Synthesis Essay

Ahjaina Beard
Mrs. Lewis
IB/AP Language and Composition
11 November 2014
The Media and You The media draws the attention of millions of people around the world daily and with this major task the media displays positive influence onto its audience. When disasters happen the media is the first to let the people know what happened, how it happened, and lastly why it happened. Multiple sources prove the argument of the media positively playing a role on the effects of disasters. Everyone nowadays only see the media as bad thing but does not see the good that comes out of it. The media does its best to inform its audience about any type of disaster coming our way, “…prepare communities for disasters…” (Source A). Without the media we would not be as prepared for these things but people believe that the media glorifies the disaster when they are truly just trying to draw attention to how serious the disaster is. It is the medias job to enhance the audience knowledge of a certain epidemic not to leave them in the shadows to figure it out for themselves, “… have a responsibility to educate people and raise their awareness…”, (Source A). With source A the article amplifies the idea of media boosting information onto its audience in a positive way which indeed it does when it comes to helpful tips and early action for dodging these disasters. Without the media people today would be unprepared for disasters because their main source of information would not exist.
Not only was the job of the media was to inform, it was also designed to educate the audience on how to respond to things such as emergencies and natural disasters. The media knows exactly how hard a disaster may be and the damage it would create. As the years progress we rely on technology to inform us on everything which was forecasted in the 2002 Natural Disasters Roundtable forum, “…crucial role, making it possible to track potential disaster agents…”, (Source C). The forum stressed how media was an important channel for risk communications for the public. The media is fast and efficient which is something that is needed when you want to warn and protect people in a timely manner. As well as informing the public, media quickly alert the authorities so they can be prepared before and after the disasters. The media does more good than harm when it comes to disasters.
All good things come with something sour, the media job is to gain an audience and sometimes that job takes over the values that the media strives for. Emotions tend to attract a bigger audience so the media enjoy stories of tragedy, “And for years afterward….spectacle was repeated…” (Source B). Tragedies are things that the media enjoy to glorify, for example, 9/11 has become an anniversary that the media loves to recognize. 9/11 is something out country will never forget but this is used in a positive way to honor those that have lost their lives and the families that lost a loved one, “…their relatives are remembered...” (Source B). The media may come off as invasive and repeating something that we want to forget but we cannot forget things such as tragedies when it affects more than one person.
In conclusion, the media does positively influence the effects of natural disasters. The media does its job which is to inform and educate its audience. With minor setbacks the media does come off as strong and coldblooded sometimes but this is not on purpose.