Media Literacy

 

Question1

Media literacy refers to the access, analysis, evaluation, and creation of media in a variety of forms. It helps in the understanding of different types of media. Critical media literacy refers to the academic response that aids in the expansion of notions of literacy to give room for different forms of mass communication, popular culture, and recent technology. Media literacy provides the platform for the critical analysis of the relationship between information, audience, media, and power. Media literacy supports sharing of different messages that will empower and impact audiences socially on issues affecting them directly and indirectly (Jared, 2016).

Question2

The definition of power explanation: when one has power, they can control, prevent or cause an action to happen. One has no duties that limit to specific responsibilities. Therefore, people who have power can define the world of other people around them. Power struggle, in the media, tries to explain the context in which the media production occurs and its influence on the media. The environment in which the media company exists will give it an edge over its competitors. If there are more than two groups in one environment (be it an environment based on imperials heteronormativity or racism), there will be competition for both material resources and immaterial resources (Jared, 2016).

Question3

President Donald Trump made an announcement on Thursday that would see the department of health and human services declare the opioid crisis an emergency. This actually means that the federal government will not channel any federal funds to address the opioid crisis, which has caused the loss of 64000 American in 2016.A psychiatrist, Professor Carl Hart was interviewed .He claimed that people were not dying because of opioids but because of ignorance. He went to explain further that the deaths are a major concern, but their causes vary as some may have died as a result of combining the opioid with other depressants. This story uses agenda setting concept to disseminate information (Democracy Now, 2017).

Tensions are at an all-time high between North Korea and America. Mattis’s secretary of defense, visited Asia for a week. The purpose of the visit was to find a diplomatic resolution to the standoff between US and North Korea. The US maintain its stance that it would not allow North Korea to make nuclear weapons. Congressional Democrats pushed for a legislation that would protect North Korea from any strikes from the USA. Framing is the concept used in this story as it brings out relevant current issues into the open for them to get attention (Democracy Now, 2017).

The federal government released thousands of former CIA and   FBI secret files on the assassination of president John.F.Kenedy in 1963.Historians are analyzing the documents. The documents also contain multiple plots by the CIA to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro. This plot would be carried out by mobsters who would use a pill. Other parts of the files were not released. Additional records of a similar nature will be released in April. This information has been spread through the concept of gatekeeping as it filters most of its information. This idea gives room for the audience that will receive the information to form their own perspective (Democracy Now, 2017).

 Question5

Media is usually portrayed as being synonymous with the technology it uses to convey its message but media are the ideologies that the audience get from devices such as television, movies, newspapers, blogs and even billboards posters (Jared, 2016).From my own media diet, the definition of media can be explained as messages that rely on communication channels to spread to the different audience. From this explanation, media is inclusive of direct mail, telephone and narrowcasting media such as magazines. This definition combines the communication channel and the ideology together. For example, newspapers are medium as they serve the sole purpose of conveying messages. Broadcasting corporation is media as they serve the sole purpose of sending messages through their technologies. Media helps the society to appreciate different perspectives and views through their platforms. (Potter, 2014).

Question 5

Board of directors is made up of a group of individuals who are chosen by owners of a company or corporation to promote their interests through running of the company. In most legal jurisdictions board members, have specific duties such as being trustees. In other words, they can be used to benefit other people directly. The board also maintains control and oversight of everything that goes on in the company. Members of different boards may end upon on other boards creating an interlock through their political, economic and social interests. When board members come from two or more similar firms, they can form an oligopoly and control the decisions and set policies that favor their own interests and concerns (Jared, 2016). Due to the influence of oligopoly media has emerged to be a powerful tool for political propaganda. Political propaganda has resulted to censoring of sources of information by corporations for their own gain. Companies are not concerned about the accuracy of what is being reported but with manipulation of the media consumers in order to gain favor and legitimacy. Political debates and political elections. The corporations tend to take side of the candidate they support and who seems to favor their interests. For example, a  corporation that owns a media outlet and an also owns a manufacturing company that makes weapons will not support a  presidential candidate that pushes through legislations laws that would make ban selling of weapons abroad. However, as media consumers, there should be an outrage that content in the media is a manipulation of a few large corporations. The lack of diversity in the media can be solely blamed on the media owners. Diverse views can shape people ideology. And empower them to male more wise decisions (Potter, 2014).

According to theyrule.net, CBS corporation board has members from oracle corporation, North Grumman Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Aecom, Liberty Mutual, Viacom Inc., the Travelers Company and Bank of America Corporation. Morgan Stanley Corporation and Oracle Corporation have the same board of members in The Walt Disney company board. Viacom has five board members in CBS corporation; Charles E Phillips Jr, Blythe J McGavin, Shai Redstone, Frederic Salerno And Summer M Redstone. Some of the board members sit on the board of Bank of America too. This forms an oligopoly which can then manipulate the media and Starbucks. This creates an interconnection that can be used to align interests. The board members at CBS Corporation sit on other boards such as Bank of America. This connection shows that the directors can easily sway decisions to their convenience as they have the power to do so.

 

 

 

 

References

 Dr.Jared A.Ball. (2016).Media Literacy in a Diverse World

Potter, W. J. (2014). Media literacy.

Retrieved from //httpswww.democracynow.org/

Retrieved from http://theyrule.net/