Introduction
The assessment of media coverage and its perception from the public’s perspective has generated an understanding of how a message can be interpreted differently. The example examined was the TikTok ban’s coverage due to the lack of data security that the Chinese government could access on demand. The current paper is an overview of the importance of objective media and an illustration of political agendas that shape how a message is shared depending on the affiliation of the news outlets.
Media Literacy
Researching media coverage of news has majorly impacted my understanding of the information-sharing process. Media literary as a concept relates to the analysis of the message, and the examination of the TikTok ban coverage highlighted how a message can be transmitted differently. A significant impact is the political affiliation of the platforms, as left-leaning outlets were against the ban while far-leaning ones were pro-ban. Researchers highlight that one’s political affiliation shapes information as per the political goal (Freelon et al., 2020). From the media literacy perspective, the research has helped me understand how to see information without the bias being added by the platforms covering it.
My view has shifted concerning how I analyze a message in the context of media literacy. As highlighted prior, I understood that perceiving the message differs from understanding its nature. Researchers provide the example of scientific literacy in which the audience does not understand the meaning of a message due to its complexity (Rosenthal, 2020). On the other hand, news is provided comprehensively, yet unlike scientific articles, media articles can be biased. The TikTok ban can be shared so that the restrictions are indirectly supported or argued against. Seeing the information while avoiding the subjective connotation is, in itself, media literacy.
Media Outlets Persuasion
The project has changed my perspective on how media outlets persuade audiences to view their content. On the one hand, researchers highlight that media that is considered biased is less likely to be reported as trustworthy (Han et al., 2022). On the other hand, platforms shape the way they transmit their messages based on what the audiences want to hear. A left-leaning audience is likelier to have TikTok and enjoy using the platform. A right-leaning audience is more conservative and likely apprehensive of foreign threats. As a result, liberal media portrays a message that is more likely to persuade the audience that wants to hear that the ban is damaging. Simultaneously, a conservative audience is persuaded by a message that fits their agenda. In this case, persuasion is less about influence and more about generating a message that will resonate with the target consumer.
Media Organizations and Initiatives
Both international and national media organizations are established to generate media literacy. As highlighted previously, literacy is not directly associated with understanding the content but rather relates to the ability to separate information from opinions. An international organization that directly impacts literacy is International Media Support (IMS). Literacy is achieved through the support of independent media, as it is less likely to have an agenda and more likely to be informative (IMS, 2023). For example, the organization would encourage journalists to grow platforms based on informational content without a persuasive connotation about the TikTok ban news.
The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) can be mentioned regarding national organizations. It affects literacy by representing all Americans rather than a specific demographic in terms of news coverage (USAGM, 2023). Hence, the information is objectively portrayed, which is one of the organization’s primary goals. People can get involved in the projects above by supporting them, becoming volunteers, and advertising them.
One of the projects of USAGM is the Open Technology Fund, which supports free expression. Another initiative is Voice of America, which supports independent media. To become a contractor or affiliate and support the initiative, individuals can contact via the organization’s official website.
Media literacy can be improved by supporting independent journalism. This will minimize bias and create platforms in which information is objective—the Voice of America project (USAGM, 2023). Audiences are to have access to creators whose main objective is translating the news without persuading an audience to be affiliated with a specific political agenda.
Conclusion
During the research, it became inevitable that the media platforms shape messages so that their audiences will be satisfied with the content. Persuasion takes the nature of fitting an agenda rather than impacting new demographics and attracting them. Hence, independent journalism must be maximized with various international and national organizations supporting professionalism and unbiased news coverage.
References
Freelon, D., Marwick, A., & Kreiss, D. (2020). False equivalencies: Online activism from left to right. Science, 369(6508), 1197–1201. Web.
Han, R., Xu, J., & Pan, D. (2022). How media exposure, media trust, and media bias perception influence public evaluation of COVID-19 pandemic in international metropolises. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 3942. Web.
IMS. (2023). International Media Support: Good journalism. Better societies. Media Support. Web.
Rosenthal, S. (2020). Media Literacy, scientific literacy, and science videos on the internet. Frontiers in Communication, 5. Web.
USAGM. (2023). United States Agency for Global Media. Web.