Do we get the media we want, or do
we want the media we get? The way I look at this, it is the same thing just
worded differently. The reason I believe this is because when we get media
coming to us we have a choice whether or not to allow the media to engage us,
the choice to allow or brain to think about the media presented to us. Like
when one watches TV, no one watches shows that they do not find interesting and
if there are boring ads people change the channel. This is because they chose
not to allow that aspect of media to affect them. Of course everybody has their
preferences, so what one person watches somebody else might not.
If I had to choose one or the other
I believe we more get the media we want. The reason for this is because we get
to filter out all the media that we don’t want so we can keep and enjoy the
media that satisfies us. “The media are
things that come in the middle of or mediate communication. They are means
through which message senders can communicate to message receivers, or
audiences” (O’Shaughnessy, Stadler, 78). I take the words here very literally
to help back up my decision about why we get the media we want. In the quote it
is said the message senders “can” send messages to the receivers or audiences,
but it is up to these audiences to accept said messages. It is like trying to
call someone on the phone, you send the call and then they can choose to either
pick up the phone or to ignore it. Depending on the decision made will depend
if the message gets through or not. Related to TVs or other social media
platforms, if the message is put out some people will get it no doubt. Others
though that do not go on the platforms or turn on the television have chosen
not to get those messages that are being relayed.
As we know, many companies and
businesses that control media products get to choose what they send to their
audiences, but what one company doesn't send another will. TV seems to be the
easiest thing to get an example from. There are millions of television channels
and each channel is a little bit different than the next. If we were to look at
TSN and then look at The Score, it is known and showed that TSN is Canada’s #1
sports network. So they show more and go into depth more on sports events that
are related more to Canada. I find that The Score is a lot more just the
highlights without an in depth look into players, games or events. So the
people who just like highlights, The Score is perfect, but for those who like
the highlights and the analysis, TSN is the better suggestion. The sentences:
“It focuses on how industrial
mechanisms and imperatives surrounding production, distribution, and exhibition
affect the kinds of texts created, the kinds of audiences they reach, and the
messages they send. It is often used to show mass media products embody
capitalist ideologies that are then consumed by the mass audience”.
(O’Shaughnessy,
Stadler, 22)
I find this to be true for the most
part. The people behind creating the products and sending messages “control”
the mass media produced, but ultimately the audience controls, again, if they
accept it or not. If we take a look at the television again (just because I'm
going to talk about little kids) there are many, many channels that little kids
should not be watching, that they have access to. I believe that 99% of kids
when they are three to 12 years old want to watch cartoons, but with all the
channels, they have a hard time finding them. So the parents of these children
help to control what the kids watch and allow them to watch what they want
without having worrying about other channels and their featured programs. My parents did this for me as a kid. Some
shows were just too graphic or had subjects that weren't appropriate like CSI,
or Criminal Minds. Therefore, they locked those channels because parents mostly
know what their kids want to watch and because they weren't appropriate. I
would then tell them the shows that I wanted to watch and they would set up the
auto-tune reminders so I wouldn't miss my favourite shows. Just to sum that all
up, it is me and my parents getting the media we want.
In
conclusion, the way I see it, the people putting this media out control the
media that is presented to us, but we have the final choice if we accept these
messages or not. So we get the media that we want…
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