Assignment 2
ID: 111485
Number of words: 1476
Course Name: Issues in Mass Communication
Course Code: MASS2620
Date: May 31, 2020
Introduction:
The current century is media century. It does not mean we started use the media in this century only, but the usage of the media accelerated much more nowadays. We are not able to identify when it was start. Media can do many, it can be an agent of transformation and social change, but this should connect with the combatting of disinformation and misinformation in order to have media and information literacy (MIL). Using media need awareness because it influences the audience and that cannot be achieved without understand the how the process of media influence works. Otherwise, media faced many challenges which may restrict its work. That can be from the audiences, from governments, and from many stockholders in many aspects. The importance of the media become clear in crisis situation by effective communication which known as key pillar of most crisis governance.
Submitted material:
1. Disinformation:
Wide spread of the media among public lead to reduce the ability of disinformation. They be able to distinguish true from fake news. It aims at influencing public opinion. They believe that spreading false news and fabricating shocking stories of public beliefs is more influential than advertising.
2. Cognitive strategies:
When an individual acquires a new cognitive strategy, this strategy can be applied to any treatment regardless of the content that this strategy addresses, and this applies to information provision strategies. There are individual differences in cognitive strategies between individuals, some strategies that some possess are better than others, and these differences are due to the level of learning and thinking. Cognitive strategies help to understand how media deals with social and political issue.
3. Communication used in Cold War, WW1, WW2, The American coalition invasion of Iraq.
Media started since long time ago for example, in WW1 there were many communication ways used like, Signal flags, telephone and two-way radio, ships. Which used to convey visual messages and signals between two ships or to shore. In WW2 they used Propaganda, Newspapers/Magazines, Radio, Airplanes, Telegraph, Telephones, Mail, Animals, and Cryptology. While in cold war They establish the central Intelligence Agency *CIA*, which lead to act a new radio service a a project for public diplomacy. In American Coalition Invasion of Iraq, United States of America launched a major propaganda attack on Iraq, including films and fake news.
4. How do media outside Oman present race, gender (Male, Female & 3rds)
The race has always been the primary media for judging individuals and their behaviors. If we look to gender, there are male and female and this is the known partition, but the media continues to present the third well and considers them to be minorities. In Oman, media did not show anything related to the third gender. and they do not talk about it despite its existence in secret. Because of some laws.
5. Selfie and narcissism - fame online
The fame online has a relation with selfie and narcissism. Most artists have technical interest and They prefer work that allows for self-expression. Artist can influence society and trends that is way they change their behavior depending on the community and his opinion Happiness hormone is what drives the average person to take a selfie. On the other hand, artists only show the positive side of their life that is way people thinks their life are perfect.
6. Hate speech
Hate speech can be verbal or written communication which reflects a negative opinion about a particular demographic, it often targets particular races, genders, sexual orientations, nationalities, ethnic groups and religions. It can be identified if there is an attack to someone for these immutable. Social media is a good media to exacerbate this problem like what people shoed on twitter against china because of covid19.
7. The role of media in health education
Media can play a critical role in educate people because it can reach wide numbers. In health aspect, it uses to inform the public about certain disease like what happened with covid-19. It is an excellent way to Raise people's awareness, transfer information, and change behavior. It also can use to educate people about disease prevention.
8. Cartoon about covid-19
Cartoon is one of the good ways to discuss an issue. During Coronavirus there are many cartoons and it divers between fun cartoon, educated, or help understanding the issue. Most of the people especially in social media are react with this in different views because it is better than words.
9. The citizens have the right to know everything through media.
Not everything has to know by the citizens through the media nor everything has to hide. Some issues were hidden and that led to some truble problems and showing some of them led to other problems. It will be in a safe side if the media show what will benefit the citizen only and hide anything which may exacerbates the issue.
10. perspective about media ethic challenges
Media ethics faced many challenges for example; Truth and the public interest, privacy, integrity and impartiality, and accuracy with reliability. During coronavirus media faced these ethic challenges. The informative were forced to breach people's privacy and they not be able to be accurate in most news. they also hide some truth, and this is against public interest. Integrity and impartiality also became a challenge too.
Analysis:
Why media sometime refuge to show disinformation? Is this one technique to attract more people?
In general, most people nowadays are becoming more clearly understand of most currently issues. The wide spread of media led to give the audience many views for one issue and that help them to see the issue from many sides. This is very differed from media that shown in WW1, WW2, Cold war, and The American coalition invasion of Iraq. Critically evaluate of the point that talk about cognitive strategy, this strategy is not a common property among individuals, but it shows the difference between people in their ability to understand certain issue in mass media. For example; the issues that focus on the difference between the individuals and divide them according their race, gender, color, and many other portions. In Oman the media are not allowed to show these divisions even if some people are thought about it. By compare, if we retain back to what happened in united states on May,2020 when a white policeman assaulted a black citizen and kill him, but he was acquitted. This is racism in America. Why media should show this issue? Is this will change the reality in America? Or it will aggravate the racism issue? These is all control by mass media. More specifically on how media affect our life, is what we faced nowadays because coronavirus. Health aspect are adapted too much to media to be with citizens. it advises them, punish them, and help them how to prevent from this pandemic. Coronavirus show the real and positive side of media. It used by many people even if they had no relation with media, coronavirus forced them to use it because media became the supper importance thing. They use cartons also because some people do not like to read but carton can tell them more that one thousand words. Critique to one issue that show in social media about selfie and narcissism, I see that is something excessive and many people want to be an artist regardless if they have a message to the audience or not. People start to follow the artist's life and most of the teenager thought the life is pink all of the time because these artists are show only the positive side of their live. Media always faced many challenges but is this should be an excuse to have a weakness in mass media? everyone goes to media medium, have to put in mind that whole life will be as a challenge. Little mistake may affect many people life and it can may cause a chaos in mediums. Comment on hate speech issue, media can some time manage this. For example, twitter can hide any tweet that has a hate speech and people can make a report and spam to any account that show a hate speech activity.
Conclusion:
Overall, media is a double-edged sword. We have to be carful when use it and also, we need to be aware when get any information from it. No one have the right to force other to accept his opinion about some issue. We all can decide which issue I am interest in, and which is not. Disinformation, cognitive strategy, selfie and narcissism, hate speech, and many other issues are issue in media communication.