Media and Its Influences

Media and Its Influences

The dictionary defines media as a means of communication. It is the most useful approach to deliver information to the masses locally and internationally. Many people do not appreciate the importance of what the media has to offer. In fact, the media influences the decisions, actions, and opinions of each and every single person. There are different forms of media including analog and digital media, which are both equally prominent in the lives of people around the world. Although many rely on the convenience of media to inform and alert themselves about current events and other important information, they do not realize the deception the media carefully conceals. The media is intended to provide unbiased data to the public, although it can be unreliable. Whether the media scapegoats one party of a story or blatantly leaves one side of the story out, the media is not only a source of communication and information, but also a questionable resource. Americans and civilians alike are so dependent on the media and the news the media brings, that media has become a business. Television channels, magazines, radio stations, and newspapers will go through great lengths, or lack thereof, to sell stories and to sell news. One story that shocked many across the world was Prince Harry’s service in the military in Afghanistan. Not only was the story deliberately kept secret, but also portrayed differently from different countries. This story is a great example of the deceit the media conceals, the influence media has on its audiences, and the media’s cunningness.

The story about Prince Henry was all over the news media this past weekend: “Prince Harry �My Withdraw is a Shame,’” and “Prince Harry Withdraws from Afghanistan.” The story came as a shock because “major news outlets agreed to keep the information [about Harry’s deployment] secret for security reasons,” as CNN.com’s article stated. The article continued to explain the disappointment Prince Harry felt after being pulled back from Afghanistan. “[He] didn’t see it coming, obviously it’s a shame,” Prince Harry quotes in the CNN article. Of course Prince Charles was “enormously proud” of his son’s accomplishments in Afghanistan, but because of the media, Prince Harry was asked to withdraw from combat (CNN). Obviously, the media has a great impact on the decisions people make and the perspectives people have on certain situations. Prince Harry’s deployment was kept from the media simply to avoid conflicting interests. The article even quotes Prince Harry condemning the media in general “that once again it came down to media, foreign media, that’s once again spilled the beans” (CNN).

The media is useful for communicating to its audiences especially with all the present technological advances. However, the media has given itself a bad reputation because of its widespread popularity, efficiency, and conveniences. Because news is now available to almost everyone via television, radio, and Internet, safety became an extreme issue for Prince Harry. Once the news of Prince Harry became accessible to the public, it was in the best interest of the Prince to expel himself from Afghanistan because of “foreign media” (CNN). It is interesting to note that Prince Harry describes the source of the leak as “foreign media,” which implies a bad connotation to both words. Ultimately, the media should take blame for the incident because if it were not for the media’s attempt to spread word of Prince Harry’s deployment, Prince Harry would still be serving the military in Afghanistan. In fact, shortly after Prince Harry was deployed from Afghanistan, “several Islamist websites posted messages alerting their �brethren’ in Afghanistan to be on the lookout for the royal soldier” (CNN). This article, let alone this story, greatly emphasizes the power of the media. Overall, CNN’s article was unbiased, focusing more on the facts of the story by mostly quoting Prince Harry or Prince William.

In another article presented in Dubai’s Khaleej Times, Prince Harry’s deployment is depicted in a similar way. In the Khaleej Times’ article “Britain Withdraws Prince Harry From Afghanistan,” the writer immediately places blame on the Internet leak that started the rumors about Prince Harry’s enlistment. Unlike CNN’s article, which presented only facts about the story, the Khaleej Times was quick to inform the readers of who is to be blamed. Fortunately enough, the article does include facts about the story and quote from Prince Harry. As a matter of fact, the article states that Prince Harry was “deployed to fight against the Taliban in December, seven months after