Criticism Of The Media In Gone Girl And 'The Braindead Megaphone'

In the 1960’s, Malcom X proclaimed that “the media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses” (Krishna). Since then, the media has only become more powerful with the rise of talk radio, cable television, and most importantly the Internet. Moreover, the outcome of elections are influenced by the media because the media has the power to change the ideology of people by using partisan beliefs (Thornton). The debate over whether or not reporters should be able to incorporate their personal views with their work has gained more power and attention. There is no reason for a reporter to insert his/her personal beliefs in his/her work. People in other professions such as doctors, judges, police officers and teachers are expected to keep their personal opinions aside from their work and the same should be expected of journalists and news reporters (Sullivan). Partisan beliefs damage the credibility of a story and it is important that the American people are able be receive cold hard facts. Bias in the media prevents the news from being objective and it blurs the line between journalism and activism (Carr). It is evident that bias exists in the media because major news stations are

This craze in character-based coverage, in addition to a concern for objective journalism, has taken a significant toll on the media industry. The press is often regarded as a “fourth estate,” intertwining with the three legislative branches to serve as a “watchdog” of political actions; former CBS anchor Dan Rather even deemed the press “the red, beating heart of democracy and freedom” (Kiener 413). Despite the no-doubt fundamental role the media play in the American political machine, they pose a growing threat to the democratic system due to an

In the 21st century publication has advanced through the news source’s ability to now express personal opinions while supporting a direct political agenda. Now more than ever, media manipulation has been examined by viewers throughout the nation. However the forms of bias are much more than simply liberal or conservative beliefs, it is all about the profit and viewer ratings. Without realization many Americans watch the news, unaware that news anchors are now pushing one's beliefs in order to receive the praise and respect from others who believe in the same statement. The three major news sources are considered to be extreme left, left, and right; as a result, many of these stations include CNN, ABC, and Fox News. By discreetly exposing political

Newspapers, news channels, magazines, and news websites are all sources of subjective content. Some sources are more liberal, while others are more conservative. Some sources only report topics and tidbits of information which would appeal to the audience to the extent of their pocketbooks, so the whole truth is often excluded. A majority of today's media could be synonymous with the themes of In Cold Blood and The Armies of the Night. It is a common feat nowadays to present each journalistic account through the lens of an opinionated perspective, and to do away with the “straight facts,” which I believe are crucial to the role of a

In today’s world, technology consumes the daily life of many citizens. With the availability of the media at our very fingertips, we have become loyal to the media. Many people rely on the media for the news and important information going on in the world, when at one point you could only find this in the daily newspaper that was dropped off at your door every morning. There is an issue with relying on the media for important information, and that is because they manipulate us. They make us believe what they want and it’s become almost a form of entertainment, similar to TMZ. Let’s start off by looking at CNN, which is popular for world news and politics. You would think that if they were covering these important topics, then they would be reliable, but that is not the

The main purpose of media is to provide entertainment; however media in its many forms can also be used to persuade, inform and advice. Hence media can be very powerful, affecting and influencing its viewers. Gone Girl directed by David Flecher is a story that revolves around a feminist sociopath married to a misogynist, whose lives depict a constant battle for power resulting in the most twisted marriage conceivable. It is a movie that forces it 's audience to pick apart the gender dynamics. The common question running though the viewers minds is 'is this feminism at its extreme or a sexist portrayal of a crazy woman?. The story is a mixture of both,communicated in a thrilling and nerve wrecking manner, for Amy, the wife, sets up her

What distinguishes man from animal is the fact that we’re aware of ourselves and others, that we can consciously control how we think and what we think out. We’re constantly exposed to media, whether we choose to be or not. The media frames issues and sets the agenda of what topics get discussed, creating a narrow scope of what “informed” means today. Technology has grown to dominate our lives, and has allowed media to have extreme amounts of influence on the opinions that the average person holds. The internet’s power and influence is often underestimated in its influence on the populus. The simple availability of different news outlets with different biases doesn’t necessarily mean people will care enough or have the time to take advantage

Trying find a conclusion or solution to the sensational frenzy in media seems an unfathomable and unachievable task. It is evident that the media, journalism and television are beyond the control of the masses and run solely on the goings on of leaders’ private lives and celebrity gossip. The O.J Simpson trial, the death of Lady Diana and the exaggerated cartooned depiction of Michael Jackson over the years as well as the impeachment of a president of disorderly conduct in private matters are all examples of news content which was spread thick over the media by editors without realizing that none of these topics are actual analytical news content worthy of such consistent

With the rise of media within the past few decades, media gained the power to shape society. Everyday, millions and millions of people engage in some sort of media; they spend their time texting, calling, or just browsing the internet looking up information, but mostly they utilize it for entertainment. Media plays an important role in how everyone lives their daily lives, as they share information that their audiences might relate to. A wide variety of audiences are consciously and subconsciously influenced by whatever the media claims. As media only shows what they believe their audience wants to hear and see, many become naive. Alongside the power that comes with media, many people eventually turn to slaves to media. They blindly follow and believe what the media says; it unknowingly forces them to remain ignorant. Consequently, the media can be a distressing influence to individuals.

Is television news still a good way to obtain solid information? When it comes to television news, most people would agree that they believe they are receiving good, reliable information. However, the media that the public sees and hears today is a lot different from what was reported about eighty years ago, a time when Edward Murrow was covering World War II through the radio and sharing unbiased news around the country. His honest reporting allowed him to gain the trust of the audience and helped shape a path on how news should be reported. Nearly eighty years after Edward Murrow’s unbiased reports, an analysis using “The Elements of Journalism” was applied on K-ABC 11 o 'clock late night news. After three nights of thoroughly studying K-ABC news, the data that was collected is far from what people may actually realize. Even though viewers may feel that by watching a well-known network, like K-ABC, for their daily news is legitimate and truthful, the elements that Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel share in “The Elements of Journalism” are almost completely absent. There is a filter amongst each television network that is shielding the public from need to know news; during the three nights there was about five minutes of news coverage that is considered need to know information. The remainder twenty-five to thirty minutes of the program was then divided into other subcategories: an average of five minutes on sport news, an average of eleven and a half minutes dedicated to

We people of present society consider not where news come from, how it ended up on our door step or, more commonly today, our newsfeed. Without question we glance of the 5Ws, who, what where , when, why, and attribute a theme or overall message to the story—ex. drugs are bad. Very rarely do we consumers think of the practice of producing news for the masses. We are unaware of how interviews were conducted. Unaware of the tones, the implied and the innuendos behind questions asked. Essentially, we the consumer are left with a compiled report from a very inquisitive human being—in most cases a conglomerate of people—and expected to trust it without knowing the background information of the reporters actions.

In modern society, mass media is an unavoidable influence on our daily lives. Humans are reliant on mass communication and information for everything: work, education, entertainment, and much more. In her novel Gone Girl, author Gillian Flynn uses the thrilling story of Amy Dunne and her husband, Nick Dunne, who is accused of her murder to illustrate how much power mass media has over the general public’s judgement and opinions, despite their increasingly common dishonesty. In Gone Girl, the media runs with stories that have little substance for the sole purpose of grabbing public attention, they use their power to alter public perception multiple times and push their own agenda, and they create public personalities for people that do not match who they truly are.

Dramatizing the facts of a breaking news story has become a repetitive action seen in today’s media attention after a 2003 Florida appeals court granted Fox 25 News the right to distort information broadcasted to the public. Almost to conclude that major news stations hire professional actors to recite the news verse report it. The reality of this problem is that media sells and viewers fall victim daily to endless lies to exaggerate a current event and its happenings. A fact checking website similar to Politifact collected evidence that infamous Fox 25 News statistically reported 18% of the truth in their stories, with only 8% included to be completely true facts. CNN a top competitor has been proven to use truthful information averaging at 60% (Clifton, Allen. "Fact-Checking Site Finds Fox News Only Tells the Truth 18 Percent of the Time). But which portions of the truth are reporters legally allowed to comment on? If news channels are given the right to falsify the truth and report lies to viewers, is there an underlying truth that viewers are not being told? Because news media stations are granted the permission to skew facts, news deception has become a leading factor in the media business, which in return generates higher ratings that lead to confusion and corruption of the current happenings in the real world.

To illustrate, Politics have been a leading cause in the ongoing roots of media manipulation. The media is derailed on the opportunity to win politics over due to the goal of covering the competition that exists amongst other stations, thus maximizing revenues. Powerful media executives use misconduct to make sure they are able to, “stay on the good side of politicians in exchange for access” (O’Leary par 4). The focus of politicians is the power they draw upon. Oftentimes being viewed as misleading propaganda just to win the popular vote. A politician who is willing to lie about their duties should be questioned as if they are really someone who is willing to serve towards

The public has trust on the newscast television as the key source of indication and the foundation on which they progress their thoughts. Conflicts have changed gradually influential in the area of the mass media as they tolerate violent for the attention of the readers, audiences, and TV-viewers. The newscast media are important networks for the broadcast of art, music, and literature, thoughts, and opinions. Most result formation takes place when individuals sit and watch news and argues on television. “Media scientists have often discussed how much influence the media have on people's opinions. People tend to selectively read what they already agree with and to rationalize their preformed opinions in the face of contrary arguments.” (Fog.1999) New suggestion performs to designate that the mass media have little control to transform people's feelings on matters for which they previously have made a solid assessment.