Why is the media called the fourth power in society?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

It is impossible to imagine the modern world without mass media. You need to live at least on a desert island in order not to have access to news from the outside world. The mass media have always existed, but they have reached the greatest development in our time, and continue to develop along with science and technology. Some people ask: "Explain why the media is called the fourth estate?" Everything is very simple. Because the power of their impact on human consciousness is truly enormous. The first three branches of government (legislative, judicial and executive) are endowed with certain powers. They have authority under the law. And the media rule over human minds, which is no less significant. The strength of their power is so great that it can program entire nations for certain thoughts.

What is the media

Media is the public dissemination of various data and information through various technical means. Not all sources of information are media. There are certain requirements. For example, althoughnewspapers, magazines and refer to the means of communication, but not all of them can be called media. To be considered as such, they must have a circulation of more than 1,000 copies. The same sources as wall newspapers, libraries, forums, Internet blogs, conferences and the like do not apply to the mass media.

Why is the media called the fourth power in society? Because, in addition to a tool for transmitting data, the media are also a way of manipulation, propaganda and agitation in the political and other spheres of life of the population.

History of media development

The birth of writing and typography was a turning point in the process of the formation of mankind, changing its perception of the world around. A person got the opportunity to receive information created by other people. After the first book was printed, printing houses began to be created throughout Europe, as well as on other continents. Of course, before the advent of the first printed books, there were papyrus scrolls, clay books, etc. However, it was with the advent of the printing press that human society entered a new stage of development.

After books came newspapers. This was due to the need of people to receive news about the economic and political life of society. With the development of science and technology, the means of mass communication also developed. After newspapers, magazines began to appear. After some time, radio and television entered the life of a person. And, finally, the Internet is something without which no modern inhabitant of a developed society can imagine himself without.countries. In today's time, a person has free access to all kinds of information that can be obtained from various sources. And newspapers, and magazines, and books, and television, and the Internet - all this is at the complete disposal of every inhabitant of any developing country. Why is the media called the fourth branch of government? Because they control people's minds no less than the legitimate branches of government.

Media functions in the modern world

Currently, the media have the following functions:

• observation of events taking place in the world;
• editing, which consists in the selection and coverage of ongoing events;
• shaping a public point of view;
• promotion of culture;
• political enlightenment of the broad masses of the population.

Why is the media called the fourth estate? Because bypassing the usual institutions of power, such as schools, churches, etc., the media address the public directly. They have the strongest socio-psychological influence on the formation of collective opinion. This feature of the media is widely used by various advertising agencies that promote a particular product, politicians and parties to support their programs, etc.

Another main function of the media is to bring important information to the public from the main branches of government. Let's take the legislature. An example of how the adoption and interpretation of new laws is brought to the attention of the general publicpopulation through television, print and online publications can be observed regularly. Also in other areas of life. Absolutely about all events in the modern world, people draw information from the media.

Media classification

Modern media are united according to various criteria. For example, there is such a classification:

• by style (serious publications, or the so-called "yellow press");
• by genre (advertising, political, etc.);
• by form of ownership (corporate, state);
• by the frequency of publications (every day, once a week or once a month);
• by distribution radius (regional or central).

There is also another classification of media, more generalized:

• printed;
• electronic.

One form of media is also various news agencies.

Newspaper

A newspaper is a printed publication that is regularly published under a permanent title. Publication frequency - at least once a month.

Conditions of life, readers' interests, requirements for the media in a given period of time dictate certain forms of information presentation to printed publications. If before the war in Soviet times the most common genre used in newspapers was the essay, now the situation has changed somewhat. Materials that carry educational and educational functions in the modern world "migrated" to various magazines and other publications. Modern newspapers perform severalother features. All sorts of notes, reports, reports, interviews came to the fore - everything is extremely concise, containing a large number of facts. The presentation of various information in modern newspapers should be distinguished by efficiency. The news, which is already a few days old, is considered hopelessly outdated. Such a concept as "sensation" has become an integral attribute of any self-respecting publication. Only sensations can increase the circulation of any newspaper, and, accordingly, bring profit to the publisher.

More than half of all materials in the newspaper are news. Today they have become the main genre in this printed edition. Political, economic, sports and other news - the main part of all newspapers is filled with them. Why is the media called the fourth estate? The explanation is very simple. The same newspapers, along with other sources of mass communication, dominate, figuratively speaking, over the minds of the broad masses of the population who read them and perceive the world through the prism of the information provided.

Magazine

A magazine is a periodical printed edition that has a permanent heading and contains publications on scientific, political, industrial and other issues. There are also online magazines. They can be an electronic version of a printed magazine, or they can be an independent publication on the Internet. The magazine, like the newspaper, is a lever of influence on the public consciousness. This explains why the media is called the fourth estate. They shape public opinion and influence people's lives.

Radio

Radio is the wireless transmission of data using electromagnetic waves in the radio range. For many people, radio is a source of information that accompanies them throughout the day and creates a certain emotional background. With the development of science and technology, radio is also changing. It is possible that the role of terrestrial radio will be minimized in the future, but today it remains the closest and most convenient means of mass communication for many consumers.

Television

Television became widespread in the second half of the 20th century. Along with radio broadcasting, it is one of the most massive means of disseminating information. The UN recognized the significant role of television in the life of society by establishing World Television Day. The advantage of television is that a person can receive information not only in the process of reading or by ear, but also see events with his own eyes. Why the media is called the fourth power, social science explains as follows: the media to a great extent influence all aspects of the life of human society, and television is no exception.

Internet

The Internet is one of the largest sources of information. Today, the Internet replaces almost all other resources for people. The World Wide Web contains in its vastness an incredible amount of a wide variety of data for any demand. And if earlier people spent hours in the library to collect someor materials, now you can find them without leaving your home.

On the Internet, you can read the following question: "Explain why the media is called the fourth power." The answer is obvious. The media at all times, and especially now, have the power to shape public opinion. The influence of the Internet, as one of the sources of mass media, is growing every day.

The role of the media in society

Why is the media called the fourth estate? The power of the media is based on the dissemination of information that has an impact on people's lives. It often happens that various journalistic investigations become the foundation for the legal actions of the investigating authorities. The role of the media in modern society is enormous. A person now has the opportunity to learn the latest news happening on another continent. We are accustomed to keeping our finger on the pulse of all world events, and we can no longer imagine life without it. How different events are presented to us depends on our opinion about them and about what is happening in general.

The influence of the media in political life

Media today are a very significant attribute in political life. This explains why the media is called the fourth estate. The media is central to the election campaign. Politicians are well aware of this, and are investing heavily in this event. The fate of a particular voter depends on how well the campaign is carried out.

At the same time, the media also plays such an important roleas a containment and recovery of power. Shedding light on some of the illegal actions of politicians, they bring to the attention of the public those facts that the latter would like to hide. The media can put an end to the careers of some in power if their crimes become public. Investigations by some journalists that have an evidence base may be the reason for opening a criminal case.

Media as a manipulator of human consciousness

In the modern world, such a thing as "information war" has appeared. In these "combat" actions, the main object of influence is information. With the help of mass media, it is possible to inspire people with certain thoughts and make them take concrete steps. Even Hitler actively used this technique, trying to cause the Aryans to hate the Jewish people. He paid a lot of attention to propaganda films that had hidden undertones. For example, a film in which a vile Jew rapes a beautiful Aryan woman caused indignation among the audience, automatically setting them against the entire Jewish people. The same thing is happening now. With the help of the media, those in power manipulate the consciousness of entire nations. Why is the media called the fourth power in society? Because their impact on human consciousness is hard to overestimate.

Information. How to manage it properly

In the modern world, a person is faced with a large flow of all kinds of information.

Unfortunately, it is not always true. So don'tit is worth blindly trusting what you read, especially in unverified sources. In some cases, the media, the fourth estate, can do you a disservice. Focusing on false data, you can form the wrong opinion about certain events, and the picture will be distorted. You need to look for data in different sources, compare them (fortunately, there are enough resources now) and only then try to form your own opinion. Always check the information and draw the right conclusions.