Influences That Shape The Media

There are multiple societal influences on the media, which enable networks to be flexible and adaptive to social change. There are general rubrics for what is ‘news worthy’ such as recognition, importance, and interest (Benson 277). News coverage is determined by many factors that include: the journalists themselves, organizational structures of news outlets, institutions or social conditions outside the news organization, technological factors, national culture, economics, the audience, level of power of news sources, and ideologies of the dominant social powers (Benson 279). These influences shape the output of the news networks because they are in search of profit, which is determined by audience maximization.

The more viewers that network has, the more advertising they will receive. Commercial pressures heavily drive media networks and news stations because most of their revenue is from their sponsors. Advertising and audience maximization pressures are said to be the most influential variables for mainstream media outlets” (Benson 285). “Profit pressures are said to promote a more cynical, scandal-driven political reporting” (Benson 282). People are more stimulated by conflict and controversial news as compared to uplifting and motivational reports. The tendency for people to thrive on infamous characters and outrageous situations, the news will bend facts or exaggerate details to boost their number of viewers.

- Abby Love