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ROLE OF THE MEDIA
SOCIAL SCIENCE, JOURNALISM, COMMUNICATIONS, HUMANITIES
OVERVIEW
The media has played a central role in shaping the social values of the last half of the 20th century. This one-block/period activity helps students begin to understand the media's role in social history and how the media shapes our social values. Students will view five slides of media images from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s and record their immediate emotional responses to each slide. This leads to a discussion about the impact of the media on our perceptions of family, violence, women, race and money. Finally, students discuss the larger issue of how the media shapes social values.
DETAILS
1. Tell students that they will be viewing five slides of media images from the 1950s to the 1990s. Explain to students that the word media refers to the outlets through which information reaches the public, through television, films, magazines, the Internet and newspapers.
2. Project each slide and have students respond in writing to the corresponding questions for each slide. Tell them to record their initial reactions without talking to other class members. Have students follow this procedure for each of the five slides.
3. When students have finished responding in writing, ask them to write a one-paragraph response to the impact of the media on our perceptions. Tell them to use examples to support their opinions and to be prepared to defend their positions at the end of the class period.
4. When students have completed their written responses, show each slide again and discuss students' reactions, with the focus of this discussion on encouraging students to think of ways in which the media creates social values through the use of strong images that create immediate emotional responses in viewers.
SLIDE QUESTIONS
1. 1950s slide of family (could be a picture from a popular TV program such as "Leave it to Beaver" or from a popular magazine such as Life).
- What do you see in this slide?
- How does this family compare to most of the families you know?
- What impression of family life does this photograph create?
2. 1960s slide of violence (photo of fatalities in a war, perhaps in Vietnam).
- What do you see in this slide?
- What do you feel for the people in this image?
- How do you think the American public would respond to this image if they were told the people were killed by American soldiers?
3. 1970s slide of a women (maybe a women holding up an ERA sign in protest).
- Describe this woman.
- Does this image look out of the ordinary? Why?
- How does this image make you feel? Why?
4. 1980s slide of African-American (perhaps of Bill Cosby in the "Cosby Show" depicting an African-American middle-class family).
- What do you see in this slide?
- How does this family compare with your image of the typical African-American family?
- If you saw this same photo of a Caucasian family, would you have a different impression?
5. 1990s slide of money (perhaps a new gated community or a luxury car).
- What do you see in this slide?
- How does this image make you feel?
- Do you think most people would have the same reaction you have? Who would feel differently? Why?
ONE-PARAGRAPH RESPONSE QUESTION
Write a one-paragraph essay in which you take an initial stand on the question: To what degree does the media shape our values?
DISCUSSION
After you have finished discussing the slides, ask the following questions that relate to their one-paragraph essay.
- Are our emotions and perspectives created and manipulated by the media?
- Or does the media merely reflect what is already happening in society?
- Could the media hurt a person or a cause? Help a person or a cause? How?
- Name a few examples of media images you think shape social values today.
- How do they accomplish this?
WRAP-UP
Finish with having different students reflect once more on the question:
To what degree does the media shape our social values?
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