The media is a channel whereby information is disseminated. Different countries rely on different mode of media to convey information. So, I would like to talk about the power of movies and Internet in the modern, highly urbanized society. Therefore, it is not surprising that such mediums of media are evident in the modern society and it is especially manipulating the mindsets of youths today.
Take for example movie like “ Royal Battle” in which a class of students is left in an isolated island to begin their battle. Ultimately, the survivor wins the game leaving all the rest dead. The movie depicts killing of friends in a gory way and I was absolutely aghast when I saw the thriller of the movie. Such movies promote violence among youths and show a misconception of mass killing being similar to a game, which is completely wrong. Mass killing is seen as simulating and exciting in the course of the “game” and forgoes the fact that it is immoral of them to play such a “game”. Youths nowadays are good imitators, they model after what they see or hear very well. It must be disastrous if “Royal Battle” will be reflected in real life situation. Thus, the violent movie can corrupt the minds of youths to thinking that mass killing is cool and exciting.
Newspaper advertisements have also been actively promoting slimming pills and centers with the collaboration with artist. The newspaper defines the only way to beautiful is to be slim. The before and after picture of successful people that undergone slimming further establish the fact that slimming center can help people to shed tremendous weight. But these ads have also cause more and more young girls to become anorexic. The papers have over emphasized on the importance of beauty to be slim which have had its negative impacts on the society.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Media practices self-censorship. how far can it go?
The media can influence the mass populance and the new media mainly make up of the internet, TV and the radio. As i am blogging now, i am also spreading information to the masses via Internet- blogging. However, the government has the rights to intervene to limit the contents broadcast by the media.
For example Mr brown, a famous singapore blogger had his column been remove from the papers due to the sensitive issues raised. This shows that the government understands the great inflencing power that new media holds and strictly follow up on the content made by journalist or bloggers to prevent them from disseminating the wrong values.
content:
On 30 June 2006, mrbrown wrote an article, titled "S'poreans are fed, up with progress!", for his weekly opinion column in Today newspaper concerning the rising costs of living in Singapore. [3] Three days later, on 3 July, an official from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) published a response letter on the same newspaper calling mrbrown a "partisan player" whose views "distort the truth". [4] On July 6, the newspaper suspended his column.[5] Mr Miyagi subsequently resigned from his column.
Later, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong responded to the unhappiness raised in MICA's handling of the incident. He stated that "mrbrown had hit out wildly at the Government and in a very mocking tone", and that the government had to respond to such criticsms for fear of them eventually being treated as true. He also stated that national issues should not be debated in such a fashion (referring to mrbrown's article). In spite of that, PM Lee claimed that Singapore was an open society.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrbrown
Variety shows like desperate housewife and ugly betty are also scheduled to air on late at night so as to deter young people from viewing such shows.Though these shows are deemed to be popular american series in Singapore, the content of the show may not be suitable for kids. People who are older are more mature to preceive the Western culture of co-inhabitation or pre martial sex as taboos in Singapore. However if the children are exposed the such Americanized lifestyle, they may grow up to behave like one and lose their sense of culture in singapore.
For example Mr brown, a famous singapore blogger had his column been remove from the papers due to the sensitive issues raised. This shows that the government understands the great inflencing power that new media holds and strictly follow up on the content made by journalist or bloggers to prevent them from disseminating the wrong values.
content:
On 30 June 2006, mrbrown wrote an article, titled "S'poreans are fed, up with progress!", for his weekly opinion column in Today newspaper concerning the rising costs of living in Singapore. [3] Three days later, on 3 July, an official from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) published a response letter on the same newspaper calling mrbrown a "partisan player" whose views "distort the truth". [4] On July 6, the newspaper suspended his column.[5] Mr Miyagi subsequently resigned from his column.
Later, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong responded to the unhappiness raised in MICA's handling of the incident. He stated that "mrbrown had hit out wildly at the Government and in a very mocking tone", and that the government had to respond to such criticsms for fear of them eventually being treated as true. He also stated that national issues should not be debated in such a fashion (referring to mrbrown's article). In spite of that, PM Lee claimed that Singapore was an open society.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrbrown
Variety shows like desperate housewife and ugly betty are also scheduled to air on late at night so as to deter young people from viewing such shows.Though these shows are deemed to be popular american series in Singapore, the content of the show may not be suitable for kids. People who are older are more mature to preceive the Western culture of co-inhabitation or pre martial sex as taboos in Singapore. However if the children are exposed the such Americanized lifestyle, they may grow up to behave like one and lose their sense of culture in singapore.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Censorship can never be justified. Do you agree?
Censorship is the practice of removing content from mass media. Censorship and freedom of speech always comes hand in hand. In present context, Singapore has been actively practicing censorship and we are even ranked 147 out of 167 countries with least freedom of speech. I personally support freedom of speech and therefore feel that censorship can never be justified.
Imagine your favorite artist singing a song that has many words censored? Singapore does censor especially songs that contain obscene language. In China, The famous band, the rolling stones have been told not to perform 5 songs in their concert. This has shown censorship been practiced even in entertainment sector. China is a relatively conservative country with a rich Chinese culture. Long-term censorship of foreign songs into China market may cause an imbalance in the music trade industry. As Chinese youngsters gradually become more westernized, the intense censorship of songs or any media may cause an uprising among youngsters. Assuming that everybody has social moral values, I do not see the big influence of obscene language in songs a big problem. Every word in a song makes up the music, censoring any one of them ruins the whole song.
Another case is the book burning in Nazi in 1933 as a form of censorship. At that time, university students burnt books that contain “Un-german” contents. They see this as a form of purifying their race with the execution of millions of Jews. In this case, the censorship had brought negative emotions of the Jews in the Nazi point of view. This sort of widespread censorship has suppressed feelings among non-Nazi supporters or have brainwashed them in order to escape death. Thus I believe that censorship suppress people of viewing things they want to and have infringed their human rights.
In America, despite being a country that upholds utmost respect for human rights a book by Irwin Schiff, a famous writer, had being banned. The government sees the contents in the book as anti-government as it describes sensitive issue like federal income tax and also encourage people to evade tax. However, Schiff claims that every word is his book is a fact! So, what position do the government has to censor stuff just because the materials are not to their advantages? Government may control and dictate the media but censorship may lead to removal of facts that reader and all have the rights to know.
Therefore I believe that everyone has the eyes to differentiate right from wrong, we do not need censorship to filter us from unhealthy content or inculcate certain “beliefs” in us. Censorship can never be used on human and will never be justified.
References:
http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0510almanac.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-04-07-stones-china-censorship_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA
http://www.newswithviews.com/NWVexclusive/exclusive1.htm
http://www.resonant.org/news/2003/2003.04.16-ban_on_anti_tax_book_renewed_by_federal_judge-rcfp.org.html
Imagine your favorite artist singing a song that has many words censored? Singapore does censor especially songs that contain obscene language. In China, The famous band, the rolling stones have been told not to perform 5 songs in their concert. This has shown censorship been practiced even in entertainment sector. China is a relatively conservative country with a rich Chinese culture. Long-term censorship of foreign songs into China market may cause an imbalance in the music trade industry. As Chinese youngsters gradually become more westernized, the intense censorship of songs or any media may cause an uprising among youngsters. Assuming that everybody has social moral values, I do not see the big influence of obscene language in songs a big problem. Every word in a song makes up the music, censoring any one of them ruins the whole song.
Another case is the book burning in Nazi in 1933 as a form of censorship. At that time, university students burnt books that contain “Un-german” contents. They see this as a form of purifying their race with the execution of millions of Jews. In this case, the censorship had brought negative emotions of the Jews in the Nazi point of view. This sort of widespread censorship has suppressed feelings among non-Nazi supporters or have brainwashed them in order to escape death. Thus I believe that censorship suppress people of viewing things they want to and have infringed their human rights.
In America, despite being a country that upholds utmost respect for human rights a book by Irwin Schiff, a famous writer, had being banned. The government sees the contents in the book as anti-government as it describes sensitive issue like federal income tax and also encourage people to evade tax. However, Schiff claims that every word is his book is a fact! So, what position do the government has to censor stuff just because the materials are not to their advantages? Government may control and dictate the media but censorship may lead to removal of facts that reader and all have the rights to know.
Therefore I believe that everyone has the eyes to differentiate right from wrong, we do not need censorship to filter us from unhealthy content or inculcate certain “beliefs” in us. Censorship can never be used on human and will never be justified.
References:
http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/0510almanac.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-04-07-stones-china-censorship_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA
http://www.newswithviews.com/NWVexclusive/exclusive1.htm
http://www.resonant.org/news/2003/2003.04.16-ban_on_anti_tax_book_renewed_by_federal_judge-rcfp.org.html
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
VT gunman
Virginia Tech Campus has experienced a horrifying Monday on 16th April when a gunman killed 32 people before pointing gun at himself. The shocking behavior of a 23-year-old Korean student is way beyond our imagination. Critics had cited schools as being careless while dealing with students with mental problems. So, to what extent can school do to protect its own students?
I agree that schools should play a part in keeping its environment safe for all but in Virginia Tech 26,000 students are in mental distress, it is also impossible to keep track of everybody’s behavior. It may be too late before another gunman show up to kill the innocents thus schools cannot be wholly blamed for not expelling Cho earlier on. I believe that mental distress can be alleviated by counseling sessions and support from friends. Virginia Tech had done well to counseling students however; do people like Cho receive moral support from peers? I doubt so.
It is reported that Cho had being diagnosed with autism since he came to America at the age of 10. It is not easy of him as a foreigner to cope with studies in America especially language barriers. Classmates seemed to discriminate as they were laughing at him after he finished reading a text in English. Hence, he did not really have good friends in America. People who have known him described him as eccentric and loner. For Cho, that was definitely not an environment suited for him yet he lived with that for 13 years.
The massacre had caused grievance among many people but I think it would be a lesson learnt for all to care for everyone one around us. Such a tragic events only shows that everyone has a limit to stress and a built up of stress can have its adverse effects. Schools can help to monitor students but wont it be the best if students learn how to take care of one another?
I agree that schools should play a part in keeping its environment safe for all but in Virginia Tech 26,000 students are in mental distress, it is also impossible to keep track of everybody’s behavior. It may be too late before another gunman show up to kill the innocents thus schools cannot be wholly blamed for not expelling Cho earlier on. I believe that mental distress can be alleviated by counseling sessions and support from friends. Virginia Tech had done well to counseling students however; do people like Cho receive moral support from peers? I doubt so.
It is reported that Cho had being diagnosed with autism since he came to America at the age of 10. It is not easy of him as a foreigner to cope with studies in America especially language barriers. Classmates seemed to discriminate as they were laughing at him after he finished reading a text in English. Hence, he did not really have good friends in America. People who have known him described him as eccentric and loner. For Cho, that was definitely not an environment suited for him yet he lived with that for 13 years.
The massacre had caused grievance among many people but I think it would be a lesson learnt for all to care for everyone one around us. Such a tragic events only shows that everyone has a limit to stress and a built up of stress can have its adverse effects. Schools can help to monitor students but wont it be the best if students learn how to take care of one another?
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