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  • Essay / Culture and the Power of Media and Popular Culture

    Media and popular culture are undoubtedly powerful, possessing substantial agency and influence in society. According to Sarwar (2008, p189) “information is power”. “Communication media” (Thompson, 1995) are very important to modern society, because their large audience and wide availability enable the effective transmission of information. This gives considerable power and agency to the media industry, as it is arguably the only form of communication between the public and the original source of information, such as the state. Indeed, popular culture also enjoys power and agency within society, as it can determine the common and accepted aspects of a national and global culture. John Thompson (1995, p. 4) argues that the “communication media” hold significant power. He argues that the media possess considerable influence in modern society, giving them significant agency (Thompson, 1995, p10). Thompson (1995, p5) argues that communication media have been a powerful force behind social interaction and relationships, formulating new "ways of interacting with others and with oneself" (Thompson, 1995, p4) . Indeed, in the digital age, Thompson's argument can be compared to the power of media in the world of the Internet, highlighting the formation of new social interactions in a place where individuals do not need to be physically present to communicate and debate. . Therefore, it is clear that elements of media and popular culture, such as social networking sites, gain significant agency and power. The power of the media is clearly evident in the agency given to news broadcasters. As a place from which the general public's information is traditionally obtained, news broadcasts have the meaning of paper......the status of information and the concept of celebrity. Popular culture and media are deeply rooted in contemporary society. Strongly influenced by modernity and the process of modernization, the importance of these models is constantly evolving. Indeed, the power and agency granted to the media and elements of popular culture evolve in the same way, as the society they represent evolves politically and economically. Walter Cronkite argued that the task of a journalist is “only to hold up the mirror, to tell and show to the public what happened” (Groeling, 2008, p633). However, this concept also fully applies to media and popular culture, because ultimately these cultural phenomena are a reflection of the society in which they are closely related. Media and popular culture are constantly evolving and transforming, reflecting the societies of which they are the very product..