Role of media in shaping public opinion

28th December, 2024 - 11:13 am Categories: Media & Entertainment Law 0 Comments

Abstract

Given the significant impact that different kinds of communication have on both individual and societal perspectives, the function of the media in influencing public opinion is an important topic of research in modern culture. This abstract examines the ways in which digital platforms like social media and conventional media like radio, television, and newspapers influence the development and evolution of public opinion. The media is a major information source because it presents stories that have the power to influence public opinion on important topics like social justice and politics. The media not only educates the audience but also shapes societal objectives and concerns through agenda-setting and framing effects. The emergence of social media, which has facilitated the rapid dissemination of knowledge and produced echo chambers that reinforce previous viewpoints, has further complicated this dynamic. This essay explores the advantages and disadvantages of the media’s influence on public opinion, highlighting the duty of media organizations to encourage audiences to engage in critical thinking and educated debate. In the end, cultivating an educated population that can tackle intricate societal issues requires an awareness of this interdependence.

Introduction

Mass Media is the main source of most people’s information. This refers to all types of communications through which news travels such as magazines, websites, radios, television, among others, collectively known as media. Today, compared to yesteryears, media is being more influential. The great thing is that the media keeps growing and is at the very heart of change in life with time.

The media has a very important role of teaching the masses on what is happening in the world. People spend most of their time interested in the things they read and see on media such as newspapers, televisions, and the internet. Therefore, anyone can find nearly anything they are usually looking for with just a click of a button on a smartphone or tablet. But, given the reach of the media these days, it has the capacity to influence public opinion on the major things like religion and education.

The task of the media is to inform the people about realities or facts and to expose the inner meanings of situations. The use of the media for changing mindsets into more understanding, liberal, and instructive ones is extremely difficult. “Media messages shape audiences’ attitudes and views, either independently or in collaboration with others. However, the degree of media influence in attitudes varies, and not all audiences react in the same way to media messages.”

Theories of Media

Magic bullet theory or the hypodermic needle theory:” It is one of the earliest theories to be discovered in media communication and its credit goes to Harold Lasswell. According to this hypothesis, the audience does not try to reason at all and instead accepts everything the media communicates, same to that of a bullet fired from a gun into the viewer’s head, no opinions are given. It plays a huge impact on the passive audience. Whereas an active audience interacts with the message, a passive audience simply accepts the message a media channel provides without reasoning and debates and is often termed as the “sitting duck.”[1] The origins of this theory date back to the early 20th century, when the American film industry’s expansion and the propaganda methods employed by the Nazi regime came to play a large role. In his 1927 book, ‘Propaganda technique in the World War’, Harold Lasswell looked at Nazi film-makers and films that managed to turn the majority of people’s opinion in favor of the Nazi regime. It was proposed the media organizations could possess an audience that was ready to be persuaded, in the same way a hypodermic needle injects medication into the body; simply by injecting messages into them. It is this theory where people are considered weak in their intellectual capabilities, and thus easily manipulated by media to the extent that their actions change immediately without analyzing the information anyway.

The advent of social media platforms is an added evaluation of the application of the principle. Social participation has become bilateral owing to the advancement of the internet and the use of social media sites. This means that, people, brands, leaders, politicians and influencers can reach out to each other. There seems to be a correlation between the hypodermic needle theory and some of the social changes that a relationship in the internet age brings about.

It “is difficult to avoid being influenced by the world around us in an era of social media influencers, fake news, and various communication channels. In the end, it is up to the person Modern society has made it challenging to insulate oneself from various social, political, and economic influences, be it fake news, social media influencers, or simply different means of communication. At the end of the day, it is up to the individual who receives the message to ascertain its authenticity and to take cognizance of the information that they digest regardless of its origin. So, every time we consume any kind of media, whether we like it or not, we pass a judgment on whether an assertion is true or not. We may think that the Bullet Theory is obsolete, but immature and easily ‘throwaway’ comments at the vast space of information could easily find an audience and be taken as the uncontested truth.

One such other example of this theory could be in the case of posthumous trial by media in the case of Sushant Singh Rajput, where before a final verdict could be given by the court the media kept putting its views on the public such as ‘it might not be a suicide’, ‘other celebrities or his own girlfriend must have been involved in his suicide’ and other such views of the media which was very easily accepted by the passive audience.

Agenda setting theory: According to the agenda-setting theory, the media has a significant influence on public discourse by deciding which topics are brought to light and, as a result, become the subject of discussion and attention. According to this hypothesis, the media shapes people’s thoughts rather than instructing them what to think, as is the case with smoking.[2] After persistent media efforts advocating anti-smoking messaging, smoking which was once thought of as a personal health issue—became acknowledged as a public health risk. As a result, when some subjects are widely covered by the media, they become more prominent and significant on the public agenda, whilst neglected ones are pushed to the side. This dynamic demonstrates how the media actively generates societal issues rather than just reflecting them, gradually affecting governmental policy and societal objectives.

Mechanisms for self-regulation are essential for preserving the caliber and legitimacy of the media, guaranteeing public accountability while defending media independence from governmental interference. An ombudsman to supervise redressal procedures, complaint commissioners to handle complaints, and ethics rules that enforce editorial standards are a few examples of these mechanisms. Media outlets may stop propaganda from spreading and undermining constructive dialogue by making a clear distinction between factual reporting and personal opinion.  In the digital age, ethical journalism is becoming more and more important since it encourages professionalism and adherence to fundamental values like truth, accuracy, and independence. A healthy democracy requires independent journalists, improved public access to information, and informed public opinion, all of which are fostered by effective self-regulation. In the end, how well these self-regulatory procedures work in the media environment determines how well democratic processes work

Conclusion

Choosing to behave as informed citizens in the real world is a significant remedy in a society where many individuals do not care about having access to knowledge online. Everyone has a responsibility to verify or double-check everything they read or hear. Before forming any kind of opinion, one must perform a fact-checking exercise, much as the well-known criminal law rule that hearsay evidence is not evidence. Also, when considering the role of media, I believe when it comes to a country like India where the rural population is the largest in the world with an average literacy rate of 73% (2011 Census), it is very important for the people of India to educate about recent policies of the government in India which is being implemented rather than sensationalizing news which are not important. It is important for the media to cover the news which are important for the growth of the economy rather than sensationalizing the news.

Author: Aashna Uke, in case of any queries please contact/write back to us via email to chhavi@khuranaandkhurana.com or at Khurana & Khurana, Advocates and IP Attorney.

[1] Chinenye Nwabueze, ebere Okonkwo, “Rethinking the Bullet Theory in the Digital Age”, Arc Journal (IJMJMC), Vol.4 Issue 2 PP1-10.

[2] Maxwell M., & Sebastián V. “The agenda-Setting Theory.” Cuadernos de Información , no. 20 (2007):44-50. Redalyc, https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=97120369004