Friday, April 27, 2007
religion, media and societies
Let me start by defining a very important term in our lives. Socialization is the process by which individuals learn the norms, values and traditions of their cultures or societies. This process is enforced by parents, schools, religion, peer groups and the media of course. The media plays a very effective role in influencing our perceptions towards fundamental issues in our lives. Most of us believe that the media cannot make us believe in things that are against our norms and values in societies and that the audience is not naïve and people are rational etc. however, we cant deny that the media at least influences the topics that we think about. I personally believe that media plays a significant role in creating images and stereotypes or labels at certain groups or religions. They always present the different groups in our societies negatively and they are always in black spots and they are always the reason for our misery. For example, al jazeera or any other Arabic channel will always be biased and will always present the westerns other side of the world negatively. The same is true with the CNN, BBC and other western channels, they will also be biased and will always present Muslims as terrorists that threaten their lives. Therefore, they create fear within their people towards other different groups. As a result, it becomes impossible for them to even try to communicate or interact with those different groups. They don’t try to understand their perception or listen to their explanations on the way they act or think. It becomes very hard for those different groups to change those judgments or labels that the media had gave them or created. Which in most of the times are exaggerated. For example, me as a person I would refuse to listen to an Israeli citizen defending his country, and I am sure he would also not listen to me if I was argueing that hizb alah are not terrorists and they are just protecting their country.
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5 comments:
Hello,
This is a good post but I thought that by "specialized" channels the professor was referring to religious ones not channels like CNN, Al Jazeera, etc.
A good post though, nonetheless.
I believe that the term specialized channels is very broad and we can put so many categories under this topic. I examined the religious aspect, as a part of those specialized channels and for it seems to me, news channels are another category falling under that broader one.
When it comes to the news channels, you can say that they are biased but at the same time we need to consider the audience very carefully. We do not see on BBC or CNN some one going in favor of the Arabs or Muslims and if one got the courage to say so, he will be criticized and attacked for his honesty and point of view. An example of that when whom I think he was the British minister came on TV and criticized the Jews, their strategies and the media channels which represented them as heroes and victims, he ended up loosing his Job and I think the same will happen if it was an Arab minister talking fondly about the Jews. We as human beings are born with the instinct to belong to a certain group, and our duty is to protect and serve that group regardless of our own beliefs and standards. Due to that fact we see that Al-Jazera for example presenting the Arab and Muslim perspective and point of view while BBC or CNN presenting the Westerners and their point of view.
I agree that news channels are biased in the way they function and deliver a certain message. As I said in my post that for it seems me it might seem logical to be biased towards a certain group due that fact these channels operate on the basis of their audience desires and needs and the place they are based in. Also there news depends on what is more important at the present time. As you said before, you would refuse too listen to an Israeli civilian talking about his country and that is the case for most people. That’s why any news channel’s approach is considered to be biased. To be honest, this is the first time I would agree with media in the way they approach as it based on our desires as viewers which are biased and that is what we were taught since we were young kids.
Woo00ooW!!Good post..
I mostly agree with you, people became so closed minded and they don't want to listen to different points of view, even though they pretend to be open minded. However, I think that each and every one can open his/her horizon and try to understand and respect others points of view.
With all my respect, I think that you went out of track by talking about Aljazeera and BBC because this blog is about religious T.V channels. Nevertheless, you have pointed out a sensitive linkage between religion and politics. You will not listen to an Israeli not only because he took your country away, but also because he from a different religion. He is "Jewish". People will always mix between religion and politics and this is not acceptable. If people behave in the way their religion asked them to behave, the world will never ever have wars or ethical problems.
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