The Power of Media

The textbook definition of media would tell you it’s different ways we get information through technology and more”. But the question we should be asking ourselves is: who is the media. The answer is, we are all the media. Every single one of us. Social media users, the paparazzi, news outlets and even gawkers who think that avoiding technology keeps them immune to it. This power of media is higher than any political leader you can name; dead or alive.

Think about any celebrity that’s been “cancelled” for an instance. You’ll see the hell they’ve been given. The backlash is immediate and reputation destroyed in a minute. Yes, there are people who have been rightfully held for their actions. But what about the times we weren’t right? What about the people we just labelled and judged, based purely on what we were told, but not what we knew. We never ask for proof.

Take Katherine Heigl for an example For years, she has been labelled as “difficult” to work with, and “rude” on sets. She’s been blacklisted and well cancelled ages ago. She’s been degraded and lost an amazing career. But we never once questioned it We just went along with what news outlets were saying. We could’ve easily cancelled someone who was innocent and talented only because the media told us to. What we should’ve done is searched it on our own. The question of so many people’s innocence still stands, and we will never know the true answer. Because media has downgraded the quality of our thinking, and stopped our independent mindsets.

Now look at the contrast. Look at the same actors’ example. Take a few male actors like Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and others. These are people who have been proved to have been violent on sets and immensely rude to everyone. But why are they not cancelled? Why did we ignore news like this and give them Academy Awards? The power of media is the answer. The media didn’t show us this and we just ignored it. Media is a dangerous weapon that can ruin and take lives right under our noses. Stop for a moment; scroll through that vague article or conveniently positive post and see it for what it is. Bait. Bait in the form of something beautiful and tailored to our mindset. Realize that media has stopped our thoughts from flowing and bring them back.

And realize that; we all contribute to what is seen, what is believed and ultimately what is accepted as the truth.