American_Culture_Assignment_9

Part 1 As the director of a local television station, I have a very difficult decision to make about today’s lead story. The city council has just voted to close city parks three days out of the week to save money. This is a very big issue that the community should hear about first, because it directly affects the people in the community. The response to this story should be mixed with some siding to save money for the city and others wanting to be able to use the parks all week. I personally am curious on the outcome from the community and leaders on this topic. My dilemma started when a, well known, celebrity’s death broke the news wave. This is a very big story that will probably hit every news outlet within the hour if it already hasn’t and would do wonders for our station’s ratings. However this story doesn’t have a direct effect on the community and most of our viewers would already have heard of the news by time our show airs. With news hitting internet sites, social media sites, even the radio within minutes of the situation happening, it is almost impossible for our stations to be first with the news. On the other side of this if we don’t deliver the story about the celebrity’s death as our lead story then it will look bad on us as a station. Viewers who look to us for more detailed information, our just respect us for delivering the latest breaking news, will be disappointed that we didn’t deliver. Not to mention the big guys upstairs would probably chew me out for not competing with other networks and news media. The bigger, more exciting, and entertaining the stories are the better the ratings are. The happier the guys upstairs are. Let’s face it that’s what the majority of the news stations are about, ratings. I feel our station has a very respectable reputation do to the fact that we give our viewers quality, well researched, informative news and have done this from the start. Our viewers turn to us for news happening in the community, things that affects them personally and would probably stop viewing if we did not deliver this news type. However the increasing amount of news media and the many different ways that the news can be received has took a little bit of our quality news away. This is because we have to constantly compete with stations and news media that want to get the stories out first. Not only that the way the news is being presented has drastically changed. News use to be about news. Now if you don’t have an interesting balance of entertainment and news then you’ll probably find that you are behind in the race of news media. After writing my thoughts down and weighing out the pros and cons, I think I am ready to make my decision. I have decided to use the celebrity’s death as today’s lead story. I will then follow it up with the breaking news from city council. This was not my original decision, but after further thought, I think this will be what’s best for the station and in the long run our viewers. It will show that we can keep up with the latest national breaking news and also be loyal to our dedicated viewers who like to know what’s going on around them. Part 2 Television, movies and video games have a direct effect on culture. Television and movies often depict events that happen in society or events that have happened in society. We turn to the television for entertainment, information, and instruction. In turn television/movie turns to us for entertainment, information, and instruction. Some examples of television/movies influencing the viewer are, a little girl watching her favorite television star and sees that the star has own this cool jean jacket. The following weekend the little girl convinces her parents to buy this jean jacket so that she can be like the girl on television. Another example of this is a guy watching a movie with a strong male leading role and after the movie he then starts to mimic the character attitude in his everyday life. Examples of viewers influencing television/movies are war movies that depict the harsh realities of war and the hardship it brings to society and families. Another example of this is a television show that parallels the life of a Housewife or the daily frustrations of a police detective. Culture and society are the foundation for television and movies, as well as television/movies are the foundation and learning center for culture. I like to look as the two as a tennis match, both bouncing ideas and information off of each other. There are many positive effects that Television and movies have with culture and vice versa but with this also comes a not so positive side. Television and Movies has become a long avenue for criticism. Television and movies have presented increasing amounts of offensive material, due to people having different views on topics and different beliefs. Even though I this is not the best part of the relationship between culture and media, I fell it is necessary. There should be television shows and movies that cater to all different people and beliefs. It would be unfair for a priest/preacher not able to turn on his television because there was nothing showing that catered to his holy belief. This also eliminates a percentage of viewers who are not viewing simply because they have nothing to watch. This is not lucrative to the Movie/Television industry. On the flipside of this we as viewers have the freedom to express our opinion on offensive material and also the choice to stay clear of offensive material. Video games like television/movies have influenced culture and vice versa. I was fortunate enough to have written an essay on why video games were so popular. What I learned could also in some way be applied to television and movies. I learned that video games are so popular because it gives the player a chance to take on a role of their ideal self or play the role of something they normally wouldn’t be able to do. I believe we watch television and movies mainly for the same reasons. Some would say it is an escape from reality. I think it is an adventure into reality. With Television, Movies, and videogames everything that’s positive, informative, and accepted in culture and society is at your demand so is everything impossible, offensive, and morally wrong. This is the place where we can be anyone or anything we want to be. Video games have also had their positive and negative effects on culture. Some of the positives include learning and interactive games that encourage you to get off of the couch and physically get in the game. These video games along with games that encourage teamwork or competition from one player to another have proven that video games have their benefits. However, just like television/movies have presented a good deal of offensive material. Like I said about television/movies you have the freedom to voice your opinion on the offensive material or keep you and loved ones clear from it. I just hope that systems such as the Nintendo Wii and games like spades online, which influence interaction or communication and teamwork, outweigh the highly criticized but influential games like Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, which promote violence, sex and drug use.