Response to Framing Questions | Week 2 (Ch. 5-8)

I’m going to try and tackle my own questions from chapters 5-8. First things first, I’ve learned that from here on out I need to stop asking such specific framing questions. I should be a little broader. I really haven’t a clue as to how I should answer my first two questions, so I’ll do my best to address my third question. A lot of what we discussed in class and from the reading was interesting and relates to this topic of how and why we interpret messages from the media on such different levels.

First, propaganda in the media: wow, there are so many ways to approach this subject.  Someone in class today said that the media’s purpose is not to sway us on a certain subject or push us any one direction. Instead, their purpose is to simply inform. I don’t entirely agree.  I think the way in which these media sources choose to inform the pubic is purposefully designed to a) make their target audience feel validated for their beliefs or b) to convince those that are on the fence politically (e.g. moderates, I suppose) to vote or lean to the right or left. Roaarr (yeah, I just roared), I hate how divided this country is! Maybe its always been this way and I was just naive.

Second, and we didn’t get to touch on this subject for very long in class so I could be off here, but the subject of “priming” really fascinates me. So much of what we receive from the media could be priming tactics.  I look at this exactly like paint primer. You prime the wood or the wall before you paint so the paint doesn’t soak into the wood (allowing the paint to roll on easily) or so the paint covers the old pattern or color on the wall. This is very similar to how the media pushes out information to us. They stimulate emotion or strong opinions  (to get us primed) so the paint—known as political agendas—sticks. Without the primer, the paint won’t last. I feel inclined to roar again! Stop priming me!

Now, my question about how we as individuals filter the media to varying degrees:  I can more clearly understand how people with similar backgrounds can develop different filters based on experience. For example, A LOT of people with a background similar to mine (especially from my hometown) have different views on life, politics, morals, beliefs, ambitions, etc.  This is great. It’s what makes us different. Life would be terrible if we were all the same. But for a while I thought maybe I was just a freak or they were just backwards. It’s neither! We developed different filters. I can look back to certain life experiences and pinpoint events that added or subtracted filters, thus changing my perception and views of specific topics. The same concept can be applied to how and why people receive and internalize media with varying degrees.

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