Some Questions to consider:

Media are very integral part of our lives and therefore they generate popular interest and debate about any social problem that we can think of.

Does TV have too much sex and violence?

Are the news media biased?

Have TV talkshows gone too far with their sensationalized topics?

Should the content of Internet be regulated?

Are media shaping our values?

IS TV harmful for our children?

Do media drive foreign policy?

Are newspapers insensitive to minorities?

Is emphasis on body image harmful to our society?

Should the names of rape victims be reported?

Should tobacco advertising be restricted?

Should the media cover criminal trials?

Do media reports of crime heighten the fears of citizens?

Is coverage of political campaigns fair?

Is advertising ethical?

Do paparazzi threaten First Amendment Rights?

Does concentration of ownership jeopardize media content?

Does the globalization of media industries homogenize media content?

In order to address such questions we need an understanding of the mass media’s role in contemporary social life. What is the nature of the relationship between media and society? From a sociological perspective we can consider the role of media in our daily lives (the micro level) within the context of larger social forces such as the economy, politics, religion and technological development (the macro level)

Mass Media and Socialization

Socialization is the process of developing a sense of self connected to a larger social world through learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of one’s culture. Through socialization we learn to perform certain roles as citizens, friends, lovers, workers, and so forth. Through internalization our culture becomes taken-for-granted. We learn to behave in socially appropriate and acceptable ways. Some social institutions have explicit roles in socializing the young (such as the family and schools) and others have less intentional but still powerful roles in the process (such as adolescent peers).

Where do the media fit in this process? An average American high school graduate spent more time in front of the TV than in the classroom (Graber 1980). The mass media is a powerful socializing agent. For sociologists significance of the media is not limited to the content of media messages. Media affect how we learn about our world and interact with one another. Media literally mediate our relationship with social institutions. We base most of our knowledge on government news accounts, not experience. We are dependent on the media for what we know and how we relate to the world of politics because of the media-politics connection. We read or watch political debates followed by instant analysis and commentary by “experts.” Politicians rely on media to communicate their message. Similar dynamics are present in other mediated events such as televised sports and televangelism. media is part of our routine relations with family and friends. They define our interaction with other people on a daily basis as a diversion, sources of conflict, or a unifying force. Media have an impact on society not only through the content of the message but also through the process.

May want to touch base on journalistic sensationalism as well.

Lots of different angles to approach this…

Because we just can get the information of the society through the media like newspaper, TV, something like that. But Recently the notion of media is changing alot for internet. There is no gate keeper. if we want to say something we can say on the internet bulletin except for a few contries like china, ROK. But The media still can play a role as the messenger to the mass in this society.

That’s why we need to see the media at the more critical angle. if we just belive in the information in the media that means we just believe in not my own opinion but the opinion of the media.