The Influencing Machine
The whole discussion on the Influencing Machine majorly addresses the encounters of the mainstream media in undertaking their day to day roles. The Influencing Machine is said to have been started from the time of the invention of writing and will end approximately in the year 2045. It has gone through various changes dating back to two Millenniums, from Caesars Rome to the Penny Press of the American Insurrection and currently the synchronous journalism (Tausk " Victor,534). The overview of the Influencing Machine is discussed in summary below;
Major Issues in the Book
The major issues discussed in the book by Gladstone comprise bias, Objectivity misinformation, ethos and great concentration on war reporting ( Oppegaard " Brett,193). Mass media is depicted as being generally widespread with stratagem theories and therefore demands are leveled against them that their powers be repressed. The public generally has little or totally no faith in the journalist's reasons being that the Media are generally attention seekers and want to be popular therefore making them indulge in unethical acts like airing the most dramaturgical, extraordinary and visual stunning because the public is for them. They therefore eliminate or intentionally add some information to the original story to make them stand out and be of attraction to the public. Gladstone discredits the common perception that the Media is a driving force beyond our limitation she argues contrarily however that the media is generally a mirror, though at times really prejudiced, manifesting the societies beliefs and morals at large.
Questions about the Influencing Machine
In conclusion, there are numerous questions that we should ask ourselves in relation to the Influencing Machine; I will just but highlight a few. The first question is; how can we ensure that our blooming as moral and social animals keep in touch with the speedy advancing communication technology? Secondly, how do technology and social media influence people’s concentration? And finally, does technology expand or limit our worldview? The questions are very important hence needs to be addressed.
Works Cited
Oppegaard, Brett. "A Review of “The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media” Brooke Gladstone and Josh Neufeld (illustrator) 192 pages New York, New York: Norton• 2011 $16.95." (2012): 192-194.
Tausk, Victor. "On the origin of the “influencing machine” in schizophrenia." The Psychoanalytic Quarterly 2.3-4 (1933): 519-556.
