p’s opinion.“The class which has the means of material production at its disposal has control at the same time over the means of mental production, so that thereby, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it.” (Marx and Engels 22)This quote states basically that the media will manipulate those who lack the ability to think for themselves on certain issues. This is true because the media gatekeeper is in control of what information is presented in the various forms. Also, the mass media produces false consciousness in the working classes. This leads to monolithic expressions of ruling class values being perpetuated while ignoring any deviation of said ideas.“The mass media still perform their job of distracting people from the realities of U.S. society and of “clouding their minds” with ideas that the ruling class wishes them to have.” (Berger 45)Another of Marx’s theories is that mass media acts as an amplifier. This means that media institutions are locked into the power structure, thereby acting in tandem with the dominant institutions in society. This reproduces society’s viewpoints not as one idea among many, but rather as the central or natural perspective. The media also has a tendency to the unpopular and unconventional and draw on the values that are most widely legitimated. Portrayals of violence in the media have often been approached in terms of whether or not they serve to legitimize the forces of law and order. For this reason, mediated communications are widely supported by police, judiciary, and schools.A more noticeable example of media as an amplifier is the coverage of elections. Voting is seen as an ideological practice that sustains the myth of democracy. The media is used to cover this intently to get the point across to the viewers that they have a choice. The impact of election coverage is conc...
