will. Either way, the media are able to carry consumers to exotic lands by the imagination and are even capable to widen horizons through informative programs aimed at special interests. It’s true that The Truman Show mainly focused on the media’s power in a negative lights by showing the extent to which the media can affect a person: emotionally, physically, and mentally through different characters that were easily influenced. But in the long the run, the movie portrayed correct ideas about the ways that the media is all around us, quietl but surely shaping individuals and societies all around the world.
My name is Vanessa Akouba Dorcas Irie and I’m 20 years old and double majoring in Sociology and Global Communication. My ultimate goal is to become a news reporter for CNN. I was born in Rome, Italy then moved to the small west African state of Côte-d’Ivoire (AKA Ivory Coast); where I lived for eleven years before I came to the U.S. Because Côte-d’Ivoire was colonized by France, my first language is French. I have four siblings: an older brother (Yanick) and sister (Kady) who both live in Côte-d’Ivoire, an eight year old little sister (Felicité), and a two year old sister (Miracle) who were both born in the United States. I love God, my family, learning about the diverse cultures in the world. I also love to eat, and I am willing to try just about any food, and I love fashion.
With that said, the biggest challenge when I first arrived was adjusting to this bizarre new culture. I did not speak nor understand the language and everything seemed backwards to me. One of the first things that truly shocked me was the fact that students did not have to stand up when an adult or the teacher walked into the classroom I remember automatically standing up when the teacher entered the class, only to slowly sit back down when I realized that no one else did that. Within the first three months of middle school, I was able to become fluent and leave my ESOL class. My first three years were a major struggle because I had to acquire new norms that differed greatly from the ones I was raised upon.
I knew I wanted to become a broadcaster from the day I saw Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti after the 2010 earthquake that devastated the small island nation. I was fascinated by the fact that he was on the scene of the occurrence and gave the viewers an account of what he was observing as he walked through the rubble. This, I thought to myself, is the best job in the world. You get to travel and tell the world what exactly is going on around you, AND everyone actually listens to you. From that point on, news reporting became my dream and Anderson Cooper became my inspiration.
