- Special Academic Support

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Introduction

Statement of Research Issue

This research investigates media for social change may be used to create an environment where people can engage in the public realm, mediate disagreements, and encourage civil debate. For an informative analysis, I have included my personal view on media power and discussed communication as the main factor in creating hybrid public space, and encouraged the public to use media as an interactive tool in the field of social society.

The research proposes for reconsideration of media role in creating imaginative and narrative communication avenues in achieving a highly informed society. Our deductive approach touches on audiences thoughts, the way they reinterpret the message, and sediment new knowledge into their daily lives.

It is evidenced that media for social change has enabled the creation of new avenues for grassroots activism and community building. I aim at learning the degree to which media for social change is used and the role of leadership in this industry. I will conduct a series of interviews with media professionals to find out their attitudes and beliefs in regard to a leadership role in social change. However, the best test, and yet difficult to comprehend, is: do media change how we function, how we communicate, and more likely become independent? And does it encourage social ties? It is evidenced that media for social change has enabled new avenues for grassroots activism and community building.

To do answer this question, we will follow the hypothesis approach of research using quantitative research tools. First, we will present Paul Ricoeur and Habermass theory behind the topic from previous literature. Then we will state our hypotheses on the different relationships. Next, we are going to use interviews to collect some data and analyze it, and finally, discuss whether the results support our hypotheses and state conclusions and recommendations.

Background

Media plays an important role in creating and influencing the opinion of the public. It does this by linking the ideas of the producers with their audience whereby the producers pass down their themes to their audience hence changing the way they perceive certain issues. According to Alia (2004), there exists a direct relationship between the change in the society and what the media producers are giving the society.

In this relationship, the role of media producers is to generate information from a chain of relations and influences and the role of the audience is to infer and evaluate the information from the producers and generate other information external to the media perspectives. The impacts and implications of the media account not just the way interesting events are identified, as Ricoeur in the From text to Action, states, but also to a wide range of cultural influences that function via the media (Ricoeur,1990).

Recent research efforts suggest that the media have powerful social and cultural effects on society. This is a result of their capability to reach a broad range of audiences with a powerful and transforming message. Alia in work tells us that the media is the message when trying to how the circulation of a message is more significant than what is in the message itself (Alia 2004). The use of media elements such as films, radio, and printed media transmits the producers message to his or her targeted listeners.

And as such the media have been very influential in shaping societys everyday life and opinions. Particularly, the T.V has wide control over what the society watches and as such is capable of manipulating their opinions. Moreover, the internet provides room for more varied political ideas, social and cultural perspectives and as such it has increased the degree of audience participation.

It can be said that people will always be influenced by media in a number of ways but however, this hinges on what the target audience wants to get from reading an article or watching a film. The idea could be established that media elements such as new stories as seen in television plays a significant role in society as it offers its target audiences with understandings that make them aware of issues that producers feel their target audience ought to know (Habermas 1985).

For instance, a T.V program will at all times influence its target audiences in a number of ways since it is perceived as a trustworthy source of information that notifies them of what they do not know and as such shows the truths in their midst. For this reason, it can then be argued that programs like the T.V news programs assists their target audience in creating a picture and an opinion of specific ideas and issues which time and again reflect the news beliefs. In short, there will constantly be an aspect of the producer of a T.V program that he or she wants his or her target population to take from the program.

That is whether it is a program he or she wants to share with his or her target audience or it is information about particular issues that are not near to home to his or her target population, which the producer wants them to view so as to add their understanding on the subject matter presented by him or her (Ricoeur 1990).

Literature Review

Nothing can be further from the when it is argued that, the producer of what to watched or read by its targeted has the power to create and influence his or her audience. This is because the producers intent customarily is to change and influence members of his or her target audience in a certain way. Whether is to encourage social change or is to claim history, the producer will always generate his or her work purposely to pass his or her opinions with the aim of changing his or her audiences opinions (Alia 2004).

According to Habermas, regardless of the producers motives, the motives themselves ought to be purported in a way that is interesting to the targeted audience so as to draw their interest and employ their thinking (Habermas 1985). It is the role of the producer to manipulate his or her intended audiences senses to get his or her needed effect. A few individuals may claim that a certain effect may not be desired, or that the producer may not even be aware of the manipulation.

Whether this is true or not the producer still has to anticipate, and acknowledge, the role of influencing the audience in a particular way. This is particularly fascinating because producers of literature and social changers more often than not produce their works with a specific audience in mind, and that why the producers of both literature and history accounts are exceptionally linked to postcolonial literature (Ricoeur 1991).

According to Alia (2004), it is through the media where the producers pass their ideas to their targeted population. In their work, producers aim at conceiving their target audience about how they think about some issues in the society they are living. For this reason, they generate their work with an idea of changing the societys perception on particular issues they think they should make the population aware of. This in essence changes the opinion of the society on those issues and thereby acts as agent of societal change.

Alia (2004) observes that the media functions as a system of transmitting messages and representations to the society at large (Alia 2004). The media have the role of amusing, recreating, and of educating, and instilling members of the society with the opinions, perceptions, and norms of behavior that integrates them into the principles of the society at whole. In his opinion Ricoeur argues that, in the earth full of wealth and wars of class interest, it is the role of media to systematically manipulate people toward specific opinions.

This due to the fact that, in providing only a very thin range of ideas on main issues affecting our society, the media persuades the general public that, there is no option to the solutions it provides to problems (Habermas 1985). In this way the media change the opinion of society member on where to get solution to their problems.

A renowned scholar, Paul Ricoeur sees media as instruments for transmitting information, ideas, and opinions from the producer to the society at large and to specific audiences (Ricoeur 1991). Media are thus significant instruments for advancing producer goals to his or her target audience.

He however cautions that using media can be counterproductive if the means employed for communicating the message are not fitting the intended population, or if the information to be passed is emotional, can cause fear or contentious (Ricoeur 1991). He therefore advices that this adverse effect can be prevented through appropriate formative study, familiarity with the audience, experience in connecting media channels to the target population, and information content testing (Ricoeur 1991).

Complicated organizations rely on media in delivering their messages to the society. In this regard media can be seen as extensions of man due to its capability of extending what publishers want to tell, to communicate to individuals far away, to hear information, and to view images that can not be accessed without it. As result of the use of mass media in spreading news, the media has in essence made the world a global village.

It is worth to note that, the significance of media messages is directly linked to what is accounted and how it is reported. In this vein Alia (2004) observes that, the media are significant source of information on a number of issues that lead to profound effect on the society and as such there exist pervasive interest in the value of reporting (Alia, 2004). Media messages should thus be reported appropriately and if need be their sources should be revealed to their readers. This is very important as it help in authenticating them.

According to Ricoeur (1991), the media has the ability of facilitating short and lasting effects on their target audiences. Short-term goals can be effects such as revealing audiences health concepts as well creating attentiveness and knowledge among others. The lasting effects include such issues changes in positions, behaviors, and opinion on some social norms. The lasting effects integrate all of the above tasks that lead to a centered rebuilding of observed social values as well as preservation of behavioral transformations.

In causing social change in the society the media informs, moulds public relations and acts as an advocate of promoting a number of specific points of view usually those of the producer (Habermas 1985). Being agents of educating the society as whole, the media spreads knowledge to vast population and as such it is part and parcel of wide range endeavors of promoting actions that are believed to have profound social transformations in that society. As public relations instruments, media help societies in attaining trustworthiness and respect among their opinion leaders and other stakeholders. As instruments of advocacy the media help political leaders in initiating policy issues, building consensus on contentious issues and achieving public support for certain perspectives.

Without question, the audience is very important to the producer of any form of media. Some studies consider a society as a group of isolated persons subjected to media messages. This school of thoughts envisions the media messages as a needle syringe that infusion the opinions of the media producers into the minds of the target audience, who accept these opinions and principles (Habermas 1985). This in turn changes their perceptions of different issues and beliefs. This in essence changes their social political understandings. That is why media can be attributed to the widespread sharing of information from different producers.

Alia (2004) observes that, the link between media and the modern popular culture is usually conceived in terms of spreading opinions from the privileged few to the general public. The permanent outcome of this is important with regards to the ongoing concentration of media control and ownership by the privileged few. This is the cause of cultural dictatorship that is seen in the contemporary world.

This is a situation whereby only the cultural attitudes and beliefs of the media elite are taken as standard attitudes and beliefs of the society. A case in the study is that HarperCollins press whereby the owner Murdoch refused to publish the work of Patten which was thought to be damaging to his interests in China media industry. In this case Patten work was believed to be against the chinas mode leadership. Here we see even the book was a constructive criticism of the Chinas mode leadership it could not be published as the owner of the HarperCollins press thought this can adversely impact his business interests in China.

Without doubt, media has been utilized in a vast range by politicians to inform, plan and share cultural thoughts of their movements. A good example is the world trade center conference of ministers demonstrations that took place in 1999. This protest is believed to be a true portrayal of the utilization of media as an instrument for social transformations. In these demonstrations media messages were used to plan the action, inform and organize all those who participated in the protests.

Without question, the media has brought significant social transformations over time in behavior models and cultural attitudes and norms. For instance, the media has brought remarkable social changes having lasting impacts such the industrial revolution, the eradication of slavery as well as the feminist movement (Alia 2004). These social movements have in turn played a significant role in inspiring the marginalized members of the society to cause a social change.

Further more, it is within the media whereby the authors/directors of media create awareness of thorny issues in the society. When member of society understand such issues they change their attitudes and beliefs and the result is societys social change. According to Ricoeur (1991), media function as an instrument for formulating and evaluating public opinions, linking the world with thinkers and rebuilding the self picture of society.

The mass media is also seen as a tool for control. Some studies suggest that most governments use media in controlling the public opinions of their citizens. It is through media where political leaders try to convince and manipulate the public toward the thinking that certain national undertakings are worth implementing for the good of the society at large. That is why in the contemporary world we see many world leaders advocating for the expansion of mass media in the third world countries. This is thought to inspire them to work hard in the daily roles and as such develop themselves.

Research Questions

It is important to assemble various iterative steps in building cohesive story in supporting the topic media for social change. The fundamental question we are asking is: does media build environment that supports human interaction and divergent perspectives, create structural changes, mediate disagreements and encourage civil debate? To answer this question, we delegate the power of the media in three contexts;

producers,
the viewer
the content.

It is argued that producers have great responsibilities in imaging the new future as they use their power to shape the social culture. Viewers on the other hand have the responsibility of discriminating information and shifting their understanding to new paradigms in creating social change. Its quite evident that media can be creative and critical at the same time. Therefore, strong relationship between producers and viewers is important in passing information across is important in understanding fundamental ideas on how they relate to each other in the public sphere.

It should also be understood that media has the ability to influence our day to day activities and technologies and information it uses represent significant part of our lives. In this regard, we argue that no one can live in a society without consuming information as media serves as a social vehicle that enables us to engage in public realm.

Media provides hybrid public space that enables users to comment, create and share content, rate information. Political campaigns serve as a stunning demonstration of how consumer society depends on media for educational content. It is through this we learn different view points and cultures before making informative decisions. It is also argued that any information published for public viewing represents an element of our surrounding.

Our comprehensive review summarizes media as cultural practices, which develops and incorporates components of particular social orders, mentalities, and lived experiences of their producers and users. Since media has power to influence and pull massive crowds, producers need to have ethics and morals to drive and motivate the viewers in the right direction. Therefore 3 factors that relate to the ability to create a social change are mentioned as;

Producer: creative, vision, horizon :the range of vision that includes everything that can be seen from a particular vantage point, often associated with ones future, and the way they present image and message (transition).
Content: Text- something that touch people mind and really into the most people interest.
Viewer: interpret the message, transform new knowledge, fusion of horizons (Gadamer).

In this paper, I will present my leadership role model Mr.Suttipong Thamma, the producer one show in Thailand. The question of deploying social media for social change is not accessibility to technology but the knowledge of how to deploy it across multiple platforms.

In this sense, Mr.Suttipong Thamma language use, beliefs and narrative intelligence makes viewers questions who they really are, how they contribute to the society, their purpose in life and the reasons for their living. Mr.Suttipong Dhammawuit was once quoted stating&& to address a good question is much more difficult than to find an answer because it can bring you to the better answer as well (2010:1). This question re-emphasizes the reason why humans were born as he takes his producers role in using the media to help promote the change in society.

Conceptual Framework

After this literature review of previous work done on media for social change, self understanding and competent communication and other variables used in this paper, we can now build a conceptual framework to focus on in our methodology and data analysis. It is clear from literature the positive relationship between competent communication and self understanding in our society. Moreover, communication is considered one of the key factors of organizational success and effectiveness. From this we can deduce the main research hypothesis of this paper:

Hypothesis 1: Communication is positively related to self understanding.

In addition, we will examine communication in more detail by studying the effects of several variables of communication in social community. The variables that will be studied include creating and sharing content, rating and commenting, information exchange, and vision and goal communication. Again, literature suggests that all of these variables are positively related to self understanding and competent communication and therefore, we can add the following sub-hypotheses:

Hypothesis 1a: Information exchange is positively related to competent communication.
Hypothesis 1b: Creating and sharing content is positively related to competent communication.
Hypothesis 1c: Commenting and rating is positively related to competent communication.
Hypothesis 1d: vision and goals communication is positively related to competent communication.

With the idea of self understanding, competent communication and moral consciousness we are inevitably struck with the idea of understanding the ways and reasons for having these qualities. In delegating media responsibility in ensuring social change, producers have the primary responsibility for taking care of society and watching out for it. Paul Ricoeur once stated we must simultaneously possess the idea of belonging to the self while belonging to another (2010:1).

The idea that hypothesis that &. to truly care for yourself you must also care for others around you, unable to care for one without the other, producers must care for themselves in order to truly care for the world around them. One cannot ignore the fact that media was created and is used in a capitalist way and in a capitalist society. This provides a clear connection between the media and the world happenings.

I however argue that producers who fail to view media in this spectrum may have short term careers. It is also evidenced that producer who anticipate long term careers must care for the world around them by realizing the connection they have with the media and the society. This article analyses the role of media and influence producers, viewers and content has on social, economical, and political processes in revolutionizing the landscape of our society.

Producer

A good producer knows where he stands in the world and his power to make and cause social change. Understanding their mortality and the limits of what they can do and communicate is also of paramount importance. Suttipong Dhammawuit, a successful producer from Thailand re-emphasizes this point by stating the message I want to express is not fully dependent on my ability, but the power to create a change, that power is in everyones hands (2010: 1). In summary, knowing the difference between your own ability and the ability for the viewers to understand as well should be considered.

As already discussed, producers need to connect with viewers in different ways in order to successfully get your ideas and thoughts across. In this case, the media must establish trust with viewers while attracting their attention at the same time. As Suttipong illustrates dropping occasional story lines might be the easiest way of gaining the viewers trust, connection and keep their attention to the information being communicated.

Suttipong provides in his analysis that telling stories enables a producer accomplish tasks in a beautiful and harmonic symphonic way. The same analysis also provides that telling ancient stories, human experience and inspirations have the ability of pulling viewers attention. It also adds, well documented fiction stories that involves human emotions have the ability to provide clear and purer understanding of information being passed across.

Ideally, communication is a living process in which a community of life is lived out and a growing and progressive process that is constantly evolving and changing over time. Learning and engaging ourselves in public realm of information exchange helps us understand how to use communication in positive ways through media content particularly internet media. Education is a continuous process and media should use this strategy in encouraging viewers comments and ratings so truly project current happening and provide what is considered as moral conscious. Printing information for viewers to read without provision of viewers ratings is important in understanding what the society really needs.

For example, encouraging viewers comments on particular programs on TV or online download videos on their perception is of paramount importance. This clearly reemphasizes the importance of communication when both sides (producer and viewer) exchange information.

Habermas (1985) defines media as a social network that has the ability to create and influence social change. In this case, viewers have the primary responsibility using information at their own discretion whether positive or negative to influence the social change they see fit. In his argument Habermas stated for true understanding to occur, communicative competence is required (1985:2). In affirming his statement Habermas mentions four validity claims dependent on satisfying competent communication to include;

Comprehension

Comprehension is depicted to mean media communication between a producer and a viewer should be easily understood. In other words, viewers should be able to comprehend and digest the content and pictures projected. Comprehension ensures content and knowledge intended be communicated is positively received.

Trust

Establishing trust between producers, viewers and content is a very important in enabling easy communication on all network avenues. This is to mean that when certain content is rated negatively, producers should meet with viewers to communicate their grievances. This builds trust on published information as viewers facts and opinions are given considerations and have the ability to support and offer suggestions on what is true, accurate, and real. Its often argued that lack of trust disabled effective communication process during and after publication.

Shared knowledge and vales

Building an environment that encourages shared knowledge and values in engaging public realm stimulates a productive community. In essence, shared knowledge and values between producers and in relaying media content to viewers is relevant and helpful in encouraging shared knowledge and values. For example the people at news channels like Fox News and their conservative owner Rupert Murdoch share the conservative values with their viewers.

Its also argued that encouraging shared knowledge and values can be damaging in certain ways. For example, Fox News strategy that allows viewers to rate their comments on certain topics and broadcasts at the end of the show is itself damaging since the network can easily bring out false information and downright lies as a strategy to pull many viewers to respond to the information.

Viewer self understanding

Media has in many ways affected human personality and directs our self understanding on most critical aspects of our societies. To this we argue that communication must involve certain amount of morals and self understanding by both viewers and producers. In order for viewers to fully understand and digest information being passed across, Gunter Dux states communicative action requires a moral consciousness committed to the equal satisfaction of the interest of all parties concerned (2010).

Personality identity on the viewers perception plays an important role in determining the way viewers react to certain media content. On a more moral objective, understanding peoples preference with regards to what they watch in the media and content they absorb is important in programming. Also concerns that relates to particular social injustice or cause should be incorporated in turning media content in new and interesting knowledge into programming. On a personal example, a friend of mine from Los Angeles watched a movie documentary on Darfur and was moved to donate $3000 for educational needs for the abused women in Darfur.

This is a perfect example of how media can be used for social change. After talking to a few people I later realized many people ha watched the news and many were inspired to extend help to the needy. Therefore viewers self understanding gives inspiration and extends intellectual media production. This is a perfect example of how powerful an informed and self conscious producer can influence massive and intense social change.

The same documentary aired a story of how a normal man had read a book and was inspired to a massive piece of legislation passed through congress. Content read inspired him deeply to do whatever he could to help in positive ways. Also, the viewer understanding of what other people undergo all over the world was reported to be same reason why he chose to venture into social work. Conclusively, viewers are delegated with the responsibility of making informed decisions and discriminating the content they view on the media.

Data Presentation

Interview with Producer

The media sector more specifically TV networks offer variety of entertainment platforms ranging from game shows, talk show, advertising, series and so much more. Its ability to serve capitalism in our society provides no constraints and its our full responsibility control what he hear and watch. Evidently, media drive audience desires and offer a lot of information without screening for truth. In this regard, I am obligated to take full responsibility of ensuring true and trusted information is passed on to the society. As a producer or user of media, I will use influence to direct the way producers and directors pass on information to the society.

Proactive action starts right from producers and not theatres owners and investor as they have the ability to influence change in media industry. In another interview Gunter Dux concluded we have many options in society, but it is all in the same direction. It serve capitalism, our desire without control (2010:1). His findings realized that little power cannot influence change needed in the society. He also adds that change has to come from everyone and since his little power cant make the needed change, his professional skills that drove him to air documentary shows will influence the needed change. He used documentary shows as a viable alternative gain media success and change he so desperately yearned.

Gunter Dux main strategy of the documentary show KonKonKon is to reflect on conflicts in our societies. Therefore, I will use the same strategy in helping create informative society that will facilitate better understanding of one another. The question however remains: to whom do I owe this? And do I any reason of doing this? The answer however lies in the motivation behind the strategy. And in this case, peace is of paramount important in my country and I plan to strategies on that.

The KonKonKon show for example has specialized in its niche by concentrating solely on peoples lives. It presents an in depth analysis of what really goes on in societies without fabricating narrators information. By really concentrating on the homeless, disabled people, prostitute, the disadvantaged, the how brings a voice to the often neglected in the society. Gunter Dux documentary show has bridged the gap between the media and the society, an area often ignored by the public media. In essence, it would be difficult to know the less privileged exist among us when the media doe not put them in the spotlight.

Gunter Dux documentary show also highlights important educational aspect often ignored by major public media. For example the use homophone word human forgotten by our alphabets is re-emphasized in the media. Once redefined and projected, people start realizing and reading the name on his show, and implying the meaning. The show invites guests to share their personal stories and let others know that they are human and have value in the society as a whole.

In my new plan, I will document a creative story that prioritizes human life, exudes goodness, and incorporates purity and honesty of human history that will leave everlasting memory in the present public media. By good life I mean human life less restrains, suppressions and sufficiently expressing what human life is all about. My belief of humanity will be the driving theme behind my research and in selecting guest speakers who have the ability to influence and inspire viewers.

Using people who have the ability to inspire and transform people into the next Bill Gates will be my primary o

Click Here To Order Now!