![]() While convenient to blame the media for all our current social ills we must, in all honesty, place a larger portion of the blame on ourselves-the consumer! We are the ones who buy the tickets, the newspapers, the magazines, and support the advertisers. This doesn't require a great deal of talent, genius, or hard work to accomplish! The argument that mass media, or the arts, is merely a mirror reflection of society falls considerably short as an attempt to justify the scarcity of noble intentions by some of the people in this industry. In this environment where no one is held responsible for the consequences of images that may influence other people to do evil acts, it is not surprising that some segments of the mass media have decided to appeal to the darker side of human nature in order to make a profit. However, the unintended consequence of the scene may be that young children think smoking is cool, which by the way, does not qualify as an evil consequence, just a stupid one. On the other hand, a movie director who creates a scene in which the star is smoking a cigarette is probably not intending to promote smoking by children per se, rather the director may be trying to achieve a certain degree of realism. Unfettered by either law, or decency, these producers rely on the fact that trash sells. If profit is your only objective, and all other rules and consequences are ignored, then there is no barrier to the generation of evil consequence, whether intended or not! For example, the producers of pornography intend for their product to have evil consequences. They only lead to evil consequence when the rules of law and common decency are ignored. These characteristics-profit and influence-are the two fundamental objectives of the mass media industry. This leads to either greater recognition or profits. Thus, the primary motivation for a large percentage of these type of organizations is to find ways to tell a story in a compelling and accurate way, or to take the easier way out by debunking traditional values and institutions, reveling in the exposed clay feet of public figures, or seeking a controversial aspect in every story, or social issue, as a means to achieve an audience. On the contrary, the two driving forces of mass media are the rather pedestrian traits of competition and profit. These intellectual qualities are not found in great abundance in any particular segment of the mass media. A conspiracy requires logical, thoughtful thinking and a desire to work together to achieve a common goal. I would not argue that the mass media has conspired to achieve the prominent role they have in our daily lives. ![]() However from my point of view, while acknowledging the mass media has made many tremendous contributions to our culture, there is more than enough evidence to conclude overall that their influence has not been all that healthy! Whether or not the overall influence of the mass media has been good or bad is a question which will, eventually, be better answered by philosophers, theologians, and historians. In the last fifty years, the impact that the mass media has had on our culture has been overwhelming! Upon reflection, the influence of advertising, motion pictures, television, radio, newspapers, books, and magazines have, in my opinion, replaced families, schools, and religion as the primary influence in our lives. Perhaps these observations and suggestions will be further discussed, which may lead to some modification in our relationship with the mass media that could serve the department's and public's best interest. Historically, the admiration cycle between the two professions is short lived! The purpose of this article is to provide some observations on the impact the mass media is having on our culture and our profession. ![]() ![]() The relationship between law enforcement agencies and the print and electronic media fluctuates between mutual hostility and admiration.
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