Media is influential in modern, which usually helps to pass the necessary information to the general target audience. Media typically act as a watchdog to protect public interest hence the creation of public awareness in the community. Within society, media is compelling, which usually helps to shape how the citizens perceive governance as well as increased public awareness. Various social issues affecting the community are generally addressed through the use of the media such as corruption, crime, poverty, and other health issues in the city. Since media is influential in society, there is the need to have necessary regulation from the government agencies to ensure whatever is broadcasted has been appropriately monitored. The best example of media to analyze is advertisement which will aim to ensure increased public awareness about any company’s products and services.
How Media is Influential
Advertisement which is the first aspect of media is very influential as it normally uses various media personality as well as celebrity to influence consumers to purchase their products in the market. Most of the consumers depend on the level of advertisement to make the best buying decision from different brands in the market. There are various forms of advertisement such as through television, radio or print media which all have a wider coverage. It will depend on the level of creativity and innovation in designing the advert to gain more customers.
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The media has been instrumental in various ways, such as it helps typically in social reporting of multiple issues at the community level. Media has been viewed as a powerful and influential tool in the economy, which usually helps to maintain a stable society that is characterized by well-informed members of the public. Media has an uncontrolled influence on all significant aspects of modern times where significant issues can be expressed through media. Advertisement is influential since it has three main functions, which include influencing, informing, and entertaining the community. Any wrongdoings in the government as well as public service suffering, they will be able to express their issues where social groups will create unique advertisement to criticize the work of the government. The media has a vital and essential role in ensuring that anything happening across the country, members of the public are aware. They also try to invite government officials to address various challenges in the community, such as lack of employment, poverty, health issues, among others.
Media Consumption
There are significant changes in how media is consumed today than how it was 20 years ago, mainly due to the growth and development of new technology at the community level. Twenty years ago, in most countries, there was just one national media station which was owned by the government, which was closely monitored and regulated by the government. Most of the government officials would use it to carry out their issues in the aim if undermining public service. Over the years, there has been the introduction of new and modern media such as TV and radio station which broadcast in different languages that will help to reach the target audience.
Due to increased media coverage, there has been a reduction in media laws which may be misused negatively at the national level. Currently, there are more sources on information, even with the introduction of social media in the region. There have, therefore been significant differences between the current type of media and 20 years ago in the market. Currently, there has also be increased social media consumption, which helps to pass information from any part of the world hence making a world a global village. However, the change does not mean the media is less influential since it is still the primary source of information at the community level. In fact, due to an increase in the number of media houses, media has been influential hence acting as a public watchdog in the community level. Media covers various issues such as media specialization, journalism, public relations, advertising as well as screen media which are all part of the digital media.
Advertising, which is also part of the media, is considered as the most powerful and persuasive tool which typically controls consumers all over the world. It is the best form of communication, which generally tends to persuade potential customers to purchase a particular product over another rival brand in the market (Klaff & Riley, 2018) . It is essential that advertisement be true where it should not mislead potential customers in the market. In case the product contains any possible side effects such as cigarettes and alcohol, the firm should state it in the advertisement. In addition, advertisement will also include use of visual content that is created and designed in the best way possible through LED, LCD or projections screens that can be indoors or outdoors (Bertrand, 2018) . It serves as means of communication with necessary customers to inform them about a certain products in the market. They are very influence are they target a large number of audience in the market
In modern days, most of the consumers depend on the level of advertisement to consider the best brand to purchase in the market. It therefore means that publication is a powerful tool in the society which tends to pass necessary information concerning variety of products in the market. Some organization use celebrity in advertising which is believed to influence the customers in the market.
Need for Media Regulation
Without media regulations concerning advertisement, the consumers would be supplied with false information concerning the products in order to influence them make necessary purchase. For healthy and food packaging, the healthy standards would also be compromised hence it is important to have the best regulations in the market. Therefore without adverts regulations, the world would be marketing haven and which does not take into consideration consumers’ needs.
As a result of advertisement regulation, there will be consumer protection from unfair and counterfeit products in the market. It will therefore help to avoid aggressive sales or false messages in the ads. In addition, any ads that normally target children under the age of 18 must use the necessary content that will not be sexual in nature.
It is important to ensure media regulation and laws are enforced within the jurisdiction of law which will help to serve the public interest. The main target for media regulation is press, radio, and television as well as film production (Ogbondah, 2017) . Creation of a high level of media freedom would mean that it would be compromised in the long run hence need to come up with basic media laws in the country. First, there is a need to come up with basic media laws in order to control and regulate what is aired in live television or in the radio in form of different advertisements. Taking into consideration that both parents and the children consume media, there is therefore needed to regulate the content provided. In such a case, media should not broadcast any sexual information which will affect the general public audience. In addition, some advertisements are also using unaccepted words or images which also are against the set rules (Velasquez & LaRose, 2015) . For example, it is always important to ensure some advertisement such as condoms, alcohol or cigarettes should only be aired after they have been properly reviewed and monitored and provided with the best time past 10 pm in the evening.
In addition, film and musical production which are involved in product advertisement should also be regulated to ensure the content created will be informative in nature as well as not misleading towards the young people at the community level. When there are necessary media laws concerning advertisement, it will create a good space for the different types of consumers to make the best decision in the market.
In such a case, all the law enforcement agencies should ensure full implementation of media laws and regulation for the welfare of the members of public in the community.
Conclusion
Media is influential as it is a powerful tool used to pass the vital information to the people at the community level. It also acts as link between people and the government which aims to ensure that all the public resources have been utilized with high-level reduction in corruption. Media is therefore the best platform which will help in creating public awareness about any government projects and exercise (Melenhorst & Van 2017) . Media is influential since it normally helps to inform, educate and entertain members of public in the long run. There has been great change in media consumption for the past 20 years where initially, there were limited number of media houses but currently, with the growth of modern technology, there has been growth of more media houses as well as social media. Advertising is an important type of media which always helps to keep the consumers informed of different products available in the market. Finally, there is need to come up with media laws and regulation to ensure that only the correct content has been aired to avoid bad and other sexual content and production in the media houses. Media laws also help to create professionalism in advertisement where firms will only provide true and correct information concerning their products in the market.
References
Bertrand, C. J. (2018). Media ethics and accountability systems . Routledge.
Klaff, L., & Riley, S. P. (2018). 'Disproportionate’ force and the media: misconstruing the laws of war. European Journal of Current Legal Issues .
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Melenhorst, L., & Van Aelst, P. (2017). Why Do Politicians Use the Media When Making Laws? A Study on the Functional Use of Mass Media during Legislative Processes. In How Political Actors Use the Media (pp. 227-243). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Ogbondah, C. W. (2017). Media laws in political transition. In Media and democracy in Africa (pp. 55-80). Routledge.
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Velasquez, A., & LaRose, R. (2015). Youth collective activism through social media: The role of collective efficacy. New Media & Society , 17 (6), 899-918.
