Sunday, January 26, 2020

Portrayal Of American Upper Middle Class Teenagers Film Studies Essay

Portrayal Of American Upper Middle Class Teenagers Film Studies Essay I decided to write my mini extended essay on the issue of the portrayal of American upper middle class teenagers in cinema, because it is personally relevant to me, it provides insights about teens lives and how teens deal with issues, and I enjoy watching teen movies. Recently, I watched a film from a series of very popular teen movies that portrayed teens as vampires and wolves and I wondered to myself if the way teens are portrayed on the silver screen has been the same over the past few decades, the 80s, the 90s and the 00s. And if the way teens are portrayed in the movies is an accurate portrayal of upper middle class teens actual lives in America. The number of teen movies, a key demographic for movie makers, is very large, so I first had to narrow my choices. I decided to focus on three movies from each decade, but I also recognized that I could not just select any three teen movies. I wanted to select teen movies that in some way portrayed teen life in those years. I used a list of the 50 most popular teen movies of all time to select some of the most popular teen movies of these decades with the thought that the popularity of these movies, primarily with the teen audiences, would indicate that the movies actually spoke to teens. I chose the following movies: 1980s: The Breakfast Club (1985), Risky Business (1983), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) 1990s: Never Been Kissed (1999), American Pie (1999) and Clueless (1995) 2000s: Mean Girls (2004), Napoleon Dynamite (2004), Superbad (2007) The areas I will examine in terms of teen lifestyle are: parent-teen relationships, peer relationships, romantic relationships (sexuality and romantic love), and coming of age (issues of identity and overall maturity). The analysis focuses on the continuity and change in the depiction of these issues over the three decades of movies. The Portrayal of Parent- Teen relationships across the decades Parents play a vital role in a teenagers life and should be portrayed in teen films. The 80s through the three films showed uninvolved or uninterested parents in regards to their teenager, in matters outside of school. In the Breakfast Club all of the five teenagers had parents that only cared about grades, sports, money or didnt care at all. Teenagers in the 80s also put an effort to separate from his/her parents. In Risky Business (1983) a teenage boy has a weekend free from his overbearing parents. When his parents go out of town we see Tom Cruises character, Joel, partying, smoking, driving his dads Porsche, courting a hooker named Lana and fighting with her pimp. In this movie both of Joels parents are presented as the overly demanding type. In the five minute encounter between Joel and his parents at the beginning of the movie we hear his mother tell him to retake the SATs over again because his scores werent high enough. Then his father scolds him for touching his stereo but n ot putting it back exactly as it was before, followed by the familiar phrase, My house, my rules. In the end, Joel triumphs and gets into Princeton but through his own ingenuity and not by following the path imposed by his parents. He did it by taking control of his own life, rejecting their values, and taking some risks The 90s portrayed observant parents that were willing to help, but awkward in their interactions. American Pie (1999), the most successful teen movie of the 90s portrayed parents as either very lenient or completely unaware of their son Jims activities (he has sex in his bedroom while they are downstairs). His father understands that his son is interested in sex, but is very awkward in his ways to advise him. In the 00s movies portrayed mixed parenting styles such as, the caring and involved parents or the laissez affaire parents. In Mean Girls Cadys parents were caring and involved in her life, but Reginas mom was more hip and let the girls do what they pleased. In Superbad (2007) and Napoleon Dynamite(2004) parents were not existent and uninvolved. So from the 80s to 00s all three decades showed that teenagers have attitudes and values different from their parents. However, the parental traits that they despised have changed from rigid, conservative, authoritarianism, to ignorant, irresponsible and awkward. In addition, the nature of the struggle has evolved from an external struggle for power to a more internal intellectual journey for the adolescent to accept their parents flaws, to offer forgiveness and to realize that they are not destined to follow in their footsteps. Peer Relationships The teenagers concern with their peers is a theme in found in most teen movies. Regularly presented is the adolescents desire to expose the flawed nature of the high school clique system and to discover the meaning of true friendship. In some movies the basis for popularity is never explicitly presented, it is just noted that some youth are popular, others are not, and that cruelty, and conflict accompany these differences in status. In the Breakfast Club (1985) we see that status divisions are superficial and painful, not only to the unpopular but to the popular kids as well. They resolve in the end to see each other as more than their one dimensional profiles (princess, criminal, basket case, jock and brain). In Never Been Kissed (1999) we see how an undercover reporter rejects her initial friends for popularity but then later realize that popularity is unimportant and that it is better off to be friends that accept her for who she is. The same theme is found in Mean Girls (2004) ( with Cadys character) and in Napoleon Dynamite (2004). In Napoleon Dynamite (2004), the antagonist Napoleon is uninterested in popularity but instead lives by doing what he wants to do. He befriends a Mexican immigrant named Pedro and helps him run for Class president, in doing so he becomes popular. So in the 00s friendship will beat popularity any day. Romantic Relationships and Sexual Activity An interesting theme in teen films is the preoccupation with sex (losing ones virginity in particular) and the presentation of romantic relationships as being much more than sex. Youth in the films watched appear to simultaneously obsess about sex and yet reject it as being all important. Losing ones virginity is perhaps one of the most consistent ideas in teen movies, one that clearly transcends time. One of the central themes in American Pie (1999) is the drive for teenage boys to have sex. However, it isnt always the boys that work so hard to lose their virginity. In Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Stacy the young and inexperienced teenage girl becomes so preoccupied with losing her virginity that she dates several guys and ends up getting an abortion. While sex did not play a major role in some movies such as The Breakfast Club (1985), Never Been Kissed (1999) and Napoleon Dynamite (2004) most movies repeatedly emphasized the importance of sex and the appropriateness of sex for teenagers: You are 15 years old, What are you waiting for? (Fast Times at Ridgemont High 1982) You are a woman, you are ready for sex! (American Pie 1999) While many movies offered shallow or even silly stereotypes of hormone ridden teenagers, most displayed the more substantive, tender side of teenage love. It appears that American Pie (1999), is known for its crude and immature portrayal of adolescent sexuality (e.g. a teenage boy has sex with an apple pie because his friends described female genitalia as being like warm apple pie). However, even this movie has a few reasonable moments where the boys, who were in a race to lose their virginity, realize that sex isnt as important as they made it out to be. They also come to understand the importance of honesty, discretion, and true feelings in not only a relationship but sexual activity as well. In general, whether sex is presented or not, characters repeatedly emphasize the importance of finding a love interest that is based on real compatibility and commitment. This theme is also found in Clueless (1995) and Never Been Kissed (1999) Coming of Age (issues of identity and overall maturity) In all movies teens struggle with challenges that often symbolize the leap to maturity. However, the most notable change in the coming of age theme is the sense of accomplishment. In earlier films the challenge presented is usually met with the implication that an important step toward adulthood had been taken. However, in more recent films there is considerably less clarity in whether the teenager made a transition from adolescent to adult. In some cases it was made clear that the transition to adulthood had not occurred but rather concludes with the question, Whats the hurry? In these instances the realization is that adulthood shouldnt be forced at such a young age. Here we see indications of the extension of adolescence and social acceptance of delayed maturity. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) displays a mixture of the pursuit of adult status combined with the message that it is perhaps an unrealistic and hard to achieve goal for teenagers. In Fast Times, the teenagers repeatedly try to be adults and engage in what they consider to be adult behaviors. Brad works hard to have responsibility at a fast food restaurant because he wants to feel grown up. Stacy wants to have sex so she can be a woman. Throughout the film we see youth struggling to be adults even though their efforts are presented as misguided and in some cases silly. In the end they come to some decisions about themselves. Most become successful (e.g. Brad becomes assistant manager when he foils a stick up). In addition, Stacy proclaims in the end, I finally figured it out! as she relays that she doesnt want just sex but a more meaningful romantic relationship. While the youth display a sense of accomplishment the way their efforts are presented, and even the title, Fast Times suggest that maybe these teens are trying to grow up too fast. This perspective becomes the normal view of adolescence presented in the movies from the 1990s on. In American Pie (1999) two youth agonize over how to answer the college entrance exam question What is your most emotionally significant moment? The girl says How am I supposed to know what my most emotionally significant moment is? I have no idea what I want to doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Thank God, I thought I was the only one. In another scene in American Pie the boys acknowledge their confusion about what they want and where they are going. One boy says, I dont know what Im doing, but the movie ends happily as they all agree they arent supposed to know. They say, You cant plan everything and then they toast to right now and the next step. Plots regularly talked about how you cant control things, cant plan, things never work out the way you expect so why bother? The youth try to embrace this venture into the unknown and tie it into their decision to pass on identity closure. They dont know who they are but that is all right. On a Side Note: The portrayal of drug usage such as alcohol, marijuana and tobacco. In the 80s there seemed to be common casual use of alcohol and tobacco in every type of setting but marijuana use was uncommon or experimental. In the Breakfast Club (1985) the teens smoked the weed that the criminal had brought, for the other teens, this was their first time. They used weed as a way to relax and bond but it was obvious that they dont usually encounter weed. The use of tobacco could really be noted as common in these films also. In Risky Business (1983) almost all characters smoked cigarettes occasionally. In the 90s the use of alcohol and tobacco stayed casual but marijuana transformed from a experimental drug to a more widely used recreational drug. This can be seen in Clueless (1995) during one of the house party scenes where the main character Cher casually smokes a marijuana cigarette offered by a classmate. The 00s portrayed many changes in drug use, alcohol became much harder to obtain and tob acco use turned unpopular, however marijuana use is still prevalent. In Superbad (2007) the antagonists have to resort to using fake identification and stealing to acquire alcohol for a friends party. Another commonality that I noted in these teen movies across the decades, are topics that they did not deal with. These include topics such as violence, suicide and death, teen pregnancy and parenthood, drug addiction, financial difficulties and other serious situations. These films deal with well-off upper middle class teens with plenty of opportunities, limited by their own insecurities. Conclusion

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Islam, Christianity, Judaism: Compared Essay

In the past decade, Muslims have been in the front pages of newspapers for militancy, from Palestinian intifadah (uprising) in the West Bank to Hezbollah’s armed warfare against the Israeli military forces. The most dramatic being the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States by the Al Qaeda. This attack later on spawned â€Å"suicide† bombings in London, Indonesia and elsewhere around the globe. To date, the Al Qaeda remains active albeit possibly weakened and its leaders on the run. Its alleged associate groups such as the Jemaah Islamiya (in Indonesia) and Abu Sayyaf (in the Philippines) also remains active and continue to battle government forces in their respective countries. The Taliban continue their armed resistance in Afghanistan where they once held the reins of government. Undoubtedly, it is their faith that fuels the militancy of these groups. Whatever political motivations they may have in their struggle is underpinned and premised on their religious beliefs. Islam, Christianity, Judaism: Compared Judaism, Christianity and Islam claim to be monotheistic and worship one God. They claim a common ancestry through Abraham and share the prophetic tradition through Moses and the prophets. They all believe in angels and angelic activity in behalf of man. They believe in divine revelation and the last judgment. All adopt laces of worship and teaching, Judaism the Synagogue, Christianity the Church and Islam the Mosque. They place a heavy emphasis on prayer and hold special weekly days of worship, Judaism the Sabbath, Christians the Lord’s Day (or Sunday) and Islam the day of Salat (or Friday). (A Christian Comparison With and Evaluation of Islam, 2007). With these similarities, where lies the source of militancy and steadfastness of the Muslim mujahideen and jihadists? Why would a devout Muslim sacrifice himself in bombing military and civilian targets? The main area of theological difference pertains to the Christians’ (particularly the Catholics) concept of Holy Trinity. Christians see God has having three persons – God the Father, God the Son (or Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Muslims and Jews are simple monotheists and believe in one God, called Allah and Yahweh respectively. Both the Jews and Muslims see Jesus as man and not God but they differ in perceiving the significance of Jesus’ life. To the Jews, Jesus was an ordinary Jew (not divine) who crucified for claiming to be the Messiah. Muslims also see Jesus as a human (not divine) but that he was a prophet, a messenger of God (Qur’an, 5:17; as cited in Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, 2007). Furthermore, Muslims say that Jesus was not crucified, but was raised to Heaven by Allah (Qur’an, 4:157 – 158; as cited in Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, 2007). In addition, the Holy Spirit is also seen differently. It is a divine power given to the prophets according to the Jews. Muslims view the Holy Spirit identical with the Angel Gabriel who came to give God’s message to Muhammad. Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, 2007) Islam: An Overview Islam is a monotheistic religion that originated from the teachings of Muhammad. The word Islam means totally surrendering oneself to Allah (God). The word Islam is derived from the Arabic aslama which means to accept, surrender or submit. Its fundamental theological concept is that there is only one God (Allah). (Islam, 2007) An adherent or believer of Islam is known as a Muslim. Islam originated in Arabia in the early seventh century. At around this time, Muhammad had begun to proselytize. As of today, there are two major denominations of Islam, namely the Sunni and the Shi’a (or Shiite). The schism took place in the seventh century on the issue of rightful succession in the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community. Islam instructs that all faiths essentially have one common message: the existence of a Supreme Being, the one and only God. It teaches that God’s Sovereignty must acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments. These teachings and commandments are conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history. (Zahid, 2004) In this regard, Muslim’s believe that God delivered his final message for humanity to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. Muhammad is a prophet. He is man and not a god although being a prophet, he is closest to perfection of man. (Islam, 2007) Muslims believe that some prophets, even though human, are able to perform miracles to prove their claim of being messengers of God. In this light, Muslims consider Jesus as just one in the long line of prophets since Adam. The central religious text of Islam is the Qur’an that was written down by Muhammad’s companions while he was still alive. Nevertheless, the Muslims believe that the Qur’an is not simply holy scripture; it is the holy word of God. Hence, the words and meaning of God’s message can best be understood in Arabic, the language of Muhammad. Also, Muslims all over learn to recite portions of the Qur’an in its original language. (Islam: A Worldwide Religion and Its Impact in Southeast Asia, 2007) Qur’an literally means â€Å"recitation†. While the Christian Bible has been translated into as many languages as possible, the Muslims see differently. Any translation is simply considered as a commentary or interpretation of the Qur’an due to language differences and fallibility of the translators. It is also impossible to preserve the original’s inspired (by God) style. A supplement to the Qur’an is the Hadith (meaning â€Å"reports†). The Hadith is a complete and authentic record of the life of Muhammad. It recounts his words, actions and personal characteristics. (Zahid, 2004) Muslims are encouraged to emulate Muhammad in their daily life. They are to follow the Sunnah (literally, â€Å"trodden path†), Muhammad’s normative example. Five Pillar of Islam Obligatory actions are required of Muslims and these are collectively called the Five Pillars of Islam. Cline (2007) wrote, â€Å"Unlike Christianity, Islam is founded on orthopraxy (right action) rather than orthodoxy (right belief)†. The Five Pillars are ritual acts of worship. These were ordained in the Qur’an as a means to discipline humanity to remember God constantly. (Zahid, 2004) First is the declaration of faith or shahadah. This is expressed in the statement â€Å"Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu†. The English translation is â€Å"I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger†. (Shahadah: Declaration of Faith, 2007) Second is prayer or salat. This is offered five times a day because the prayers cannot be said all at the same time. As a result, they create a rhythm that structures a Muslim’s day. Prayers are to be recited at fajr (after dawn but before sunrise), duhr (early afternoon till late afternoon), ‘asr (later afternoon till sunset), maghrib (just after sunset), isha (late evening till late at night). The prayers are recited in the Arabic language. They consist of verses from the Qur’an. The third pillar is alms-giving or zakat. In Islam, man holds wealth as a trust from God. As trustee, possessions must be used wisely including sharing with the unfortunate. In practice, Muslims are required to annually give a fixed amount of excess personal assets for the benefit of the poor, the sick and the welfare of the community. Zahid (2004) calls this â€Å"purification of wealth†. Sharing, through zakat, becomes an act of purifying not just the wealth but also the giver for having disciplined oneself against greed through selflessness. Fourth is fasting or sawm. The fourth pillar actually refers to self-purification through fasting. Every Muslim fasts from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It involves abstinence from eating, drinking, smoking and marital intercourse. Sawm is a reminder of the believers’ dependence on God as well as their kinship with others who involuntarily fast due to lack of food or its unjust distribution. (Zahid, 2004) The last pillar is piligrimage or hajj. All Muslim should undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life. The hajj is a ritual to create a single community out of the diversity of the believers. Hence, ten kilometers away from Mecca, all pilgrims are required to wear the same clothing, which consists of two white seamless sheets.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Democratic Trends Essay

It is inevitable for things to change. The trends in American change daily. There are various factors that influence change. There are many political and economic events and trends that effect the human services field. One of the events that have affected the U.S. is the recession. The recession has caused a trickle down affect. There has also issue with financial budgets. The deficits are attached to various resources that help countless communities throughout the U.S. A few of the demographic trends that have cause change are the aging and healthcare act. There are both good and bad changes that happens in life, and the human service field adapts to that change. We have seem dramatic changes in our government. The political events that effect human services have an outcome that may not be what’s best for the people that are effect. This change in politics have affected millions of Americans that depend on the government system. Minority groups that are recipients of programs that are funded by the government are the ones that are most affected when the government faces distress. The future of human services is always at the edge when crisis arise. The way politicians run their itinerary is by making decisions to what seems convenient for them at the time. Politics is about taking care of one thing at a time and what does not seem important are often left undone. The future of human services faces crisis daily. Budgets are always slash to fix other areas of need. Human services providers are the ones that are in charge of being the voice of the less fortunate pleading to the government to change laws in favor of those in need. If the government does not budget the finances available there is a risk of bankruptcy. Bankruptcy will terminates food stamps, medical, section 8, and many other programs that assist families in need. The future of human services is in limbo it will take for our government to prioritize and put families first. Political Trends that Effect Human Services There are various political event that effect the human services field. One particular event that stands out was the U.S. government shut down due to the recession. The shutdown of government agencies which fund the countless resources and organizations was detrimental to the citizens. There was a boost in varying agencies for those seeking assistance. Some of the organization only assist one specific need. But the consumers requires various aid for needs that may or may not overlap. Some of those needs are general public assistance, unemployment, food stamps, and homelessness. According to â€Å"Human Services in a time of Crisis† studies have shown that food stamp caseloads have a strong correlation to the unemployment rate. It also states a poor economy with high unemployment typically spurs an increase in demand for public assistance (HSTC p. 4). Food stamps are usually the first part of government assistance sought after. Food Stamps are the first part of security for fam ilies in the program for which most applicants are eligible. Government Cuts and Its Consequences The significant cuts made to human services program operating budgets do not promise well for the vulnerable families who are seeking assistance or for their communities. There were various cuts made by government officials to help Americans, but some will cause more damage. The budget cuts to unemployment for instance, means millions of Americans could be left without their sole source of income while they look for work according to U.S.A. Today. About 3.6 million Americans would have become eligible for the program in 2014, in addition to those facing an immediate end to the assistance. The millions that have to survive without unemployment will seek aid through human services agencies throughout the United States. Although homelessness have decreased slightly, there is still an extraordinary need for homes for those experiencing homelessness. According to The State of Homelessness in America (2013), â€Å"The national rate of homelessness was 20 homeless people per 10,000 people in the general population and the rate for veterans was 29 homeless veterans per 10,000 veterans in the general population† (para. 1). Society Facing Economic and Demographic Insecurities As changes are growing, so is the instability of clients that are coping with  depression, anxiety, mental disabilities, and the elderly population. As the country continues in an era of economic insecurity, Americans living close or lower than the poverty line are more at risk. Nonetheless, the assistance they need to acquire jobs, housing, healthcare, or provide for their children is less likely as agencies face impending financial problems of their own. The economic decline began at the end of 2007 subsequently resulting in increased lay-offs, unemployment and underemployment, foreclosures, retirement income and savings loss, and a drop in the value of real estates, placing a larger demand for services on federal, state, and local human service systems. These service delivery systems faced shortages and budget complications of their own. Human service professionals must learn to efficiently and effectively negotiate and bridge this economic gap while meeting their agency’s potentials and needs, respecting their clients and assisting them towards betterment. Economic trend also relating to the production, development, and management of material wealth. Trends will involve jobs, housing, children, and health care. Economic impacts the human services department dealing with the wellbeing of children in many ways, mainly because of all the budget cuts. For example, school is one of the many trends. Teachers are around there students at least 30 hours they’re considered the third parent, good teachers help to mentor their children to become more productive and motivates them to become lifelong learners. Teachers have the training and incite to notice incidence of child sexually, mental and physical abuse. It is the teacher’s responsibility to warn human service of the danger that the child might encou nter. The use of managed care by human service is defined as a set of tools to manage resources and the delivery of human services in the areas of health and mental health care (Woodside, 2011). The impact of managed care organization does not only position a risk to human service values and practice, but also generate an ethical dilemma. Managed care allows the human service profession to develop its professional field increasing from advocating and aftercare for the indigent, severe and chronic mentally ill to providing private non-medical psychotherapy. One challenge of the human service profession is how to sustain improvements within a profession that is characterized by an overlying of roles and functions, and the challenge to meeting the demands of managed care organizations as well as the preservation of values and  ethical practices which make the profession distinctive. The human service profession would need to develop tools to maintaining stability between the needs of clients and the demands of the managed care organizations. Aging in American, which is another demographic trend has taken a toll on society in dealing with housing, confronting death, dying and depression. As the number of elderly people increase, the more help from human services will be required in dealing with their health and living situations. Most elderly men and women will not be financial stable and unable to provide for themselves. The demographic trends targets a diverse population that is in need of strategies and intervention plans to be able to succeed daily. The more communities grow there will be fewer opportunities for the majority of the people to get jobs to support their families. People rely on human services for a boost dealing with unemployment, food, or even help finding better jobs. Human service professionals can also provide assistance to those who are cop ing with trauma from terrorism, disasters, and other traumatic events. Accounts of trauma and violence are characteristically entwined with histories of substance abuse and/or mental health disorders. A few examples are the 9/11 bombing which killed a lot of people and also left many hurt emotional and physical. The effects that terrorism has on people could either be long term (installs fear) or short term (traumatization). Hurricane Katrina, which left everybody in destruction and homelessness. A traumatic event could even include a serious car crash. Societal changes can only begin when an extensive network of service providers integrate their knowledge, resources, and services to the economic and demographic trends within their communities. Conclusion Demographic trends reveal developments and changes in human population (Melva Wilson, 2014). As America is aging we are able to see the changes in human services. Technology has taken over and providers are able to service clients in a more effective and quicker way than a decade ago. As the population grows, the problems in America are also growing. The delivery of services through human services have change and more changes will be implemented in the future. Human services does not only focus on delivering services to the less fortunate, they also have to assure that funds are available to service clients. There will always be changes that will benefit  society and changes that will make their life more complicated. References County Welfare Directors Association of California. (2009). Retrieved from www.cwda.org Grovum, J., (2013). Stateline Unemployment Benefits. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com National Alliance to End Homelessness (2013). Retrieved from http://www.endhomelessness.org National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from www.socialworkers.org National Organization for Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org Stein, S., (2013). Government Shutdown’s Impact Detailed in Report. Retrieved from TheHuffingtonPost.com Woodside, M. & McClam, T. (2011). An Introduction to human services. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Elections, Campaigns, and Politics - 619 Words

It is the year 2014 and the media plays a significant role on informing the public on elections and campaigns and politics; although, the public is in constant need of new information from the media, there is an underlying distrust in the American population on the media for false campaigning covered and which can be perceived as media bias. There are countless of misconceptions on how the government can and does influence the media and equally how the influence media has on the government. Moreover, the media aids in the persuasion of what the voters should care about in elections and what foundation they should use to evaluate the candidates. There is a reoccurring relationship between the government, media, and the public; meanwhile, the media on occasion shape the public’s opinion in their favor and it has an even more important role on influencing the voters on what issue to focus on rather than influencing them on what to think about on the issues. Additionally, the medi a has the power to categorize what are â€Å"important problems† and whatever they feel the public should be more concerned with. A vast majority of the public are unaware on how huge of a role the government has in the media. The media’s public officials are the sources in the news that help the government decide the media’s content. 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