Media’s Role in Global Issues

Image of the title “Media’s Role in Global Issues” on a navy background with a blue wavy divider on the right. Triple wavy purple lines across the image above the title.

What has caught my interest in activism, advocacy, policy, and communications is how the media plays a big role in crafting our narratives surrounding different expectations and issues. As someone who always raises the question of why current situations exist, in many cases, the idea of what is the narrative surrounding different issues to different audiences is a recurring answer. The interesting part is that the people who are making the decisions are either crafting narratives to fit their goals or utilizing current narratives and perceptions to aid their goals.

Media is a major consumption of information for the general public that people shape their thoughts, beliefs, and learnings to go about their day. It is also a tool to start a conversation about what is being discussed. However, it can be the driving force for people’s actions for different issues. In some ways, it can be a positive force to allow people to learn about an experience that is underrepresented to contribute to moving forward to a more sustainable and inclusive society. In other ways, it can create and/or solidify the divide that maintains the issues that exist.

Understanding the audiences you want to attract to build momentum and attract audiences towards shifting the change in a positive direction is important to the sustainability of the movement. Finding who is willing to partner with you to build awareness, who is the audience that is resistant to the change, and what audience aligns with your perspective but needs tools, resources, and motivation to take action along with you is critical to the success.

Media and narratives can have negative perceptions, especially with the current algorithms giving people what is within their comfort zone instead of the opportunity to learn. However, it can also spark positive conversations and opportunities to contribute to the larger conversation if utilizing different communications strategies and approaches to showcase your message.

It is not going to happen overnight. However, planting the seeds of information, connections, and purpose to the conversation will allow change to happen overtime. It will be more impactful if two concepts are maintained throughout the years. First is adjusting to the changing times to continue making an impact on the public. Second is continuing to engage with the public, especially with stakeholders and growing those connections to grow the impact overtime.

Amanda