When I think about the question: “Do we get the media we want, or want the media we get?” a bunch of different ideas come to mind. When I try to choose just one of these options to answer this question, I cannot because I feel that we get both the media we want and want the media we get. In my opinion, we get the media we want because it is evident that what information is accessible to the media is controlled. “Certain media access can be denied: when George W. Bush visited Australia in 2004 he held a press conference with American journalists but refused to have one with Australians, thus avoiding having to deal with some potentially difficult questions” (Media and Society, O’Shaughnessy. M, Stadler. J, 27). This quote from the text demonstrates how people in society are able to restrict the media as well as who is able to have access to this media. Thus, helping achieve getting the media we want. People can do things to help get the media we want such as exclude details, not releasing certain information to the public etcetera. Another reason society receives the media we want is because everyone has the option of choice. There are such large amounts of mass media being released worldwide at all times. It would be difficult for someone to become aware and educated on everything released to the media; therefore people select what media issues they will become informed about. People can choose whether or not to become informed about media by: for example, choosing not to watch the news or choosing not to read the newspaper etcetera. In my opinion, whatever media is released to society is usually chosen and censored by people whom base their decisions on what they think members of society “want” to be exposed to. Whoever controls the media would make these decisions. This is decided by using an approach called the political economy approach. “The political economy approach involves conducting research into who owns and controls the media” (Media and Society, O’Shaughnessy, M. Stadler J., 22). It is then said, “People who own, control, and create the media are media producers” (Media and Society, O’Shaughnessy, M. Stadler J., 37). Therefore, media producers are the main group of people controlling and restricting media resulting in getting the media we want.
However, there are cases where some details must be released for the benefits of people in society. They must be released for reasons such as safety or necessity. This is an example of receiving the media that we get. An example of a situation where it would be necessary to receive the media we get despite the fact that society may not “want” to become aware of this media, is if there was a mass murderer on the loose and the authorities feel that it would be beneficial for the members of society to become aware of this. In cases like these, media is almost always exposed and released to the public although some people may not want to know about this. This is because of the fact that the benefits of people knowing will outweigh the negative effects. This is a reason why in my opinion I feel we receive both the media we get, and get the media we want. We do not always get the media that we want; sometimes we want the media we get for several different reasons.
In my opinion, society gets both the media they want, and wants the media they get. Although some people have the ability to control what mass media becomes publically released, there are also ways in which information can become exposed to society. By examining the reasons above, it is evident that this question cannot be answered with only one answer. In my opinion, we receive both the media we want, and want the media that we get.
brookeharnum1 