Nowadays, it is hard to imagine this life without mass media or avoid the impact it could have on human life. People find it necessary to use mass media to stay informed, be connected with the world, and exchange various pieces of information. Still, there are many types of mass media, as well as there are many possible influences media could have on people. On the other hand, entertainment, awareness, and availability are the evident pluses of mass media.
On the other hand, the establishment of wrong ideals, manipulation, and misinterpretation are the factors that top the list of the crucial negative influences of mass media. Regardless of its positive and negative aspects, media is still used in different fields and guides the relations that could be developed between different groups of people. The resolution of a crisis is an important step taken by many people regularly.
There are many ways of how people could resolve crises, and mass media is one of them. Still, the role of mass media is controversial indeed because it could help to resolve crises as well as to promote the creation and development of conflicting situations and crises. In this paper, the evaluation of mass media in terms of crisis resolutions will be developed to clarify the role of mass media in such types of crises as an economic crisis, a political crisis, a kind of personal crisis, an organizational crisis, and natural disasters.
Mass Media in the Modern World
Mass media is usually defined as a very powerful force in the modern world and a crucial factor that defines the essence of modern culture and the style of life. However, despite the fast-growing importance of mass media, its nature, and roles in different fields do not receive the required portion of attention and discussion in the literature (Thompson, 2013). People are aware of such general functions of mass media as news provision, education, and entertainment.
They think that such a portion of knowledge is enough to believe in the power of mass media and its ability to provide people with enough experience to solve conflicts, resolve crises, and stabilize the situations. There are different types of technologies through which mass media could be developed: television, radio, the Internet, magazines, and newspapers (Bajrami, Reci, & Iseni, 2016). People use different types in regards to their personal preferences, abilities, and even time frames.
If a person needs some brief facts that could be offered in a short period, it is possible to surf the web and pay attention to the information offered via the Internet. Nowadays, the Internet is used to facilitate media efforts taken by professionals who want to share the required portion of information (Bajrami et al., 2016). The information demonstrated through television and radio could be accessible within a certain period and could be easily understood or even misunderstood by people. Finally, the information taken from newspapers, journals, and magazines remains to be effective and credible due to the possibilities to consider the references, add pictures, and explain if the information is based on facts or some personal opinions.
Modern people cannot imagine a day without at least one of these issues in their lives. The current technological progress and the speed of changes that occur in the digital arena are impressive indeed (Peciulis, 2016). However, it is necessary to understand that mass media is a one-way form of information exchange and communication. In other words, people cannot share their personal opinions and respond to the information they receive. Besides, mass media could describe a particular event, person, or situation but it never focuses on helping one particular person and organization because the goal of mass media is to gain a large audience at the same time.
Importance of Investigation
The actual evaluation of mass media effects began in the 1920s when researchers wanted to explain the effects of mass media, its worth in resolving conflicts and crises, and the essence of a media effect (Potter, 2011). People need news, information, suggestions, and analyses. Still, they cannot be confident of the quality of the information spread via mass media sources. They cannot understand how they could use different facts and examples offered through mass media and if mass media could be used in crisis resolutions. Today, the digital era creates several standards for mass media including such factors as mass authorship, interactivity, and momentariness (Peciulis, 2016).
For example, interactivity means that dialogue between different communication partners is possible in mass media. However, it is necessary to mention that such dialogue cannot be developed on equal rights and conditions because one party of the dialogue could be well or poorly informed but eager to share a personal interpretation of the topic under discussion. Authorship means the possibility to become a consumer and a creator of content at the same time. Such opportunities help people realize the true essence of mass media and the conditions under which the information is created and offered to the reader. Momentariness explains the presence of spontaneous reactions and numerous options on how to create content and introduce them to the reader.
Such investigations prove that mass media vary considerably in terms of its forms, content, and impact on people. Therefore, when a person wants to use mass media as an attempt to resolve a crisis or just find the possible connection between a crisis and mass media, several issues have to be taken into consideration. For example, people believe that mass media could be used to resolve conflicts and crises people have to deal with. Conflict remains to be a crucial part of human life and work, and people should know how to recognize and resolve it in a short period. Very often, conflicts lead to various crises including economic, political, personal, organizational, or even natural disasters.
Types of Crises
There are many ways why people could state that they suffer from a crisis. Nowadays, there are many forms of crises as well as ideas on how to analyze and solve them. For example, modern newspapers, journals, and magazines find it necessary and educative to explain the essence and impact of economic crises in different countries. It is impossible to find a country the citizens of which know nothing about an economic crisis.
An economic crisis is a situation when a country experiences a portion of economic challenges, unpredictable downturns, or other financial concerns that bother people and the government. The results of such type of crisis include the development of national debts, unemployment, poor international relations, and the inabilities to change the poverty rate.
A political crisis is usually characterized by political instabilities, governmental mistakes, and even wars and terror. Political crises could influence the global economy. Therefore, the connection between economic and political crises has to be underlined.
Many people admit that they survive their crises in different ways. Such a statement proves the presence of a personal crisis and explains that people could have personal problems that lead to their crises. Such type of crisis is dangerous indeed because it changes a certain human life, and no attention is usually paid by the government or other sources that could help. Therefore, the resolution of a personal crisis is a serious question for consideration.
A natural disaster is a crisis that cannot be controlled by a person. Still, a person is the one who usually suffers from this kind of crisis. It usually includes tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, etc. Such a crisis is dangerous for people and could result in poverty, poor health, human deaths, etc.
Organizational crises are the challenges and problems many companies could experience because of different reasons. Such a crisis could be the outcome of all the above-mentioned crises or be developed on its own. Companies could be challenged by some economic difficulties or personal concerns about the effectiveness of a chosen action. Therefore, it is very important for leaders and managers of the companies that experience an organizational crisis to understand how to resolve problems and improve the current state of affairs.
Peculiar Features of Crisis Resolution
On the Internet, it is so easy to find millions of sources the authors of which could provide the reader with several ways on how to resolve a crisis. Each way is a new understanding of a problem and personal attitudes to the crisis. It is not an easy task to resolve a crisis and make sure its outcomes are not dangerous to people. Regarding the existing variety of facts and suggestions, there are usually three rules that have to be considered by all people who resolve conflicts.
First of all, people have to accept the fact that a crisis occurs. No positive crisis resolutions could be observed in case people do not understand the existence of the crisis and its possible effects on them. The second step is the analysis of the situation. It is impossible to take the steps and promote recommendations if the current state of affairs is not properly analyzed. Such analysis could include the investigation of past cases, the recognition of similar cases in other countries or with other people, and the clarification of the details of how the crisis could be developed.
Finally, the contribution of people should be discussed. Every crisis is connected with human activities. People, who want to resolve a crisis, have to understand the role of their activities and decisions in a crisis development.
Taking into consideration the fact that the majority of information is usually taken from Internet sources, it is necessary to understand the role of mass media in crisis resolution.
Mass Media and Crisis Resolution
Nowadays, if people face a crisis and want to solve it independently, the first step that is usually taken is to surf the web and observe what ideas are offered by people worldwide. The evaluation of online forums, specialized sites, online journals and newspapers, and databases helps to gather the required portion of the material and find out the necessary solution. Mass media contribution could vary in regards to the crisis type.
Economic Crisis
Mass media could be used to resolve an economic crisis. Past examples and current experiences could be described in different mass media sources. The Internet is the place where much radio, television, and journal information could be stored. Specialized archives could be used to research the required field and clarify what solutions were already made and what outcomes were achieved.
Therefore, the contribution of mass media to economic crises could be positive indeed because of the existing interconnection between formal education, facts, and informal education (Bajrami et al., 2016). The only recommendation that could be given is to neglect the presence of personal opinions and prejudices. Mass media could help to resolve this crisis type only in case people could investigate different aspects of the problem.
Political Crisis
The role of mass media in political crises is important indeed. First, it could determine the quality of the negotiation process. The participants of the crisis should understand that mass media could help to solve the crisis as well as contribute its development. The exchange of information, the introduction of false or unreliable facts, and the use of personal opinions could be found in different mass media sources.
Second, as these sources are one-way sources of information, it is hard to disprove, explain, or reply to the facts. The result is the creation of new problems and concerns that could be the basis for a new crisis and conflicts. Finally, the role of mass media in crisis resolution could be double: on the one hand, it could help to share the ideas in a short period and send the required portion of information, and, on the other hand, mass media cannot control the ways of how the offered information could be interpreted by a recipient.
Personal Crisis
Personal crises and mass media is a combination that becomes very popular today. There are many people, who suffer from some personal problems, inabilities, concerns, and challenges. One of the first steps such people take is to stay isolated and unsociable for some time. However, isolation does not remove the possibility to use the Internet, read books, buy new magazines, listen to the radio, and watch TV. Social isolation as an outcome of the personal crisis is the right way to be dependent on mass media and the suggestions offered. In such situations, the role of mass media is impressive.
The opinions of different people, the experiences people want to share with, and the suggestions some people are eager to give are the main types of information that could be searched through mass media. People like to “google” the phrases that begin with the word combination “how to cope with”, “how to resolve”, or “how to improve”. There are billions of answers to such questions. Mass media could help many options to resolve personal crises. However, the quality of the existing suggestions and the outcomes cannot be proved. No one takes responsibility for the information introduced via different mass media sources.
Organizational Crisis
Nowadays, employees like to use mass media to improve their current organizational problems and find solutions using examples of other companies. Governments, educational institutions, private and public companies, and non-governmental organizations try to integrate the idea of sustainable development (Bajrami et al., 2016). The reader wants to find out what different examples have in common to clarify if the same recommendations could be used in a particular situation (Potter, 2011). Organizational crises could be solved or worsened due to mass media because of the wrong or poor interpretation of the material.
Natural Disasters
Mass media is one of the best sources where information about natural disasters could be found. Its impact is crucial for people, who want to succeed in crisis resolution. First, a fast exchange of evident information is possible. Second, videos, audio recordings, and images could be saved and sent online in several seconds. Finally, help could be asked as soon as it is required.
Conclusion
In general, the connection between crisis resolution and mass media cannot be ignored. People want to hope and believe that they have chances and could ask for help at any time they want. The Internet, radio, television, and newspapers are the mass media types and the ways of how people could exchange information. As a rule, mass media has a positive impact on economic, personal, political, and organizational crises because it helps to share information fast.
Natural disasters lead to a crisis that can also be solved with the help of mass media because people could ask for help, clarify the reasons and details of the event, and warn other people about possible dangers. Mass media is the means to make information available to everybody. This change cannot be neglected but has to be understood and treated properly without impositions, blackmails, deceptions, and falsification.
References
Bajrami, D., Reci, T., & Iseni, A. (2016). Public relations, mass media and informal education. European Scientific Journal, 12(19), 305-311.
Peciulis, Z. (2016). Digital era: From mass media towards a mass of media. Sociologija, 27(3), 240-248.
Potter, W.J. (2011). Conceptualizing mass media effect. Journal of Communication, 61, 896-915.
Thompson, J.B. (2013). Ideology and modern culture: Critical social theory in the era of mass communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: John Wiley & Sons.