The Power of the press (Essay Sample)

Name Instructors name Course number Date The Power of the Press Introduction Scientific discoveries have enabled people to use sophisticated ways of communication and this has helped them in solving challenges of language barrier, time and distance. However, some of these discoveries continue to raise controversies due to their negative impacts on social, economic and political aspects of human life and the environment. Social media has become an important tool of establishing and maintaining friendship and contacts among people (Herman 12). In addition, it has been used as a platform to educate, share, entertain and inform the public about different issues that affect their lives. This essay examines the power of the press and how it has been used to advance various social, political and economic issues in the modern world. Definition Media refers to the ways through which information is collected, produced and broadcasted to the public. This means that it includes all electronic (television, internet and radio) and non electronic (newspapers, magazines, reviews and billboards) means of mass communication (Vivian 19). The power of the press refers to the roles played by broadcasting houses to influence people's opinions regarding different issues. Social Media's Influence Social media has become a common way of communication among people from different regions. This has been successful due to the availability of cheap Internet and computer services (Hanson 43). The following are some of the positive aspects of the social media in influencing public opinion. First, it has offered platforms for discussing various social, political and economic issues and everyone has the freedom of posting their opinions regarding the topics being discussed. Therefore, an individual can easily be persuaded to follow popular opinions even though they may not represent the actual happenings. This means that mob psychology will affect most people and influence their decisions and thus affect their opinions regarding people or events (Vivian 13). This has influenced voters to believe that their preferred candidate is popular and thus has high chances of winning elections. The recent presidential election in the United States was influenced by social media sites especially Facebook and Twitter. In addition, mobile phone and other technology based companies have used these social sites to market their products since they are cheap and fast compared to other forms of advertisements (Herman 27). Moreover, the advertisers are assured that their messages will get to their target and this assures them that they will get reliable feedback from different clients. On the other hand, the social media has offered a fertile ground for Internet crimes and people have lost a lot of valuable items through unscrupulous cyber traders. This has forced most Internet users to believe that all advertisements in the Internet are not genuine. In addition, cases of kidnapping have become common and this discourages parents from allowing their children to visit social sites. As a result, they have avoided using Internet services or exploring social sites (Hanson 66). Some people are always ready to exploit other people's weaknesses and expose them in exaggerated ways through these forums and this has affected their reputation and exposed them to public ridicule. Secondly, this forum has been used to incite people to violence as it was evident in the conflicts in the North African region where most youths influenced others and planned their rebellions through social sites. Politicians and successful businessmen will admit that the media cannot be separated from their success or failure due to the roles it plays in shaping their images. This is an evident illustration that nobody can ignore the media and expect to succeed (Vivian 19). This has given advertisers an opportunity to invent influential ways of attracting the public and shaping their opinions regarding people, businesses and events that are of significant importance to them. Secondly, media houses and personalities have been an important way of educating the public and ensuring they get the right information about various issues in the society. Non governmental organizations and government agencies have used the media to notify the public about diseases like diabetes and cancer (Hanson 68). They have also offered directions about accessing healthcare services related to these diseases and this has saved many lives. Lastly, civilians have been educated about their rights and civic responsibilities and this has helped them to demand them in justifiable ways. On the other hand, it has also served the interests of some wealthy people in the society. Media owners h...