The Mass Media and Cultural Change

Abstract

The power of the media in society cannot be underestimated and the demand for new information, especially in the twenty-first century, has given the media more supremacy. Peoples’ need to have and access information is vital and as such, mass media play a tremendous role in satisfying it. Mehraj et al. (2014), on the one hand, argue that media occupy a high proportion of importance in an individual’s life and, thence, media information influences the behavior and decisions made by society. On the other hand, Singh and Pandey (2017) argue that society influences the media to the extent that it is perceived as society’s voice. With all these in mind, it is clear that to a larger extent, media reflect society and that it plays a major role in bringing about cultural change and socioeconomic and political development. For instance, Nyabuga and Booker (2013) argue that the media is an important actor that shapes how society operates. The media does this by articulating ideas and influencing perceptions and attitudes. In democratic societies, according to Nyabuga and Booker (2013), mass media and journalism act as vehicles that reflect public opinion by highlighting public concerns and informing people about state policies and important cross-cultural events and viewpoints. For instance, in Kenya, local stations that broadcast in vernacular tend to focus on discussions around areas of interest to a particular community.