Is the media we want the same as the media we need? In most cases the media we want is the media we need. But is the media really necessary? Well, it depends on what you are looking for. In many cases when we search the internet for many different types of things we are searching things we generally care about. The media we search may be important and it may not be important and as Life of Lowe states “I find my newsfeeds and new papers flooded with headlines that are not what I am looking for but are geared by my perceived interests.” The media outlets are trying to gear towards our own personal needs. Sometimes what we want is not always what we need, and due to this it can be difficult to see if the media we want is the media we need. In most cases the advertisements are for consumer goods, or information that we want. It doesn’t mean that it is needed, I don’t need the latest Avett Brothers album; I want it, but in my own mind I need it and that advertisement lets me know that it is available to me. It just depends on what your personal needs and wants are because everyone has different thoughts and opinions on many aspects of life. These media outlets are businesses and they couldn’t care less if the media you want is the media you need, they are trying to sustain a business model, which will help them succeed. Montana Highly agrees with this notion “Media is a business, and for them to be successful, they must keep their consumers pleased and the only way to do that is to make sure they are interested with the material given to them which in turn makes viewers continue to want the media that they receive.” As she mentions the media outlets are only gearing towards what they think will sell. If media is something we need, but don’t want, who will pay attention to it? So the media is geared towards your wants. For example, I am a university student, and I have stated I am on a few social networking sites, but do I want to see education advertisements? No, maybe I do need to see them, but I don’t really care so those advertisements most likely won’t show up in my news feed. These companies try to interest you and if they don’t, they lose money and lose economic profit that they would have gained if they actually geared to your interests. “The producers of the media need to do all of this; because in order to make money they depend on advertisement” (Sarah Trotman). If the media always gave you what you needed these media outlets would not be a viable operation, so in fact in most cases you don’t get the media you need you get the media you want, because the media outlets need to gain your interests, and if the advertisement happens to be something you need so be it, you still wanted to see that advertisement, and it usually more interesting compared to something you wouldn’t care about. So we want the media we get, but we don’t necessarily need the media.
References
Life of Lowe: http://lifeoflowe.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/1f25-post-2-do-we-get-the-media-we-want-or-want-the-media-we-get/
Montana Highly: http://montanahighley.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/1f25-post-2-the-media-we-want/
Sarah Trotman: http://st12tq.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/the-media-we-want/
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