Is the media a tool for maintaining class and ideological domination Essay

Is the media a tool for maintaining class and ideological domination or a vital component of democracy that merely reflects the needs and views of society Discuss - Essay Example To summarize a brief history of media technology, media can be traced back to the 15th century and until Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of a mobile printing press, books were handwritten then and you could not find two similar copies of the same material. The printing press was responsible for easier mass production of mass media (Sagepub.com, 2006). Other than print media being cheaper, the invention of new means of transport made it possible for and easier for information to reach a wide audience. This invention of a printing press cannot be overlooked for it ushered in massive cultural movements in Europe and consequently all over the world. In this study, we look at the role played by media technology in the lives of the people in a societal set up, the impact it has on the societal class of the residents and its importance in the society as far as the democracy and ideological domination in the society is concerned. It should be noted that today’s society has assimilated media and technology to the levels that it is almost impossible to stay without it (Sagepub.com, 2006). Media has been proved to play a significant role in shaping socialization and shaping reality in our societies hence helping people to foster conceptions about social classes, wealth and poverty (Sagepub.com, 2006). It is true that cultures around the world consider their individual traditions, belief, norms and values very important, media has linked the people around the world regardless of the geographical distances. The social media, twitter, facebook, written media, visuals and the rest have made the world look like a global village. People can interact with each within a matter of seconds; people use social media to learn new cultures, establish and maintain relationships and stay on par with most current information around the world. Interactions and communication are therefore key factors in