Nowadays, all our leisure time is controlled by media industries. They are everywhere, no matter if one watches films or reads books, listens to the radio or music, goes to a cinema or a theatre. They surround us, sometimes in the strangest ways possible. They are an inseparable part of human experiences, and this is why there is a need to understand how they influence and change people – a process that is not noticeable on the first sight but leaves its traces no matter what.
Media industries can be defined as complexes of organizations that create and distribute media texts – i.e. various types of artwork and information designed for human consumption. Some well-known examples are Marvel, Disney, BBC, Nintendo, The Times, etc. Modern media industries can communicate with consumers through 12 types of media: radio, video, publications, social media, messaging, digital communities, video games, apps, graphics, public speaking, art, music, performances. Each type has its pros and cons and provides certain content that is appealing to different groups of people in the society.
While media industries do not fail to provide humankind with endless content, it is also important to note the influence they have on their audience. For example, some people put a lot of trust into certain news reporters, and an incorrect piece of news from a well-trusted source may actually be misleading or even dangerous. An example of that may be a “Jaws” movie about a bloodthirsty shark that led to an increase of shark killings because the film made people think about these animals as way more dangerous creatures than they actually are. More than that, people tend to absorb ideas depicted in a piece of media and then reapply them in real life. Due to that, a company influential enough can reinforce their executives’ opinions in works of art and informational texts or videos, thus, changing people’s attitudes or behavior.
“The government cannot force news outlets to report solely positive things about their people of power; every country doing that is no longer democratic”. However, media industries are also important for humanity because they are the only source of information around the world. The work of journalists and news reporters allows people to know what happens in the world; without them, it would be impossible to learn about current events and politicians and, therefore, form political opinions. This is why media industries are very important for democratic countries: their populations rely on news as the source of knowledge about their political figures. It is natural that every government would want to control the news to represent their candidates and parties in a better light; however, it is impossible in a number of countries because of strict freedom of speech and self-expression laws. The government cannot force news outlets to report solely positive things about their people of power; every country doing that is no longer democratic.
As much as it is important to keep media industries independent, it is also essential to remember that every industry’s ultimate goal is to make money out of their content. The main point of media texts created by industries is to attract new consumers. It means that the companies need to make their product more attractive – star popular celebrities, introduce a thrilling storyline, amaze their audience with special effects, etc. However, vital topics that need more coverage and attention are not represented. The companies produce movies with shallow plots, gossips about celebrities in magazines, songs with the similar love lyrics and a lot of other things that are entertaining but useless.
All in all, it is essential to know about media industries because they strongly influence the lives of almost all people in the world. They change one’s beliefs and attitudes, help form a political opinion, introduce people to new concepts and ideas, underline the importance of art and its creators in the society. However, they do so mainly for profits, which is important to keep in mind while consuming their content.