Members of the public rely on media outlets to understand what happens in different regions. Human beings rely on media platforms to acquire information that guides them to make informed decisions about specific areas such as social policies and economic issues. Journalists play a critical role in the media industry. Additionally, the media influences the manner in which people construct various attitudes, values, and beliefs. Using the case of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this discussion explains why journalists have a unique role in shaping the public’s values and attitudes.
Journalists Role in Shaping the Public’s Attitudes and Values
Journalists gather information from various sources and come up with refined articles and reports that are available to members of the public. These media professionals can focus on specific subjects, areas, or topics, depending on their expertise. The presented argument will play a significant role in influencing the values and attitudes developed by the targeted audience. The roles of such journalists are facilitative in nature. They do so by repeating and reinforcing appropriate media messages (Arias, 2017). They also ignore specific notions or ideologies in an attempt to ensure the intended behavior or value is embraced by every reader or consumer.
The professionals catalyze complex avenues of information exchange whereby consumers develop specific understandings or ideas. Journalists offer messages that are designed in such a way that they inhibit or promote specific changes. Florescu (2014) indicates that the media legitimizes specific attitudes, values, and beliefs while at the same time ignoring those that are unwanted. The level of trust among readers increase significantly since journalists are believed to undertake comprehensive research studies.
Media sources and articles can influence the public’s values in two different ways. The first one is that they can foster appropriate courses of action or values that can influence people’s lives positively. The second one is that they can confuse members of the public and shape their attitudes negatively. That being the case, journalists have a responsibility to focus on desirable ideas and messages that can make it possible for people to develop constructive attitudes and values.
This approach will result in better communities whose values and opinions can result in empowerment and success (Florescu, 2014). This would also be the same when promoting various policies on issues such as climate change, politics, gender equality, and education. Reading published articles will, therefore, shape the public’s values accordingly.
Several examples from the UAE explain how journalists influence people’s values, ideas, and attitudes. To begin with, the country’s citizens have managed to promote a culture of tolerance due to the roles played by different media outlets and journalists. The move has encouraged many people to read a wide range of newspapers and online articles that denounce malpractices such as terrorism, fanaticism, and extremism (Strater, 2016).
Journalists working for different media groups in the UAE have also been on the frontline to offer ideas that have reshaped public opinions efficiently. The practice has fostered different values such as tolerance and cohesiveness. Another example is that various issues such as climate change, education, and economic empowerment have benefited from the roles played by journalists in the country.
Conclusion
Journalists should present meaningful messages in an attempt to shape the public’s values and attitudes positively. The success of the UAE is attributable to the role of journalists in promoting desirable notions that have catalyzed a culture of tolerance. The examples provided above should guide different media professionals to shape the best values in order to support the wellbeing of the greatest majority.
References
Arias, E. (2017). How does media influence social norms? A field experiment on the role of common knowledge. Web.
Florescu, O. (2014). Positive and negative influences of the mass media upon education. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 149, 349-353. Web.
Strater, A. (2016). Journalistic transparency in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates: Parallels between phenomena of the Arab Spring and the demand for web-based transparency tools. In A. Douai & M. B. Moussa (Eds.), Mediated identities and new journalism in the Arab World (pp. 127-142). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.