The Concept of Mass Media’s Responsibility According to Denis McQuail

Abstract

Our perception of reality is subjective. Each person perceives reality in a different way, experiencing only a fraction of it. And yet we believe, or rather we want to believe, that there is an objective reality. Today one needs an extensive knowledge so as not to get lost in the hotchpotch of information provided by the modern media, and to find the information essential for us. Subconsciously, we are looking for an authority to provide us with an interpretation of reality, explanation, personal opinions and even instructions on how to understand it. Mass media have taken up this role in the modern, technologically developed society. The belief in the omniscient media drives people to perceive the media-generated images and news as more real than their own life experiences.

Not without a reason the media consciously resort to manipulation. There is a conviction that one can rule over people by gaining power over their imagination. An average receiver of the 21st century media is a perfect target for the modern television, Internet, video games, etc; overworked, tired and stressed, s/he will trust the media and the information they provide. And again we come back to the question of whether it is the media that create the world, or is it the world that shapes the mass media? Whatever the answer, we arrive at further questions: the question of responsibility in the communication process, responsibility for spreading honest and reliable information, and responsibility for creating social relationships.