Day 2-23 -- Life with mass media

One of the reasons behind choosing to study messages in the mass media came from growing up in the age of the television. While many people confuse the technology with the message, I focused on the latter. It began by studying marketing on children's television -- both in programs and the intervening commercials. Prime time and daytime have held my interest, too. Working with others, we've investigated messages in newspapers, magazines, and the Web. Why, you may ask? I've always felt that TV -- and thus other media  -- not only shaped our thinking of major issues, but also reflected social mores. Some academics have felt that mass media serve to homogenize larger population groups. While this has some truth to it, mass media can also inform our understanding of ourselves and others -- not just in the knee-jerk 'us' and 'them' sense of difference, but in a manner that provides a deeper understanding of the similarities.

I chose to begin the research program with TV. It is an emotional medium. It provides information, though in a more intimate fashion than a newspaper. The descriptions are often less involved and visual, though programs do exist to delve in depth into a single question. Many memories from TV carry deep emotion -- assassinations, exploding shuttles, images of war. Yet, I also recall being introduced to amazing ideas from great thinkers, advocates and humourists. So -- the device could broadcast whatever humans chose to share or inflict on each other.  Our model of mass media has been to serve as a vehicle for marketing, also. This has led to much diluted 'entertainment' content and several scandals involving fraud of one sort or another. Yet, the ability to share multiple truths should trump the negatives. To paraphrase Edward R. Murrow -- media can become positive forces but only if people choose to use them in this way -- 'otherwise they are merely lights and wires in a box.'

Today's selection speaks to some of the emotional aspects of television broadcasts -- ways that baby boomers mark historical and memorable moments. Enjoy!

I saw it on TV -- John Fogerty