Censorship in the Mass Media

1044 Words5 Pages
Identify and explain two ways in which the mass media has changed. (8 marks) The mass media has changed as it is now much more converged. News is far more readily available as it can reach you within seconds via the internet rather than just on newspapers or television. One main example of convergence is the development of smartphones. These incorporate games, internet use and communication forms such as texting and phone calls. One way this has changed the mass media is that it has become more reliant on advertising than paper sales, potentially meaning it could be more biased towards companies which advertise with them. Another way the mass media has changed is that its interactivity has increased. Media is now much more determined by the audience, for example shows such as this morning have whole sections in the “hub” which is explaining the public’s views on topics, they control where the chat on the show will go. Interactivity has increased a lot with the evolution of sites such as twitter which can let the audience join in global chats through hashtags. This can often lead to the media seeing what is relevant in the lives of the public, and may even dictate what news stories make headlines etc. “Censorship is necessary.” Evaluate the claims for and against this argument. (24 Marks) The mass media is one of the crucial agents of socialisation in modern societies and is becoming an ever more present part of our lives. Many people argue that censorship within the media is necessary to protect vulnerable people or sensitive information. Other people say that we have a right as human’s to have freedom of speech and many people argue that censorship deprives us of this right. Media censorship may be seen as positive as it can protect young eyes from seeing pornography online, violence in games or on the television and the varying ways that drugs

More about Censorship in the Mass Media

Open Document