Wanted: the media that we need

In my previous post, I discussed the confusion and deception of believing that our society receives the media it demands, when in reality it wants the media it receives by being taught what to want. In this case, however, there are no blurred lines between the two concepts: the media that we want and the media that we need differ significantly.

Linda talks about how “media is not a social force [but] its presence, capabilities and power have rendered it powerful in shaping not only society but our day to day lives.” (http://lt09mj.wordpress.com/). For me, the media that I need are political issues around the world because it will better my knowledge of things that control my life. However, this relates closely to the media that I want: I take a large interest in politics as a subject, therefore I want to be informed about it.

While sometimes the two may be the same depending on the individual’s taste, the media we want and the media we need benefit us in different ways. 

“The media must provide content that is interesting for the audience as people can choose to watch whatever they want. Nowadays there are thousands of media choices that we can make” (http://st12tq.wordpress.com/). Sarah proves that for different people, the benefits of the media apply differently. As I said, the media that I need to hear about is globally informative. However, this is also a media that I want, which backs up Linda’s point: it varies from individual to individual. My taste doesn’t stand solely in politics, but, for example, also largely in music.

Aside from politics, I like to keep up to date with what music and concert tours my favourite bands are planning on releasing because that is a form of entertainment for me. This, I believe, is the definite line. Entertainment is not an essential part of living (specifically to the age of information), but essential to the way our modern society functions. “Media producers realise [sic] that every individual is different, so they continue to release new forms of the media that will relate to each individual” (http://britshannon.blogspot.ca/).

A want is a need based on interest rather than on survival and knowledge. As Brittany puts it, people differ in their tastes, which is why it is hard to identify whether the media we all want is the same as the media all need. For example, some audiences want to hear about what songs are currently the most popular, while others need to hear about the same issue because it may benefit them for work or business related affairs. Often enough, the media that we want and the media that we need are the same for individuals based on their interests. However, ultimately, the media we want and the media we need differ in definition and in benefit to our society.