A few months ago, my friend's daughter called me to ask about studying in the United States. When I was asked to answer her some questions, I could not help feeling shocked because her questions sounded absurd. She wondered if she would be safe or not because she had heard living in the State would be dangerous because many people in the States have guns. Although it might be true that some have guns in the States, but I felt that media, espeically newspapers and magazines, are to blame for her prejudice toward the specific country. Therefore, believing all facts from newspapers and magazines is a short-cut to fall into a misconception because newspapers' reports are sometimes inaccurate, and there are many other reliable sources to get information about the country.
The first problem of getting information about a country solely based on the reports from newspapers and magazines is that they intentionally exaggerate some events or shed light on negative aspects in order to increase readership. Just as other commercial companies, newspapers also should make money to operate their systems. In addition, now the competition among newspapers and magazines is becoming more fierce than before because of the advent of Internet, in this environment, it is inevitable for them to often use hyperbole or focus on the harsh realities of other countires' life so as to survive the competitive media market. As I have illustrated in introduction, the girl's stereotype came from various newspapers and magizines. Those who have ever lived in the States feel how much her view toward the States is distorted because many domestic media have frequently concentrated on the negative image of the States. When people are exposed to both negative and positive aspects, it is normal that the negative features linger longer to the readers mind, so the media can depend on their media manipulation to obtain more readership.
In addition to the exaggerated reports of the media, the reason people should not soley rely on newspapers or magazines for information about other nations is because there are a number of other ways to gain reliable sources. In particular, people's direct experiences are the best sources for the country since these sources are more likely to be free from prejudice or bias. For example, many people feel that Korea is a dangerous country because there is a severe tension between North Korea and South Korea. However, my foreign friends, when they were asked to say something about Korea, never forget to tell me that they had a certain stereotype toward Korea because of repeated reports on Korea. They told me that their family memebrs and friends were also worried because they thought Korea was a dangerous nation since their local media often reported on conflict between Noth Korea and South Korea. However, they said that the whole story would be different here in Korea after you stepping on Incheon airport. Peaceful and calm! People are busy doing their jobs like other countires. Just as ownership of a gun instilled a negative image into a Korean girl, the image of the conflict between North and South also permeated into many foreigners because of media's repeated hype or inaccurate information on the nation.
All things considered, it is evident that newspapers and magazines should not be a main source for information about a country because the media neither represent all walks of life in the country, nor is it accurate and reliable. |