What is the significance of the First Amendment with speech and press?

The first amendment is a wonderful thing that helps the people, (represented by the media and their own voices) control government and speak their mind about certain issues. It lets people get across what they want to say and how they feel, however congress has passed laws about this to limit our freedom of expression to an extent. The people have limited freedom of expression, because obviously if someone was going to say they would kill the president we would have some issues. People can’t just say literally anything that comes to their mind. Their arguments or opinions must be well thought out and just, not completely unfair or a threat to someone else. There is a difference between being against the war and maybe doing a slient/ non-violent protest and doing a full out violent and rowdy, also annoying, protest that the law has to end. People are allowed to say what they want to say, they just can’t libel, slander or take private action against another.

How does mass media reflect a political system globally?

Mass media and politics usually go hand in hand with each other. As the book states, ‘throughout mass media history, authoritarian political systems have been the most common.’ Mass medias influence is that mass media is the voice of the people and the rules govern over the people. If the people are not satisfied, the media will not have kind things to say about the government and eventually it will fall. For example, Czar Nicholas II of Russia was killed by representatives of the people because they were not happy with his rule. By the end of his regime, he led Russia to an economic and military collapse. Obviously his people were not happy about that, and because of that obviously the media at the time wasn’t too fond of him. He also kept a tight censorship on the people that they were not happy about. He was later killed and ect. However, there are also Libertarian leaders who are free with their interaction with the people and take criticism openly to make themselves better and help the people. A more accepting leader of mass media shows an honest government that isn’t out to oppress its people.

What is the significance of the fourth estate?

As John Vivian describes, the fourth estate is pretty much media and the press. “Medieval English and French societies were highly structured into classes of people called estates. The first estate was the clergy. The second was nobility. The third was the common people. After Gutenberg [printing press], the mass-produced written word began emerging as a player in the power of structure, but it couldn’t be pigeonholed as part of one or another of the three estates. In time the press came to be called the fourth estate. “ -Vivian 379. As the ‘estates’ go, it’s pretty much a measure of power that people have to judge the influence people have on other things. The thing is, the press isn’t one person but it still has a bunch of control on the people around it. Because of this, it’s considered another estate. The press has so much influence in everyone’s’ life that a person literally couldn’t live without it. Especially because now of the First Amendment for ‘Freedom of the Press’, we use our ‘fourth branch of government’ to monitor the other branches on the behalf of the common man to make sure there is no foul play or corruption going on. The press is, as the textbook says, the ‘watchdog’ for people. As this role developed it helped the people and because of it keeps the government officials on their toes and in check, or at least better at hiding what they’re doing better and not being careless.

What have I learned in this class?

I have learned many new and important facts about mass media throughout this semester. Seeing as media does play such a large role in my life it was helpful to really look into it and how it works. For example, I did not know that media has become so important in society today that it is considered the fourth estate. I learned a lot about the history of media and where it all started throughout the semester. It was interesting to compare how media used to be to how it is today. Media is constantly changing and evolving but no when usually looks back, only forward. I also found it interesting to see how mass media can tie in with so many other things such as marketing and public relations. Since I am a public relations major myself I enjoyed that chapter and finding out how public relations and media work together.

What is the significance of the fourth estate?

Media has become such a large part of the world we live in that it is now considered the fourth estate. We cannot go a day without experiencing some type of mass media and people are realizing this more and more each day. The best way to market or advertise something is through the media. Media can be used for entertainment, advertising and marketing, educational use, and much more. Mass media is the easiest and quickest way to get information out to a large group of people all at once. Even politicians use it to get their messages across or to help get nominated. The fourth estate has become an extremely vital and important role in the world we live in today. I believe the importance of media will only grow as the years go on.

What are some mass media effects and their impact on society?

Today the media plays a great role in society. We feel as if what we see in the media is what we should be doing and have the tendency to copy it whether it is right or wrong. It has been proven that television can effect children. They copy what they see and if watching a television show that is not appropriate for their age level they can end up doing something they shouldn’t. We also base our lives around the wants and needs of a celebrity. Today many companies use celebrities as an advertising technique because it has been shown that consumers are more likely to purchase an item when it is being marketed by a celebrity. We want to be like these people so much they we will buy products they are endorsing hoping that it will make us more like them. The news can also play a big role in society by airing news stories that they think are most relevant. Today celebrity gossip will make the headlines as a top story even though it should not be just because it will get the station the most ratings it could possibly get.

How has conglomeration changed the movie and television industry?

Today many television stations and movie companies are one in the same. Major companies such as Time Warner own many of the most popular television stations while producing some of the biggest movie hits. To make it big in the movie or television industry today you must work with both. By building a well known name it helps the popularity of a new television show or movie grow much quicker than a company that is not as well known. Many companies even go on to work with other types of mass media such as owning popular websites and book publishing companies. They have become a tycoon and set extreme levels for any new companies just breaking into the field.