Posts Tagged: U & G Theory

Since I was a bit late with the framing, I’ll go ahead and respond to class discussion and my classmates’ framing questions     (I promise, I won’t make this a habit)

We spoke today about evaluating theory and I couldn’t help but relate the context to that of evaluating a presidential term. We can only not just begin to legitimately discuss the Clinton administration and it’s 2010! What business do we have discussing such new phenomena as “Farmville”?

However, the theories did seem to point out some observable occurrences related to technology and media. These occurrences not so estranged to those related to radio and television. I found the connection between the “Political Economy of the Media” and the “U&G Theory” to be such a never-ending circle. Which came first: consumer influence or media influence?

Either way, it may have been okay for the chicken to cross the road for a multitude of reasons, but I surely wouldn’t suggest that it cross the “information superhighway” ha.

In all seriousness, media influence was all the rage in class discussion. This complex tug-of-war represents the largest dichotomy in modern media. The role of news outlets is much less based on the professional opinion of newsworthiness and much more about making money. Unfortunately, Snooki’s court date is a more lucrative story than flooding in the Eastern Hemisphere. These are decisions that are being made my major news outlets, not just gossip rags. With the advent of a widely accessible internet, the smaller percentage of people with a more discriminating set of interests can easily glide past the Snooki’s, Lohans, and Hiltons straight to their news of choice. All this while the majority of America watches Snooki with delight.

Is it the media’s fault for presenting the story, or the public’s fault for demanding it? Is it the job of news outlets to give us what we want, or make executive decisions based on (arguable) values and morals? It’s all a business, so the answer lies in the green. And I personally think the power slides between the hands of the public and media, reaching an optimal balance depending on the environment. But I still hold true… it’s too early to fully examine the Farmville Administration with the goal of gaining any real answers.