International Center for Cultural Studies

The Contested Space of Media in Society

2022-09-29

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Introduction

Jim Morrison's famous quote: “whoever controls the media, controls the mind”, seems perfectly fit to describe contemporary society. The media plays a crucial role in shaping contemporary society and international relations as it influences public opinion and attitude. The media simultaneously strengthens and weakens society as it may act as a watchdog to secure public interests and citizens’ rights or distort reality under certain political influences. Moreover, with the arrival of new media, particularly social media, our socio-cultural and political life has shifted and even transformed. Social media allows for the decentralization of power and increases the visibility of ordinary citizens and marginalized groups, but it also gives another space for discriminatory and illegal practices. Social media algorithms also produce filter bubbles that create sets of information, forming and reinforcing various perspectives on what is happening in the world and how society should work. This has been exceptionally visible during the COVID-19 pandemic as we have been experiencing an infodemic of COVID-19 information and misinformation, causing confusion and distress in society.

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