Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Popular Media and Sociology

Popular media is a form of informative reporting which has and continues to be a source for many people to find news on current events and issues facing society. However, how much of what is reported can be considered up to sociological standards, and what is really observed when looking at problems posed by popular media? Much of what makes a popular media report is how it is displayed for public consumption. Attention grabbing titles and the prospect of true research reports draw in people and often begin to set the tone for how the information will be presented. Often, what I have personally noticed is that the resources shown sprinkled into the presentation are there to add the perception of validity to what tends to be a one-sided way of looking at the issue.

Though some articles show information to inform based on one singular point of view,  that does not mean that there are no articles affected by this phenomenon. Several articles find sociological statistics on the highlighted issue, while others can be based on emotional response. A good example of the difference is in the media sources of the foster care system. The youtube video entitled "ReMoved" shows first-hand recreations of the broken foster care system, yet it is shown in a very emotionally led and non-sociological way. The video offers no statistical analysis or figures, yet it gets the point across that the system needs major updating. However, in the article "The Child Welfare System: Kids Falling Through the Cracks" written by Jessica McLaughlin and presented by Lawstreet News, Several facts and figures are presented including population statistics on different categories of foster care. It also brings up several current pieces of legislation to show the climate of the issue.

Though it is welcoming to see that several popular media sources do have a base in social science, as well as publishing less biased work in some cases, there are still concerns about popular media. With sociology making a comeback and starting to be more prevalent in media, popular media needs to be able to use more sociologists in their work. The publication of more social science can lead to a further reduction in bias and an increase of validity in future publications to come.   

   

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