A Brief Analysis of the Media’s Influence on the Public

The social media, as the main information circulation channel, has played an important role in shaping social norms in the current society. It is supposed to correctly guide the public’s opinions towards democracy, equality, and freedom. However, it plays a more negative effect. People of color have frequently been linked with criminals and murders in news reports. People in the Middle East are depicted as devils and violent terrorists, even the innocent citizens. Immigrants are reported as the burden of the social welfare system and the financial budget. The media, especially the conventional media, serves a political assistance for the government, not for the public. But newer forms of media, like the blogs and Twitter protests, plays the role of serving the public and advocating for equality and freedom because it provides a platform on the Internet where everyone has the right to voice their opinion and join the dispute. This paper aims at analyzing the role of conventional media and newer forms of media play in shaping public attitudes toward women, minorities, the LGBT community, immigrants and non-normative populations. The conventional media establishes a stereotype serving the interest of the major white community for economic and political benefits while the newer forms of media play a positive role in changing this stereotype for its free and democratic platform, which is the key to guiding the public properly for the social equality and democracy.

To begin with, the conventional media, such as films and televisions, misleads the public’s opinion towards discriminations towards minor groups with its long-term stereotype, like the LGBT community, immigrants, and people of color. The Oscar, as the most professional film ceremony, leads the public’s opinion to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements of films and actors/actresses. It has a long history in the US, dating back to the 1930s, and has been widely regarded as one of the representations of the traditional media. However, even the Academy Award has racial discriminations in deciding nominees and winners. In February 2016, when Oscar nominees were announced its nominees, only white actors and actresses were chosen in the four categories. They arouse widespread complaints among black actors and actresses. To comfort this racial dispute, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chose a black host Chris Rock for the 88^th Academy Award. However, he invited three Asian children to the stage and told some jokes related to the racial discrimination towards Asian people. He satirized the child labor problem in Asia. This behavior got widely protested on the Internet and succeeded in turning the 88^th Oscar into a racist ceremony. Even Steven Speilberg said that he was surprised to see “Straight Outta Compton” failed to win the best picture and Idris Elba failed to win the best-supporting actor (“Oscar” 2016). The Oscar represents a typical racist problem in the conventional media, especially in films and televisions. The US calls for racial diversity in the conventional media, but it turns out that the media is always pursuing the same stereotype. This stereotyping phenomenon is widely expressed in films and televisions. White people play the prince and princess, and people of color support these main characters or play the evil characters. White people are always the center of films and televisions. Even the most professional Academy Award follows this stereotype in recognizing the cinematic achievement. The 88^th Academy Award makes white people main winners, black people main protestors, and Asian people the target of jokes. Besides, the LGBT community, as the minor community in the US, is also received discriminations and inequalities. A few weeks ago, the TV show “The 100” killed off a major character simply because this character was a gay. Some fans argued that “Minorities aren’t disposable characters. We don’t accept marginalized storylines” (“TV” 2016). It is clear that the conventional media serves mainly for the government and the major community. Its long history establishes a stereotype matching with the interest of the major community, and the public is influenced by this stereotype for a long time, which makes the conventional media more difficult to change for the interest of the minor community. Even though one person protests for the conventional media, there will be nine persons supporting it. This is the reason the conventional media always serves for the majority. As long as the majority supports the conventional media, films and televisions could get the guarantee of the box office and audience rating. Economic factors also contribute to this misleading stereotype in the conventional media.

In addition, the newer forms of media, like the blogs and Twitter protests, plays a positive role in changing the public’s opinion of these inherent discriminations related with the traditional stereotype with its free speech and democratic platform. There is a typical example of the positive of this new media form. In 2011, UC Davis had to pay at least $175,000 to scrub the Internet of negative online postings of the pepper-spraying incident. This shows the power of Internet revealing the truth and spreading it widely. Blogs and the Twitter enable every person to reveal the fact and post their opinions. The Influence of this new social media is not that easy to control compared with the conventional media. UC Davis has to pay a lot for the reputation of the university, but this measure could only limit the negative influence instead of eliminating the negative influence (UC 2016). Thus, the online reputation has been paid more and more attention by public facilities, corporates, and celebrities. There even exists a field that specifically aims the online reputation management. The freedom on the Internet and its uncontrollable influence are changing the public’s position compared with the traditional social media. It is easier to launch a protest on the Interest and causes an influential social impact. Also, related celebrity effects broaden this impact. The public can get access to different comments to judge an affair objectively and draw the most reasonable conclusion. They no longer need to get what the conventional media tries to impose on them. In regard to the serious racist problem in the 88^th Oscar, there have been widespread protests on the Interest. Under this pressure, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has to try to improve this phenomenon in the future in order to improve its reputation as the most professional and fairest ceremony in the industry.

Last but not least, the social media should help establish the equal and democratic social norms and guide the public’s opinions properly. The social media, conventional or new, should take its social responsibility for the democratic development of the society. It plays an important in the information circulation and opinions sharing. This function is closely related to the establishment of a free-speech and equal society. The social media should not be the political puppet or submit to the majority’s need for economic reasons. The meaning of its existence is to advocate for a better society without oppressions and discriminations. It should be the mentor that guides the public’s opinions correctly and help eliminate discriminations towards the minority.

In sum, the social media plays an important role in shaping social norms. The conventional media, for the economic and political needs, establishes a stereotype that aims at the interest of the major community and neglects the interest of the minority. This phenomenon is common in films and TV shows. It caters for the public’s tastes instead of guiding them properly. However, the newer forms of media play a positive role in changing the public’s opinions and breaking this stereotype. The fast development of the Internet creates a platform for free speeches and reasonable discussions. The public gets access to various information to learn more facts and opinions. Due to this new media, they have the chance to voice their opinions for the minority and make a difference. The social media should be the tool for justice and democracy, not a puppet for discriminations.