![]() ![]() The comparatively unregulated nature of U.S. ![]() Governments, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and political campaigns rely on both new and old media to create messages and to send them to the general public. In modern society, the persuasive power of the mass media is well known. Corporations quickly adapted to this development and created an advertising boom in the 1920s by using World War I propaganda techniques to sell products (Miller, 2005). As you will read in Chapter 12 “Advertising and Public Relations”, World War I legitimized the advertising profession in the minds of government and corporate leaders because its techniques were useful in patriotic propaganda campaigns. Although some of those fighting the war had little understanding of the political motivations behind it, wartime propaganda convinced them to enlist (Miller, 2005). Some media outlets characterized the war as a global fight between Anglo civilization and Prussian barbarianism. The present-day, pejorative connotation of propaganda stems from the full utilization of mass media by World War I–era governments to motivate the citizenry of many countries to go to war. For example, after the USS Maine sunk off the coast of Havana, Cuba, some newspapers blamed the Spanish-even though there was no evidence-fueling the public’s desire for war with Spain. In an infamous example of the new power of print media, some newspapers encouraged the Spanish-American War of 1898 by fabricating stories of Spanish atrocities and sabotage (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2006). Magazines adopted a similar format later in the 19th century, and print media’s political and social power rose. For example, Benjamin Franklin’s famous illustration of a severed snake with the caption “Join or Die” serves as an early testament to the power and use of print propaganda (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2006).Īs you will learn in Chapter 4 “Newspapers”, the penny press made newspapers accessible to a mass audience and became a force for social cohesion during the 1830s (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2006). Newspapers and pamphlets that glorified the sacrifices at Lexington and Concord and trumpeted the victories of George Washington’s army greatly aided the American Revolution. People promoting movements as wide-ranging as Christianity, the American Revolution, and the communist revolutions of the 20th century have all used propaganda to disseminate their messages (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2006). Whether propaganda has a positive or negative effect on society and culture depends on the motivations of those who use it. Like any type of communication, propaganda is not inherently good or bad. The role of propaganda and persuasion in the mass media is a good place to start when considering various types of media effects.īenjamin Franklin used a powerful image of a severed snake to emphasize the importance of the colonies joining together during the American Revolution. Many modern persuasive techniques stem from the use of media as a propaganda tool. ![]() This dialogue is an important one after all, mass media have long been used to persuade. Accusations of hidden messages or agenda-driven content have always been an issue in the media, but as the presence of media grows, the debate concerning media messages increases. Consider the common allegations of political bias against various news organizations. But what about more abstract political advertisements that simply show the logo of a candidate and a few simple words? Media messages can range from overt statements to vague expressions of cultural values.ĭisagreements over the content of media messages certainly exist. These obvious examples provide a venue for the transfer of a message through a medium, whether that message is a plea for fire safety or the statement of a political position. When media consumers think of media messages, they may think of televised public service announcements or political advertisements. Explain the ways new media have affected culture.Analyze cultural messages that the media send.Explain the different ways mass media affects culture. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |