Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Media and Social Problems

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems

Abstract

Social problems are constituted as global in scope with the help of the media. In recent years, crises such as those of refugees from war and ecological collapse, race relations, gender relations, global warming, drug trafficking, and mental health, among others, have been foregrounded in the public sphere especially through journalism but also through other forms of media practice such as film and multimedia production. Audiences as users of media technology, meanwhile, have proven to be catalysts in exposing social problems that transcend national boundaries. Further, instances are widespread of the role of the media in facilitating the resolution of social problems, from the conflict between the peoples of Timor and Indonesia to the prosecution of religious authorities involved in abuses across countries and creeds. Similarly, the media can cause social problems such as the devastation in Iraq following uncritical coverage of the White House around 2003. This chapter explores how problems are constructed, continually represented, and ordered toward resolution or provoked within a media ecology. The discussion, using historical examples is guided by media and socio-political theories including Risk Society of Modernity, Compassion Fatigue, Cosmopolitanism, Mediatization, Agenda Setting, CNN Effect, and Audience Participation and Fragmentation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Arora, S. D., Singh, G. P., Chakraborty, A., & Maity, M. (2022). Polarization and social media: A systematic review and research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 183, 121942.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arguedas, A. R., Robertson, C. T., Fletcher, R., & Nielsen, R. K. (2022). Echo chambers, filter bubbles, and polarisation: A literature review. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/echo-chambers-filter-bubbles-and-polarisation-literature-review

  • Baguia, J. A. (2020). Internet, history and economics of. In D. L. Merskin (Ed.), SAGE International encyclopedia of mass media and society (pp. 835–842). Sage. https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-mass-media-and-society/i8771.xml

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, U. (1992). Risk society: Towards a new modernity. SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bednarek, M., & Caple, H. (2017). The discourse of news values: How news organizations create newsworthiness. Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, D. (2016). Journalism, ethics and society. Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, F. (2011). Journalism ethics: A casebook of professional conduct for news media. Marion Street Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, K. A. (2019). Your country, our war: The press and diplomacy in Afghanistan. Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Carpentier, N., Melo, A. D., & Ribeiro, F. (2019). Rescuing participation: A critique on the dark participation concept. Comunicação e sociedade, 36, 17–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cueva Chacón, L. M., & Saldaña, M. (2021). Stronger and safer together: Motivations for and challenges of (trans) national collaboration in investigative reporting in Latin America. Digital Journalism, 9(2), 196–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, J. P., & Yang, S. (2021). Investigative journalism and media capture in the digital age. Information Economics and Policy, 57, 100942.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cottle, S. (1998). Ulrich Beck, risk society and the media: A catastrophic view? European Journal of Communication, 13(1), 5–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doucet, L. (2018). Syria & the CNN effect: What role does the media play in policy-making? Daedalus, 147(1), 141–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, F. (2020). Post-truth politics and climate denial: Further reflections. Critical policy studies, 14(1), 124–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, C. (2016). An analysis of the emerging role of social media in human trafficking: Examples from labour and human organ trading. International Journal of Development Issues, 15(2), 98–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frick, V., Matthies, E., Thøgersen, J., & Santarius, T. (2021). Do online environments promote sufficiency or overconsumption? Online advertisement and social media effects on clothing, digital devices, and air travel consumption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(2), 288–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galtung, J. (2003). Peace journalism. Media Asia, 30(3), 177–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Ruiz, R., Ramirez-Garcia, A., & Rodriguez-Rosell, M. M. (2014). Media literacy education for a new prosumer citizenship. Comunication, 22(43), 15–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gieber, W. (1955). Do newspapers overplay ‘Negative’ News? Journalism Quarterly, 32(3), 311–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greene, K. J. (2015). ISIS: Trends in terrorist media and propaganda [International Studies Senior Capstone Research Paper]. Cedarville University Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=international_studies_capstones

  • Guerrero-Pico, M., Masanet, M. J., & Scolari, C. A. (2019). Toward a typology of young produsers: Teenagers’ transmedia skills, media production, and narrative and aesthetic appreciation. New Media & Society, 21(2), 336–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, L., Mays, K., & Wang, J. (2019). Whose story wins on Twitter? Visualizing the South China Sea dispute. Journalism Studies, 20(4), 563–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hallin, D. C., & Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing media systems: Three models of media and politics. Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hanitzsch, T., & Vos, T. P. (2018). Journalism beyond democracy: A new look into journalistic roles in political and everyday life. Journalism, 19(2), 146–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanusch, F. (2013). Moulding industry’s image: Journalism education’s impact on students’ professional views. Media International Australia, 146(1), 48–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatef, A., & Cooke, T. R. (2020). Winning hearts and minds: A critical analysis of independent media development in Afghanistan. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 13(2), 114–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussain, S. (2020). Peace journalism for conflict reporting: Insights from Pakistan. Journalism Practice, 14(1), 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jansson, A. (2013). Mediatization and social space: Reconstructing mediatization for the transmedia age. Communication Theory, 23(3), 279–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, J., Petkanic, P., Nan, D., & Kim, J. H. (2020). When a girl awakened the world: A user and social message analysis of Greta Thunberg. Sustainability, 12(7), 2707.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kellner, D. (2004). The media and social problems. Handbook of social problems: A comparative international perspective (pp. 209–225). SAGE Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinnick, K. N., Krugman, D. M., & Cameron, G. T. (1996). Compassion fatigue: Communication and burnout toward social problems. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 73(3), 687–707.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knobel, B. (2018). The watchdog still barks: How accountability reporting evolved for the digital age. Fordham University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kovach, B., & Rosenstiel, T. (2014). The elements of journalism, revised and updated 3rd edition: What newspeople should know and the public should expect. Crown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krüger, U., Beiler, M., Gläßgen, T., Kees, M., & Küstermann, M. (2022). Neutral observers or advocates for societal transformation? Role orientations of constructive journalists in Germany. Media and Communication, 10(3), 64–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, B. F., & Horsley, J. S. (2007). The government communication decision wheel: Toward a public relations model for the public sector. Journal of Public Relations Research, 19(4), 377–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell, R., & Miller, T. (2008). Ecological ethics and media technology. International Journal of Communication, 2, 23.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre, K. E., and Lough, K. (2021). Toward a clearer conceptualization and operationalization of solutions journalism. Journalism 22 (6): 1558–1573.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mellado, C., Hanusch, F., Humanes, M. L., Roses, S., Pereira, F., Yez, L., … & Wyss, V. (2013). The pre-socialization of future journalists: An examination of journalism students’ professional views in seven countries. Journalism Studies, 14(6), 857–874.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney, L. A., Clever, M., & Van Willigen, M. (2021). Understanding social problems. Cengage learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neff, T., & Pickard, V. (2021). Funding democracy: Public media and democratic health in 33 countries. The International Journal of Press/Politics. 19401612211060255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nisbet, M. C. (2019). The trouble with climate emergency journalism. Issues in Science and Technology, 35(4), 23–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, C. (2022). Opportunities for empathy: Journalistic accounts of migration and migration crises. Sophia University Junior College Division Faculty Journal, 43, 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Över, D. (2021). Democratic backsliding and the media: The convergence of news narratives in Turkey. Media, Culture & Society, 43(2), 343–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picha Edwardsson, M. (2015). Towards a sustainable media system: Explorative studies of emerging media consumption trends and media processes for content production. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-164395

  • Raby, K., & Chazal, N. (2022). The myth of the ‘ideal offender’: Challenging persistent human trafficking stereotypes through emerging Australian cases. Anti-Trafficking Review, 18, 13–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes, L. M., & Rhodes, L. M. (2016). Human trafficking as cybercrime. Agora Int J Admn Sci, 1(1), 23–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riehm, K. E., Holingue, C., Kalb, L. G., Bennett, D., Kapteyn, A., Jiang, Q., et al. (2020). Associations between media exposure and mental distress among US adults at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 59(5), 630–638.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins, D., & Wheatley, D. (2021). Complexity, objectivity, and shifting roles: Environmental correspondents march to a changing beat. Journalism Practice, 15(9), 1289–1306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scanlan, C., & Craig, R. (2014). Newswriting and reporting: The complete guide for Today’s journalist. Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherr, S. (2021). Traditional media use and depression in the general population: Evidence for a non-linear relationship. Current Psychology, 40(2), 957–972.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scolari, C. A. (2012). Media ecology: Exploring the metaphor to expand the theory. Communication Theory, 22(2), 204–225. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2012.01404.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Somerville, I., & Wood, E. (2008). Business ethics, public relations and corporate social responsibility. In The public relations handbook (pp. 143–160). Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • SPJ Code of Ethics—Society of Professional Journalists. (2022). Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

  • Stray, J. (2019). Making artificial intelligence work for investigative journalism. Digital Journalism, 7(8), 1076–1097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sulaiman, Z. (1994, June). Media watchdog in Malaysia. In Seminar on media monitors in Asia (pp. 1–37).

    Google Scholar 

  • Tapsell, R. (2021). Divide and rule: Populist crackdowns and media elites in the Philippines. Journalism, 1464884921989466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Todd, P. A. S. (2020). What is it good for? Towards a Millian utility model for ethical terrorism coverage. Media Watch, 11(1), 50–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torres Soriano, M. R. (2010). The road to media jihad: The propaganda actions of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Terrorism and Political Violence, 23(1), 72–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trussler, M., & Soroka, S. (2014). Consumer demand for cynical and negative news frames. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 19(3), 360–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uekotter, F. (Ed.). (2018). Exploring Apocalyptica: Coming to terms with environmental alarmism. University of Pittsburgh Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Dongen, T. & Farrell-Molloy, J. (2022). One year of Taliban rule in Afghanistan: A predictable disaster. International Center for Counter-Terrorism. https://icct.nl/publication/one-year-of-taliban-rule-in-afghanistan-a-predictable-disaster/

  • Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Media use is linked to lower psychological well-being: Evidence from three datasets. Psychiatric Quarterly, 90(2), 311–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, F. Y., & Womack, B. (2019). Jawing through crises: Chinese and Vietnamese media strategies in the South China Sea. Journal of Contemporary China, 28(119), 712–728.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zelizer, B. (2005). Definitions of journalism. The press, 66, 66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, X., Jackson, D., & Nguyen, A. (2022). The psychological empowerment potential of solutions journalism: Perspectives from pandemic news users in the UK. Journalism Studies, 23(3), 356–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2021.2023324

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Communication and Culture, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Jason Abellaneda Baguia

Authors
  1. Jason Abellaneda Baguia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason Abellaneda Baguia .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Baguia, J.A. (2023). The Media and Social Problems. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_231-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68127-2_231-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-68127-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-68127-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Social SciencesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation