Media Literacy and Culture (Essay Sample)

Media Literacy and Culture Name: Institution: Media Literacy and Culture The media plays an important role in shaping what people in the community think due to the fact that they relay news and information regarding a variety of matters. This means that most people tend to believe what they hear on the news because they perceive media houses to be transparent and true. Communication plays an important role especially when it comes to preserving culture hence media is on the spotlight when it comes to the type of news and information that they choose to share with the community. History would have been a lot better in the United States if media reporters ‘barked’ more loudly because it would give them a chance to ensure that any stories that are passed on by the government are properly reviewed for their clarity and consistency. By verifying such information, reporters would then be able to provide citizens with up-to-date information that has not been manipulated to ensure that the public is in the loop regarding whatever the government undertakes (Baran, 2013, p.35). For instance, getting to know more about the war before it began in Iraq would have enabled the country to be extensively prepared with regard to the terrorism links in the country. This means that more effort would have been put in the media to cover such stories to come up with viable information that could have helped the country prevent the disaster in 2001. Over the years, many media houses have put profits in front of public service because of the increased risks and costs of investigative reporting and finding the truth especially in international journalism. I agree with BBC journalist Greg Palast on the views that such risks make it difficult for journalists to pursue any controversial stories. However, this idea came at a cost for the united states after the 9/11 attack since the media did not properly review the information that was presented by the government regarding Iraq’s capabilities. In my opinion, public interests should come first for media houses since it is such sacrifices that ensure that the country is able to anticipate any events with the knowledge that the government is not hiding any sensitive information. Robert McChesney, in his book, stated that commercial interests of media houses are not met with any stringent measure or public outcry as compared to the actions against these media houses by government (McChesney, 2007, p.36). This has developed into a trend that has destroyed the American culture since people nowadays are more interested in matters that are not of national importance. Communication is a very important element in a society and can change people’s views on various i...