The Heroes Of The Media

In his article “Heroes and Celebrities” Davidson (2014) says that the media has killed the heroes and replaced them with celebrities, but it’s not the only component the democracy is responsible too, also the psychologist and sociologist have confirmed that heroes from the past now. Heroes were people who achieved something in their lives, people who had principles or fought for something, while a celebrity only shows their useless life and surrounded by lots cameras and not doing anything. With technology developments people now can become a celebrity by social media and television shows.

Are there heroes in today’s society? No one thinks of themselves as a hero, but it does not take any special skills to be a hero because anyone can be a hero. The characteristics of a hero only show up when there is a time of need such as a major catastrophe or minor incidents that happen on a daily basis. During the twenty-first century there have been quite a few major catastrophes. The major catastrophes include the 9/11 attacks, two major hurricanes (Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy), and the Boston marathon bombing. There are also several different major and minor characteristics that a hero will show in times of need. For instance some major characteristics of a hero are perseverance/determination, bravery/courage, dedication/endurance, and selflessness/sacrifice. Some minor characteristics include humility, fearlessness, skill, strength, integrity, and intrepidity (Wanamaker, 2013). In the twenty-first century the 9/11 attacks is the first major catastrophe. During this major disaster there were quite a few individuals who helped to rescue people. There were heroes in each of the three crash sites that occurred on that very eventful day.

As society advances and the opinions of the general public change several press outlets work to stay up to date with the changing times. However, in an attempt to stay modernized journalists often times sacrifice their integrity to stay favorable in the public eye. These degrading actions, often times sacrifice the true news for more appealing news. Clare Boothe Luce, American journalist and politician, gives a controversial speech to the Women’s National Press Club condemning her female audience. Moreover, as a female addressing an audience of women she is able to give her true opinion and is able to honestly critique her colleagues. She persuades her audience by preparing them for the criticism by reiterating that she is the guest, by praising journalism, and by logically providing reasoning that the journalistic view must change for the good of the general public.

There are many heroes, but there are those who sit back and question what or who makes a hero in today’s society. It has never been a set standard for heroes. In this modern world, there are many types of heroes. In today’s media, there is a contrast between million dollar sports figures, glorified celebrities, and the normal people we call heroes. Some heroes receive no recognition and others receive hero status with ease. However, it has yet to be determined whether our meaning of heroes has changed due to this influence. We have known about the

“It’s not true that there are no heroes anymore…” (Oliver Stone SB 63) Heroes. Today when we hear heroes we think of superheroes with powers. but have we really thought what heroes really are? Heroes are your regular everyday people that work to the best of their abilities to make a difference in the world. A hero is not someone who thinks about themselves but someone who does things that they believe are right and are admired or idealized for their courage.

A hero's place in society has remained relatively consistent since the very beginning of time. Throughout the years, people have seen many different versions of larger-than-life heroes, who have completed seemingly impossible tasks and persevered through immense adversity. The common denominator between all of these heroes has always been that each and every one of these beings has put his/her own life in danger and fought great battles in the pursuit of a better life for mankind as a whole.

When you hear the word ‘hero,’ you probably envision someone wearing a uniform, serving the country and preparing for war. We place veterans and soldiers in the spotlight at the mention of it. The population never did this in the past. Americans saw veterans as regular people just like us. They were: tall and short, smart and dumb, and capable of bad and good decisions. However, now we treat them as if they were gods. We do this because we saw veterans as our protectors against the dangers our country faces. Yet, we still felt like this in the past, but we didn’t honor veterans like in today’s society; maybe it’s because less soldier were returning in body bags.

Journalism is an industry that provides a source of information and news for the public, while popular culture is a source of portrayal of the image of the journalist. Popular culture provides a glimpse and “shapes the people’s impressions of the news media”, whether it is portrayed in a positive or negative light. There is no denying that popular culture possesses a large effect on what the public perceives and thinks about journalists and the industry through how the characters, plotlines are presented. Sociologists have even argued that “popular culture’s depictions…of real world professions” have a major influence on the public’s realistic perception of that respective field. Thus, it is not a surprise that in the 1930s, journalist organizations deliberately advocated positive portrayals of the press in Hollywood. An example of a film that stands as a positive representation is The Front Page. Although the film presents reporters and editors “lying and hurting innocent people”, the audience is able to fall for their unique charm and charisma—they are brash, fast-paced, intelligent, composed, independent, passionate and investigative. They embody what America ultimately champions: self-reliance, drive for action and accomplishment. However, popular culture also perpetuates negative, unlovable notions that “journalists [are] hard drinking, foul-mouthed social misfits concerned with only twisting the truth”. In novels like John Andross written by Rebecca Harding

Heroes are prevalent in everyone’s life. Whether someone’s hero is a living person or a fabled character from a movie, everybody has come into contact with some sort of hero. In fact, the concept of heroes has existed for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to Ancient Greece. Over time, heroes have drastically changed. As society has evolved, our heroes have evolved with it. Their goals and motivations have changed to coincide with the views of modern society. Modern day heroes have less selfish motives, better qualities, and are portrayed differently than ancient heroes.

Franco, Blau, and Zimbardo (2011) offer a straightforward definition of heroism as to act in a prosocial manner without a personal gain. They continue by explaining that only a few can reach heroic status and must be equipped with the proper skills or luck. Whereas, Harvey, Erdos, and Turnbull (2009) defines heroism in their article’s introduction as a man or woman of distinguished bravery, a person who is reverenced and put on a pedestal, or any famous person. These researchers find differences in opinions as to the definition of heroism. Franco et al. (2011) argues heroes work without capital gains; whereas,

Critics may argue that there are no heroes in the world today because they do not fight in actual battles against an enemy to defend a certain area or group of people. However, there are many ordinary people that do extraordinary things every day. Current heroes save and help people in numerous ways with their “undaunted courage” (line 572), like that of Beowulf. Military personnel help defend their country in a way similar to that of a warrior. They put their lives in danger to protect the rights and safety of those from their country. Firefighters and police officers also risk their lives for the safety of others. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics respond to those in need of medical care and save many lives. Obviously these people are heroes according to today’s terms because of their selfless acts, but there are even smaller things that people can strive to do to be a hero to someone. Donating money, helping others, or even just being there for someone who’s going through a rough

Some of the best examples of heroes are generic people who happened to have chosen to become a police officer, of a doctor, or firefighter, or even a public activist. These ordinary citizens save lives just as much as the classic comic book characters we think of when we hear the word ‘hero.’ However, the reality is that anyone can be a hero by standing up for what they believe in; some of the most famous heroes in history were just average people advocating for their beliefs to create a better tomorrow. Some examples of such influential people include Martin Luther King, Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi, and Harriet Tubman. In fact, someone could be a hero to someone else just by doing a small favor, such as donating, doing community service, or just helping someone because they needed help. Even by doing the smallest actions, it is easy to become someone’s

Literature, movies, and society all play a role in shaping our definitions of heroism, whether it’s Superman flying to the rescue of an innocent civilian or the men and women who bravely risk their lives in our military. This can make figuring out exactly what makes a hero difficult because there are many different contexts one would need to analyze. For this reason, I believe what makes a hero depends on the lense that it's being judged through: its societal context.

America has lost its heroes. In the last fifty years america has gone from a country that looked up to its presidents, athletes, and religious leaders, to a more cynical country that now knows that notes that even heroes have a bad side. But heroes are human and everyone makes mistakes so why have we become so distrusting of our leaders? In Peter Gibbon’s “The End of Admiration: The Media and the Loss of Heroes”. He discusses how americans have lost their beliefs in heroes thru the way the media has discredited them and America . Although americans have lost trust in heroes we should overlook their mistakes and remember their achievements.

What is a hero? Or, better, what makes a hero? We all know about the Hollywood heroes. they rush into trouble to save those they love. They risk their lives for others and sometimes lose their own. Regular veterans risk everything, not just their lives, but also their families’ and their country’s freedom and lives’ everyday they have served.