Impact of Visual Media on the Global Public – An Insight

Mass media is the biggest form of communication today. Written, visual, or spoken media in the form of newspapers, news channels on television, smartphones, radio, magazines, news sites on the internet, etc. reach millions of people all over the world.

The media in the form of news channels or articles plays an important role in forming public opinion. In today’s world of technology, the way news is consumed has augmented but it plays the same role that it did a decade ago. With the growth of the worldwide population, there has been an increase in demand which has resulted in the growth of print media. Newspapers are an important means of education in a country. However, due to technological advancements, there has been an emergence in electronic media. We get to know important world news mostly through news channels on television and the internet. They have the power to influence millions of people on the basis of how an incident is reported- it shapes the way the public perceives any particular occurrence in the world. The public watches the news and intelligently forms their opinions to participate in the social, political, and economic occurrences, both regional and international.

Until even the 1960s and 70s, most middle-class families could not afford a television. It used to be a rich man’s device. Now more than one television can be found in most families throughout the world. Even after the popularity of televisions, only a few hours used to be dedicated to the news until a few years ago. Now, there are channels that are specifically dedicated to reporting various world occurrences throughout the day. The widespread availability coupled with massive exposure and coverage tends to put primary focus on news through television. These news channels naturally tend to have a significant impact on society which can be both positive and negative.

Positive Impact

• Accessibility

There are a lot of people throughout the world who prefer to be constantly aware of the current events across the world. This demand has led to the popularity of channels that report news throughout the day. These channels are mostly live telecasting events to ensure that the incidents that they are reporting are current. This increases the relevance of each of these channels. Consuming news in such a way helps people be aware of everything that is occurring in the world. These channels also tend to report local incidents which helps people in avoiding dangerous situations. For instance, one can come to know about an accident or a fire that has occurred nearby before they’re going out through the news channel. With this information, they can avoid that specific route that might have otherwise proved to be dangerous.

• Representative of the People

News channels make sure that the government is reliable. Through unbiased reporting of news, it holds the people in power responsible for their actions. The news channels make sure that the public is heard by the government. These channels take responsibility to question the government or its representatives on behalf of the public. This leads to transparency in the government which is extremely important in the world. The positive acts are amplified and appreciated by the news channels, and similarly, the negative acts are condemned. The reputation of most of these leaders depends on the publicity through these channels which leads them to make sure that they make some positive changes in society and keep up the promises they made to the people.

• Increase in Interest

News channels paint regular and boring world events in an interesting way. With regular debates and diverse segments, these channels ensure that they report news in an entertaining and interesting way. This leads many people, especially youngsters, who otherwise wouldn’t have been interested in world events to engage with them.

• Education

Mass media is one of the biggest forms of education in the world. Even though such education was possible through print media, it increased tenfold through visual media because of the massive exposure. The ability to comprehend the language through listening gave people the opportunity to learn about the world and its events. This was not possible through print since many people are not educated enough to know written language. It is solely because of this reason that many news channels have educational programs in their broadcast schedule which makes a massive difference in the lives of people.

Negative Impact

• Exaggeration of Events

Nowadays, there are many news channels both nationally and internationally. To make sure that more people watch a particular channel, news channels have to make sure that their programs are interesting along with being relevant. To increase viewership, these channels tend to exaggerate and sensationalize events. Each and every news is projected as “breaking news” and is often portrayed more seriously than what is required. This tends to create unnecessary panic among many people who get scared by this news. This happens to people who do not have any other means of interpreting a particular incident and have to believe what the news channel is saying.

• The Habit of Reporting Negative Incidents

In the world, there is no shortage of negative incidents that happen daily. News channels often tend to report these negative incidents like crime, tragedies, a clash between communities, etc. more than any other news. Even though it is very important that people are in the know about all these terrible things that might affect them, they shouldn’t be aware of just the negative events. There are some positive or wholesome incidents that occur in the world as well but reports of these events are almost missing in most news channels. Since what is consumed shapes the way we think, consuming only negative incidents increases hate or fear in the community. It has the power to instigate people against each other which are often observed throughout the world. News channels should consider such reactions before boldly and continuously reporting these incidents throughout the day.

• Bias in the News

News is the primary way by which the public forms opinions of the leaders. The job of news channels is to report the positives and negatives of prospective leaders in a just and unbiased way. However, corruption has found a way into the media, much like any other sector in the world. Many political leaders pay news channels to paint them in a positive way which convinces people to put such a leader in power. This has an adverse effect on society as a whole. These leaders, for the most part, take no steps for the improvement of society. People should be able to completely trust news channels but often it is seen that is not the case. The public should be given the opportunity to intelligently form opinions about their prospective leaders.

News channels have the power to affect the lives of all of us, both in a positive or negative way. They impact both our physical and mental well-being. The media has a huge responsibility on its shoulders. They should be aware of how many people depend on them for their lives and act accordingly. the post is sponsored by Ubuy which provides imported german products, chinese products and korea products directly from these countries to your place.