Back to School: Week 1

The first week of school has started & I'm kicking off my blog with an edition called "Back to School"! I'll be doing some of my assignments under this weekly or be posting about anything school related. 

My first class is Media & Society. Right now we're learning about the affects mass media has on society and the way we think and react to it. I've been reading a lot about a theory called "Agenda Setting," which basically implies that the media shows or tells us what to think about instead of telling us what to think. A good recent example of this is how the media basically force-fed us all of the information about the Casey Anthony trial. 

Don't get me wrong, I am guilty of falling for all of the media hype on the trial. I found myself glued to the t.v. during the final days when the verdict was waiting to be read. But what if I didn't have the luxury of the news stations reporting live 24/7? I honestly would have not been following the case as closely as I did, if at all. The news wasn't telling me to watch it constantly, but it was on constantly. The station I watched had guests who were of the best in their professions from teachers to psychologists. And they sucked me right in!

I never really think of how the media is playing a huge role in my life, but when you stop to think about it you'll be surprised at how big a part it plays in our lives.

References:
http://theory.isthereason.com/?p=39
http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Mass%20Media/Agenda-Setting_Theory.doc/
http://nancygrace.blogs.cnn.com/category/casey-anthony/