A Critical Study of Media Reaction to September 11 Essay example -- Se

September 11, 2001 A DAY OF INFAMY. So it was vehemently proclaimed in Time Magazines special issue dedicated to maven of the most tragic pointts in American History and arguably one of the most brutal acts of terrorism to date. America, in the spasms of a few hours, has become a changed country. Perhaps in an attempt to understand this change and come to grips with the ensuing crisis, more and more people are turning to the media for answers. Now more than ever, the media, videlicet television, radio, newspapers, and the internet, have become the most powerful tools in disseminating information relevant to this event. This is a truth we cannot escape. It would of course be nave to say that this information is unceasingly reliable and accurate. Beneath the surface there may be underlying messages which can serve to manipulate the public. We as individuals impoverishment to be aware of this reality. We need to be discerning with the information we take in, be able to circumsta ntially analyze it, and eventually make intelligent and informed judgements. Hence, to do a critical study of media culture with reference to the events transpiring after the September 11 attack, we need Cultural Studies. Cultural Studies gives us the methods for analyzing the media. It gives us the pedagogical tools necessary to critically interpret the media. It enables us to read cultural text against the grain by deconstructing it. In other words, it allows us to decode the encoded messages. An example of an encoded message could be the omnipresent NBC Peacock icon which has changed its rainbow colored wings to red, white and blue. Prior to this change, the constant presence of the logo at the bottom of the screen had made it almost covert... ...ake a quick buck by flaunting the flag on everything from a pin to clothing to various other patriotic paraphernalia. In many such cases the flag serves as a spectacle. Many billboards across town are an entire picture of the flag with no caption, thus creating a polysemic visual chassis evoking endless emotions and feelings in the viewer. From a cultural studies point of view, if one is to derive a lesson from all of this, it would be that we need to be educated in media literacy so that we can discern and discriminate between good media and bad. We should not be so nave as to blindly accept the subliminal or even sometimes overt messages conveyed through media. Instead, we need to critically decipher media messages and understand their overwhelming impact on our culture. Only then will we be authorize to make intelligent and informed judgements.