I found the required books for this course really,
really interesting, especially the Space
of Public Opinion and Nobody. The progression of the media’s reporting and
commenting about current news has changed so much with the advent of the
internet. It seemed like everyone tuned
into the nightly network news when I was a kid, but not I don’t really hear
anyone talking about last night’s broadcasts.
I can say that I don’t even know the names of the 3 major networks
evening broadcasters. We’ve switched
from trusting a knowledgeable news journalist or two to trusting sound bites provided
by basically anyone with a Twitter account. But honestly, what will stick with
me the most about the class is Hill’s book, Nobody.
Hill makes it so apparent that our country has done a lousy job of caring
for and providing opportunities for the most vulnerable. It’s an overwhelming reality that has absolutely
no easy solution. I only hope that our leaders and future leaders dedicate themselves
to creating solutions and that the rest of us will do our part to embrace and share
the American values we’ve all grown up to believe in.
It’s easy to argue that the various outlets of social media are powerful tools for activism, but their capacity to create radical change is questionable. Social media provides opportunities for individuals and groups to raise awareness to issues quickly and efficiently. Indeed, social media posts reach huge segments of the world’s population often in real time with subsequent shares making those numbers quickly grow exponentially. The Women’s March held in January is just one example of social media’s enormous, impressive reach. Without social media, the marches held across the world most likely wouldn’t have been so well-attended, but has life somehow changed for women because of the march? There certainly was a renewed sense of unification concerning women’s rights for a time, but the public’s focus quickly shifted to science as April’s Earth Day approached, and a new round of marches popped up. Therein lies one of the pitfalls of social media as a means to radica...
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