Abstract
This paper examines the influence the mass media exerts on the individual's perception of the world. This is done from the standpoint of social constructionism, a theory heavily influenced by Postmodernist thought. It posits that language is our basis for interpreting the world and because language is the product of a social process, the 'reality' we perceive is nothing more than a collective construct.

From the Paper
"Consequently whoever controls the transmission of language and the ideas and information it conveys shapes reality. Today much of this transmission is done by the mass media. The crucial question then is how much of what it tells us is at the behest of corporate interests or the political elite, not at the behest of the public good?"

Tags:mass, media, social, reality

Abstract
In this article the writer examines the influence the mass media exerts on the individual's perception of the world. This is done from the standpoint of social constructionism, a theory heavily influenced by Postmodernist thought. The paper posits that language is our basis for interpreting the world and because language is the product of a social process, the 'reality' we perceive is nothing more than a collective construct. Consequently, the writer maintains that whoever controls the transmission of language and the ideas and information it conveys shapes reality. Today much of this transmission is done by the mass media. The writer concludes that today the role of the mass media and the educational system in socialization is growing as the traditional family structure so instrumental in this process for thousands of years wanes.

From the Paper
"Whenever we read, listen or watch one of the mass media, in other words, we become part of somebody else's agenda, a means to some outside entity's ends. So, at a profound level, we should be continuingly asking ourselves: do we do so willingly or unwittingly? Yet it is a question many rarely pose and fewer answer. Are we too busy, too complascent, or too indifferent to? Or are we simply too trusting? The aura of autheticity surrounding what we read, hear and see in the mass media may very well be lulling us into an uncritical acceptance of the messages imparted."

Tags:social, constructionism, transmission, processes

Abstract
This paper provides a critical look at mass media throughout history. It begins with the first significant use of the printing press and the impact it had on information dissemination to the common public. It also focuses on the influences of contemporary mass media, through television and Internet, on the masses. The paper is wary of the overweening influence the mass media exercises in contemporary society. The paper postures that media is driven solely by prospective commercial gain and it is entirely possible that content providers do everything in their power to guarantee passive and therefore loyal audiences. The paper concludes that one should constantly be aware of mass media's possible ulterior motives.

From the Paper
"Mass media's portrayal in Orwell's disutopian masterpiece 1984 is still the most sinister I have ever read. The idea that a television set constantly monitored by the state is watching you watch it, registering your every response to a steady stream of propaganda, is chilling indeed. Almost as chilling in fact as my deepest fears about how the mass media may evolve in my lifetime."

Tags:television, internet, commercial

Abstract
This paper provides responses to two essay questions. The first essay concerns Walter Benjamin's concept of "mechanical reproduction" and then critically examines the role of video and mass media in contemporary culture. The second essay is a response to George Orwell's "1984" and provides contemporary parallels between Orwell's fiction and modern-day social anxieties in-relation to media influences.

Abstract
This paper is an examination of the effect that the North American mass media has upon eating disorders afflicting men, women and children. Among other things, this paper suggests that society has allowed itself to be repackaged to suit the needs of corporations, rather than compelling these corporations to serve the needs and interests of consumers. In the final analysis, the paper concludes by suggesting that the contemporary media has failed in its role to inform and instruct the average citizen, preferring instead to produce imagery that is harmful and destructive to a great many North Americans.

From the Paper
"The extent to which the media shapes how we see ourselves has been hotly debated for many years; as eating disorders in North American society become ever more pervasive among young people, the importance of this debate grows apace. With that in mind, this paper will argue that the contemporary media conflates beauty with thinness to such an extent that many young people feel compelled to make unhealthy lifestyle choices that invariably include poor and self-destructive eating habits. This paper will be divided into three broad sections. The first of these sections will examine the relationship between images presented in the mass media and eating disorders in women."

Tags:eating, disorder, media

Abstract
The gendered "eye" will be the subject of this essay. It will be argued that contemporary mass media, and in particular mass media advertising, privilege the male gaze, thereby defining "seeing" as a manifestation of contemporary gendered power structures.

Tags:gender, male, gaze

Abstract
This paper analyzes the origins of language and its relationship to human societies and media. The paper argues the thesis that language is not simply a vehicle for communication but also a means for the control of the world around us and its social orders. The paper then looks at contemporary mass media, popular culture and their employment for political purposes. The paper explains that the complex structures of signification of language texts in mass media is essential to understand and resist their deployment as vehicles of power and control. In conclusion, the paper shows that as political culture draws upon popular culture to achieve its mythologizing effects, it becomes imperative that media literacy be achieved in order that the mass media audience at least has the possibility of interrogating media messages and asserting their identities as citizens rather than consumers.

Outline:
Introduction
Language and the Earliest Human Societies
Language, Media and the Construction of Human Societies
Visual Mass Media and Multi-textual Communication
Conclusion

From the Paper
"This insight is critical to understand the structural convergence of media and language in human civilization. Language is more than simply a system whereby particular vocal utterances contain socially-agreed meanings. From this perspective, the origins of language and media of communication have been recognized as being key determining factors in the construction of human societies from earliest times. Whether in oral, literate or digital societies the manner by which language is used to communicate thoughts and ideas has played a major role in the design and workings of those societies. While most people use the term language in reference to the various spoken languages developed in societies around the world, in reality language is much more complex. It is a system of signs - communicated usually through vocal speech - which are commonly agreed to have an "objective" reference (Berger and Luckmann 36)."

Tags:culture, communication, celebrity, society, reality, semiotics

Abstract
This paper examines the question of whose interests are being advanced by modern media. According to the paper, it addresses this question by arguing that there are two dominant media in our contemporary 21st world: the main stream media or mass media, and the alternative media which has grown virally through the Internet. Building upon this assumption, the thesis further argues that while the mass media support the interests of corporations in accelerating consumption as the primary social value, the alternative media is more progressive in allowing alternate voices to interact and organize.

From the Paper
"The question - Whose interests are being advanced by modern media? - is a complex one, given that a prime variable in the question is the definition of "media". In this context, this essay will address this question by arguing that there are two dominant media in our contemporary 21st world: the main stream media or mass media, and the alternative media which has grown virally through the Internet. Building upon this assumption, the thesis will be argued that while the mass media support the interests of..."

Tags:social, science, media

Abstract
This paper discusses cultural history as reflected in Ewen's book. It explores its major ideas. It expands on society's obsession with image and style. The author also mentions the power of the mass media.

From the Paper
"In contemporary society the obsession with image and style overrides function and substance. Stuart Ewen in "All Consuming Images: the Politics of Style in Contemporary Culture" examines the preoccupation with image and style and its implications. The book which ..."

Tags:Media, Images, Ewen, Book, Style, Society, Cultural, History

Abstract
D. Croteau and H. Hoynes's 1997 "Media/Society: Industries, Images, and Audiences" reminds us of a number of truths by examining the institutional structures of mass media organizations, including the role that we as an audience serve. The paper shows that the book's goal is not to blame the mass media for every ill in society, nor to hold them up as bright shining beacons. Instead the goal of the book is to demystify the media, to remind us that television, no less or more than Congress or churches or rap music, is part of a cultural whole that is constantly changing. The paper shows that the authors continually argue for the importance of studying the mass media on the grounds that these are indeed fundamentally important institutions to our society and that no holistic or thorough understanding of contemporary American society is possible without an understanding of the structures and roles of the mass media.

From the Paper
"And yet most Americans are also probably oblivious at some level to the ways in which their sources of entertainment are funded, possibly because we find all those ads annoying, possibly because we would all just rather not think about how much influence is being bought along with airtime or advertising space (Robinson and Kohut, 1988, p. 174). The relationship between people who produce the content of a mass medium - writers, reporters, graphic artists, website designers - and those who pay for it in terms of their advertising dollars is an uneasy one and reputable mass media fight constantly for editorial independence (Croteau and Hoynes, 1997, p. 61)."

Tags:advertising, MTV, radio, station