Why is the media called the fourth power in society?

Presenting the modern world without the media is impossible. We need to live at least on an uninhabited island so that we do not have access to news from the outside world. The media have always existed, but they have reached the greatest development in our time, and continue to develop together with science and technology. Some people are interested in: "Explain why the media is called the fourth power?" Everything is very simple. Because the power of their impact on human consciousness is truly enormous. The first three branches of power (legislative, judicial and executive) are endowed with certain powers. They have power by law. And the media dominate human minds, which is no less significant. The strength of their power is so great that it can program whole nations for specific thoughts.

What is the media

The media is the public distribution of various data and information through all sorts of technical means. Not all sources of information refer to the media. There are certain requirements. For example, although newspapers, magazines and refer to the media, but not all of them can be called media. In order to be considered as such, they must have a circulation of more than 1,000 copies. The same sources as wall newspapers, libraries, forums, internet blogs, conferences and the like - do not refer to the mass media.

Why is the media called the fourth power in society? Because, in addition to the data transfer tool, the media is also a way of manipulation, propaganda and agitation in the political and other spheres of life of the population.

History of media development

The birth of writing and book printing was a turning point in the process of the formation of mankind, changing his perception of the world around him. A person was able to receive information created by other people. After the first book was printed, printing shops began to be created all over Europe, and also on other continents. Of course, before the first printed books appeared there were papyrus scrolls, clay books, etc. However, it was with the advent of the printing press that human society entered a new stage of development. After the books, newspapers appeared. This was due to the need for people to receive news about the economic and political life of the society. With the development of science and technology, the means of mass communication also developed. After the newspapers magazines began to appear. After some time, radio and television entered the life of the man. And, finally, the Internet is something without which today no modern resident of a developed country presents itself. In today's time, a person has free access to all kinds of information that can be obtained from various sources. And newspapers, magazines, books, television, and the Internet are all at the disposal of every resident of any developing country. Why is the media called the fourth branch of power? Because they control the consciousness of people no less than the legitimate branches of power.

Media functions in the modern world

Currently, the media has the following functions:

• Observation of events taking place in the world;
• Editing, which consists in the selection and coverage of current events;
• Development of a public point of view;
• Promotion of culture;
• Political enlightenment of the broad masses of the population.

Why is the media called the fourth power? Because bypassing the usual institutions of power, such as the school, the church, and others, the media address directly to the public. They exert the strongest socio-psychological influence on the formation of a collective opinion. This feature of the media is widely used by various advertising agencies promoting this or that product, politicians and parties, to maintain their programs, etc.

Another major function of the media is to bring important information to the public from the main branches of government. Let us take legislative power. An example of how the adoption and interpretation of new laws is brought to the attention of the general public through television, print and online publications can be observed regularly. Also in other spheres of life. Absolutely about all events in the modern world, people draw information from the media.

Classification of the media

Modern media are united according to various criteria. For example, there is such a classification:

• By style (serious publications, or the so-called "yellow press");
• By genre (advertising, political, etc.);
• By the form of ownership (corporate, state);
• By periodicity of publications (every day, once a week or once a month);
• By the radius of distribution (regional or central).

There is also a different classification of media, more generalized:

• Printed;
• Electronic.

One of the forms of the media is also various news agencies.

Newspaper

A newspaper is a printed publication that regularly appears in circulation under a permanent title. The frequency of the exit is at least once a month.

The living conditions, readership interests, the requirements for the media at any given time dictate certain forms of information delivery to print media. If before the war in Soviet times, the most common genre used in newspapers was an essay, but now the situation has changed somewhat. Materials carrying educational and educational functions, in the modern world, "migrated" to various magazines and other publications. Modern newspapers perform several other functions. All sorts of notes, reports, reports, interviews were brought to the forefront - everything is extremely laconic, containing a large number of facts. The submission of various information in modern newspapers should be very fast. The news, which is already several days old, is considered hopelessly outdated. Such a concept as "sensation" has become an inalienable attribute of any self-respected publication. Only sensations are able to increase the circulation of any newspaper, and, accordingly, bring profit to the publisher.

More than half of all materials in the newspaper are news. They have become the main genre in this printed edition for today. News political, economic, sports and other - they are filled with the bulk of all newspapers. Why is the media called the fourth power? The explanation is very simple. The same newspapers, along with other sources of mass communication, rule, figuratively speaking, over the minds of the broad masses of the population who read them and perceive the world through the prism of the information submitted.

Journal

Magazine refers to a periodical printed publication, which has a permanent rubric and contains publications on scientific, political, industrial and other issues. There are also online magazines. They can be an electronic version of a printed magazine, or they can be an independent publication on the Internet. The magazine, like the newspaper, is a lever of influence on the public consciousness. This explains why the media is called the fourth power. With their help, public opinion is formed and people's lives are affected.

Radio

Radio is the wireless transmission of data using electromagnetic waves of radio frequency. For many people, the radio is the source of information that accompanies the whole day and creates a certain emotional background. With the development of science and technology, the radio is also changing. Perhaps the role of radio in the future will be reduced to a minimum, but today it remains for many consumers the closest and most convenient means of mass communication.

TV

Broad distribution of television was received in the second half of the XX century. Along with broadcasting, it is one of the most mass media of information dissemination. The UN recognized the significant role of television in society by setting the World Television Day. The advantage of television is that a person can receive information not only in the process of reading or hearing, but also to see the events with their own eyes. Why the media is called the fourth power, social science explains the following: mass communication media have a huge impact on all aspects of human life, and television is no exception.

the Internet

The Internet is one of the largest sources of information. To date, the Internet replaces people with virtually all other resources. The global network contains on its vast spaces an incredible amount of a wide variety of data for every demand. And if earlier people spent hours in the library to collect any materials, now you can find them without leaving home.

On the Internet, you can read the following question: "Explain why the media is called the fourth power". The answer is obvious. The media at all times, and especially now, have power over the formation of public opinion. The influence of the Internet, as one of the sources of the mass information, is increasing with each passing day.

The role of the media in society

Why is the media called the fourth power? The power of the media is based on the dissemination of information that has an impact on people's lives. Often happens and so, that various journalistic investigations become the basis for legal actions of investigative bodies. The role of the media in modern society is enormous. A person now has the opportunity to learn the latest news that is happening on another continent. We are used to keeping our hands on the pulse of all world events, and we no longer imagine life without it. From how different events are presented to us, our opinion about them and about what is happening as a whole depends.

The influence of the media in political life

The media at the moment are a very important attribute in political life. This explains why the media is called the fourth power. The mass media occupy a central place in the election campaign. Politicians understand this well, and invest huge amounts of money in this event. The fate of a voter depends on how correctly the campaign is conducted.

At the same time, the media also plays an important role, such as restraining and improving the power. Shedding light on some of the illegal actions of politicians, they bring to the attention of the public those facts that the latter would like to hide. The media can put an end to the career of some powerful ones if their crimes become public. Investigations of some journalists that have an evidentiary basis may be the reason for opening a criminal case.

The media, as a manipulator of the human consciousness

In the modern world there is such a thing as "information war". In these "combat" actions, the main object of influence is information. With the help of the media, people can inspire people with certain thoughts and make them take concrete steps. Even Hitler actively used this method, trying to cause the Aryans to hate the Jewish people. He paid much attention to propaganda films, in which there was a hidden subtext. For example, a film in which a sneaky Jew rapes a beautiful Aryan, provoked outrage among viewers, automatically setting them against the entire Jewish people. The same thing is happening now. With the help of the media, those in power manipulate the consciousness of entire nations. Why is the media called the fourth power in society? Because their influence on human consciousness is difficult to overestimate.

Information. How to properly manage it

In the modern world, a person is faced with a large flow of all kinds of information. Unfortunately, it is not always true. Therefore, you should not blindly trust what you read, especially in unverified sources. In some cases, the media - the fourth power, can do you a disservice. Focusing on false data, you can make a wrong opinion about certain events, and the picture will be distorted. It is necessary to search for data in different sources, compare them (good, there are enough resources) and only then try to make up your personal opinion. Always check the information and draw the right conclusions.