Every day our life is shaped by various forces, both internal and external. Everything we experience in one day can have a big effect on what we do and how we perceive things, from the commercials we see on television to the person who greets us at the door. There is absolutely no way to predict how the experiences that people are exposed to every day will affect their lives and perception of reality. However, it cannot be denied that one of the most powerful forces is the mass media. We are easily led to change our beliefs and actions on a single news story. Fear is absolutely one of the most dominant emotions a person can experience and can have a great impact on a person’s reaction, especially when in conjunction with social media. Every day we are bombarded with horrifying images from new sources, many of which seek to elicit a specific reaction. Reports on violent crime and how it can affect someone, the warning of terrorism and the color coding of our lives, threats of what can happen if actions are not taken; they all use examples to make sure people don’t feel certain about the event. It is a completely logical statement to say that fear is one of the most, if not, the most powerful emotions that a person can experience. Such a powerful influence on the part of the media is certainly a phenomenon, but there are theories as to how the development of the media takes place. so that he can hold such human emotions and emotions. The use of fear in the media and cultural theory has shaped our everyday lives and relentlessly shapes and reshapes our perceptions and experiences.
While trying to understand why fear is used so heavily in the media, perhaps it is even more important to understand how certain media techniques can lead to deception for the audience. The variety of information we receive by watching a single news broadcast can often be overwhelming in nature. The figures can be evaluated more evenly, the interviews are cut and elaborated, the statistics are distorted and the opinion is discussed. Author LeAnn Greunke, of Colorado State University writes, “the bloody and cruel act of television becoming the primary educator in homes Americans. This “new religion” is flourishing and its influence is growing. Indeed, it is perhaps the most dangerous thing about the images and information that we receive from the new media. Mass media culture teaches that people tend to base their perceptions of life around images which they see on television. More and more significant if the theory that we expose through communication. The general message of the program is far more than anything else. As the mind increases day by day in violent cases and terrorism , it becomes easy to see how the media can exponentially increase the fear of almost everything in our lives.Events can be played out on television, as acts of terrorism or violence are often reported on the air of things in our lives (Becker). Through the communications that we receive from various media sources, I have easily overcome
“Cultural theory suggests that widespread fear of crime is fueled in part by heavy exposure to violent dramas in prime-time television programming” (Romer). The question remains, however, as to why fear is so prevalent in our media today. “People have learned to live with random and unpredictable violence and destruction. Lightning strikes and kills, car accidents kill and injure, but we live through storms and drive. Plane crashes and flying and millions of people live in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other earthquake-prone areas but are not paralyzed by fear of another earthquake” (Linnell). There is something so overwhelming and compelling about the power and fear we suffer through communication and media. David Altheide, a professor of Social Justice at Arizona State University writes, “You feel overwhelmed. Information is flowing to you from everywhere; at work, in the car, at home. It doesn’t stop. You are constantly bombarded with questions. A week, a day, a moment. Maybe it’s actually bigger. a factor in the increasing influence of the media, communication never ceases. What we hear in the past is almost always one time. Someone is always telling us what to fear, and why (Palast 64). so much information is constantly flowing through our minds.
One has to wonder, however, why media outlets deliberately create fear for their viewers. Benjamin Radford, author of Media Mythmakers, writes that outlets always have a choice about how they want any information to be made public. There is no reason that our news feeds should be filled with violent images, threats of terrorism or warnings of impending doom. “Normally, it’s fair to assume that when everyone is arguing about something, it’s likely to happen, but that equation is a bit skewed by the people on television news – who’s going to argue something” (Becker). Many also feel that those in charge of the news media have a certain responsibility to provide ” resistance to succumbing to fear as the definitive modus operandi of life” (Bialeschki). After this, he discusses a lot of reasoning about what the audience pays attention to. it is. Many religions have used the form of moral fables to teach the concepts of right and wrong,” Altheide explains. “Too often television and print news sources are based more on financial gain than even providing reasonable and fair coverage to their viewers. “The results indicate that across a wide spectrum of people and beyond local crime rates, watching local television news to increase fear and anxiety about crime. These results support the theory of the cultural effects of television in public affairs” (Romer). Although it is sad, I am afraid that it is selling more than a little. Because shootings and other types of violence are easier and cheaper to cover news programs, community events and other “educational” programming They are often neglected. Violent material does not sell as much as violent genre. It is no wonder why this type of programming prevails” (Greunke) .
There is not even an idea that the mass media is about increasing the number of viewers, the danger is done to the people and how exactly the fear is used, which makes it so dangerous for the state and the whole. “It would be interesting if the standards of truth in advertising were used for television news as sometimes for television commercials. In that unlikely situation, TV news writers would have to use phrases and words that convey accurate information – as opposed to the phrases and words they use today” (Becker). In fact, effective methods are used to make events and incidents seem more terrifying or more terrifying than they are (Radford). As Altheide writes, “The awareness and expectation of risk and danger lurk everywhere. Cases in various books illustrate how certain social institutions and studies organizations from exploitation (Chandler) is a powerful motivator for many actions. And in the Department of Justice, much of the question is brought up. Various concepts of Communication theory can be applied in an attempt to understand how the prevalence of fear can come to greatly affect and even depress people.
Altheide talks about the problem of “shaping”, or how the stories are actually presented. These kinds of actions make framing problems far more persistent and prevalent than they are. “Results from lots of polls indicate that many Americans remain fearful despite clear evidence that most citizens are healthier, safer, than ever before” (Altheide). Barry Glassner, author of the book Time, feels that we “compose concerns above all reason”. It’s not something terrible itself that’s the problem, but the repeated repetition of that idea, at every opportunity, has advanced the minds of the viewers. The only thing that stands in the way is that, if we are constantly told, we should be afraid of everything, and that fear lingers, even if the first warnings cease (Palast 54). “The first question often acts a lot like a magnifying glass” (Altheide). Cultivation theory states that we don’t just see what’s on television as a representation, but as reality. Sensationalism has had very long consequences, many of which are direct results of the theory of Culture, and the strong tendency of the media to trust that vocative propaganda and fear for further news (Grabe 11). There is an easy example in “Crime news. In the media they give a lot of attention to violent crime and murder. People will be scared of the hope of the victim crime, despite the fact that if you are not involved with drugs or gangs, your chances of becoming a victim of violent crime are some of the lowest in American history. In the United States the number of violent people has decreased, but the amount of fear has increased” (Altheide).
The increasing use of fear in today’s media can be easily seen by turning on the television and watching half an hour or even the news of your choice. It is said that we should be afraid of anything and everything (Moore 61). It cannot be doubted that fear is widespread today in almost every corner, from the publication of new terrorism to the cleaning solution at best your calculation is inconsiderate. The reliance on fear to communicate the message is more apparent with the current situation in Iraq and the struggle with terrorism. “The Modern War on Terrorism” is a good example of how leaders use the moral game to generate fear mongering. President Bush talks about evil and evildoers. The nation remains on the alert. The next attack could come in no time” (Altheide). One only needs to look at a message such as this one to begin to understand how fear can provide such a catalyst for people. The way in which the media uses fear to perpetuate the message is directly related to various theories of communication.
It is very difficult to offer a precise explanation for the rise of fear as a means of communication. However, regardless of the exact specifications, the impact of these new ways of reporting on the field of social communications cannot be ignored. Agenda setting, a well-known technique used to determine what news or programs are actually shown, can also be applied to fear-mongering ideas in the media. Since fear is the primary motivator for people to watch a story, it only makes sense for networks to use fear as a primary marketing component to attract viewers (Moore 89). Some may say that news programs now around the anchor provide this type of story format. “Some problems with TV formats can be thrown out as arenas for controversies, disagreements, fights and conflicts, and when these can be visibly highlighted, the formula for good entertainment, good audience ratings, constant awareness of problems, and a sense of a lot of business in the world” (Altheide).
While the presentation of the setting can explain how the media is finely structured to provide a tendency to publish the terrible, one must look to cultivating theory to understand why the news itself is so effective. It is not uncommon for people who watch a large portion of television to base their behavior on the images they watch (Romer). It blurs the line between fiction and reality and viewers get lost in the visions so easily given to them. Although cultural theory does not fully explain the power of the message of fear, it is a major aid to understanding (Chandler). The art of using fear through the media as an act of persuasion has changed a lot about the communication field and how we can try to understand and deal with our changing world. New beliefs arose, and some, such as behavior, took on an entirely new meaning (Palast 39).
Different voices and perspectives are constantly passing through our eyes and minds. It is difficult to accept and understand everything rationally. There is no untimely message, no echoing cry, waves of light and sound that travel through us are temporary. and fleeting. We tell ourselves what to feel, where to go, how to feel, even our own emotions to be measured and justified. In a world such as the one we live in today, where communication cannot stop, it is only natural that we can overwhelm everything. When different types of media come in for our attention, we can expect them to use different techniques and techniques to get what they want. The use of fear in the news and across the media spectrum is no different than any other strategy used in advertising. The messages of fear are incredibly difficult to ignore, if the same warnings are told over and over every day of our lives, it seems almost impossible to drive our cars, enter the buildings where we work, and even go out in front of us. the door confidently. It is true that there are terrible things in the world, acts are committed which most never justify, natural disasters thousands of lives are taken away, and There are really hidden corners in the world. Walking through our daily lives with blind ignorance can be as dangerous as cowering in a corner. However, each of us has the ability to correctly assess the world we live in and the situations in which we find ourselves. There is a fine line between care and worry in the world. As difficult as it may seem, all of us, for the sake of a reasonable way of life, must find the strength to ignore the millions . messages and signs that invade our senses every day, knowing our personal truth. Fear is a powerful emotion, but it is far from the only emotion we experience. We don’t have to live our lives in fear, we don’t have to face the dangers that most people never face, we have to find reason, we have to find value, and above all we have to find truth. The truth in our lives is what makes us truly happy, what we know in our hearts to be the truth, it is the truth that allows us to live and we never have to look at it.
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