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American Civilisation Exam
American Civilisation Exam
Set 3 :
Media is the most effective means of mass communication . In fact , mass media is
consitantly present in millions of houses over the world ; as a result , it has became a part of
what the population consumes everyday . This is what makes mass media the most powerful
entity on earth . Most highly-developed mass media in the world control the information and
monopolize the entertainment industry ; they have the power of shaping public opinion and
influencing voting campaigns . In fact , it can promote certain beliefs , values , and behaviours
and discourage others . The type of influence that the television and movie industries make
largly depends on the kind of imagery and messages they choose to display to the overseas
audience ; some of these messages may be seen by the viewers as unhealthy or even
A geat example of this was the scandal of the George W.Bush /Al Gore national election .This
event was publicized internationally , and the mass media kept viewers up-to-date with with
the latest news on the issue . As a result , The foreign audience , who had little understanding
of the context , questioned the integrity of the electoral process in America and the American
system of governance all together . To the foreign spectators , corruption was commonplace
and taken for granted .However , to most Americans , the contested ballots did not mean that
the unfair election process was the outcome of a corrupt system ; it was simply an eye-opener
industry , which are easily accessed by the international audience . Many of these programs
adress topics such as violence , racial strife , police brutality ,and drug problems . To the
overseas spectators , these progams strongly reflect the social situation in America .This is
mainly because the lack of understanding of what is entertainment rather than reality .
Consequently , many foreigners hesitate to send their sons and daughters on high school
exchange programs in America . Their main concern is the safety of their children from any
To conclude , one must point to the fact that altough the freedom of the mass media and
freedom of press are indisputable , the mass media industry may project certain messages and
imaagery that might be misinterpreted by foreigners . This is mainly because of the absence of
a frame of reference and little perception of the American context . This permits to people to
continously make wrong assumptions and visualizations about life in the United States of
America .