The Media Helps to Construct National Identity and Loyal National Subjects. Discuss.
The media helps to construct national identity and loyal national subjects. Discuss.
Introduction
In the twenty first century, the media has been transformed into a highly influential tool and segmented to aspects such as print, broadcast, film, outdoor and internet etc. The relationship between the media and construction of national identity is apparent with distinctive representation of nationalism in news coverage of politics, celebrations, tourism and country heritage (Leong, 2001).
National identity is the transmission of each generation’s legacy to the next and the enabling of the nation citizen to take pride and identification of the country (Stephan, 2009). A nation positive unique identity breeds patriotism which consequently result in loyalty when one can relate and acknowledge his country easily. Therefore the constructed national identity and culture forces us to acknowledge the artificiality of the nationality when the idea presented is too abstract to imagine and distant to identify.
Hence, with the help of media, the government employs concrete symbols to personify, reify and objectify the nation (Kertzer, 1988). Material objects such as flag, flower, food and products help to create a national identity and at the same time instill loyalty and belongings to the nation’s subjects by providing easily identified collectivity for the citizens. Such distinctive visual icons create a sense of belonging to the citizen and thus infuse and reinforce the national subject’s loyalty (Foster, 1991). Whereas images and symbols of explicit nationalism are constructive, what is more significant is the role of the news media in encouraging coherent recognition with the nation (Stephan, 2009).
This result in the nation being a commodity to be consumed when the government establishes culture related institutes to invent, promote or revive objects, images and act that are said to represent the nation. These commodities will be packaged and marketed via the media
Introduction
In the twenty first century, the media has been transformed into a highly influential tool and segmented to aspects such as print, broadcast, film, outdoor and internet etc. The relationship between the media and construction of national identity is apparent with distinctive representation of nationalism in news coverage of politics, celebrations, tourism and country heritage (Leong, 2001).
National identity is the transmission of each generation’s legacy to the next and the enabling of the nation citizen to take pride and identification of the country (Stephan, 2009). A nation positive unique identity breeds patriotism which consequently result in loyalty when one can relate and acknowledge his country easily. Therefore the constructed national identity and culture forces us to acknowledge the artificiality of the nationality when the idea presented is too abstract to imagine and distant to identify.
Hence, with the help of media, the government employs concrete symbols to personify, reify and objectify the nation (Kertzer, 1988). Material objects such as flag, flower, food and products help to create a national identity and at the same time instill loyalty and belongings to the nation’s subjects by providing easily identified collectivity for the citizens. Such distinctive visual icons create a sense of belonging to the citizen and thus infuse and reinforce the national subject’s loyalty (Foster, 1991). Whereas images and symbols of explicit nationalism are constructive, what is more significant is the role of the news media in encouraging coherent recognition with the nation (Stephan, 2009).
This result in the nation being a commodity to be consumed when the government establishes culture related institutes to invent, promote or revive objects, images and act that are said to represent the nation. These commodities will be packaged and marketed via the media