History of Media Effects

1. Consider the history of media effects presented in Chapter 3. Choose one historic media fount that has occurred in the country of your choice. How has your chosen historical media event subject up a larger discourse about a social discommode? Did the issue create conversion or reinforcement of usual opinion about the social issue represented in the media event? Support your answer with reference from the text. With reference to the case of Mas Selamat Kastari who was believed to be tough in the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) group in plotting terrorism activities in capital of capital of Singapore much(prenominal) as crashing a plane into Changi Airport .He was Singapores just about wanted fugitive for to a greater extent than a year after escaping from hold on 27 February 2008. Since then, it was thelargest manhunt ever carried out in Singapore, furthermore day-to-day local newspapers, TV news report, posters overly tried to raise populace awareness about Mas Selamat through r epeated news coverage. Hence, with the aid of can media, Mas Selamat was certainly the hottest topic everywhere and eventu all(prenominal)y became the historical media event that undetermined up a larger discourse about terrorism which was a social issue ever since 1963.In the early 80s, the government activity had implemented a series of measures to replica terrorism in Singapore and after 1991 Singapore has not experience any terrorism therefore resulting in the citizens let down their guard and eventually the issue on terrorism was taken lightly. With reference to agenda setting theory which explains the powerful influence troop media have in telling us what issues are important, the case of Mas Selamat involving the extensive usage of mass media had successfully trigger the fear in the minds of the citizens and the issue on terrorism(security matters) became increasingly important during that period of time.Many citizens wrote in to Straits multiplication claiming that th e government deserved to be blamed for the escape of Mas Selamat and if terrorism exit to happen in Singapore. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew responded to the Straits propagation Mas Selamat Kastari was an escape artist who had evaded arrest many times, and Singapores security officers knew this, when you are complacent in handling a wily detainee, then you have been negligent. He also added that, complacency sets in when people have not suffered any stripe or setback for a long time and Singaporeans are being complacent when they believe that the Government will take care of all security matters. PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak referred complacency as a side-effect of an overly successful Government and civil service. (Straits Times, 2008). From this historical media event, we can see the impact of media in creating conversion of the overt opinion. The publics attitude towards terrorism (security matters) changed from a dependent on the government to a self-dependent one after the escape o f Mas Selamat .Furthermore, according to the public opinions on Singapore forum after the capture of Mas Selamat in 2009, although some were pipe down debating on whether is the Government of Singapore doing enough to protect us from terrorism, however majority strongly believed that Singaporeans should not delude ourselves into thinking that our government is inerrable as our government can only do so much-implementing counter terrorism measures, awareness posters and videos in train stations and public transports .Hence, the more relevant questions to ask ourselves atomic number 18 we Singaporeans doing enough to protect ourselves from terrorism? Are we coming together as one nation to do our case service in learning and protecting our country, life and property? The citizens of Singapore should not just solely rely on the government exactly also play our part in preventing the threat of terrorism.