When all is said and done, the Media, Self and Society Scholars program really has meant a lot to me. The media really has an impact on everything we do as people ourselves and in society as a whole. In 2020, there is no “self” without the presence of the media. Everything one consumes on a daily basis is the result of some sort of media that occurs, whether it be news coverage, texting, watching television, or really anything else. It is undeniable that “self” is shaped by the media today. In terms of the media relating to “society,” it really is all you see in America. Everywhere you go these days you see people staring at their phones, working on their laptops, or zoned in to a TV. You can argue that nothing in life is influenced more than society by the media. Of course, there are positive and negative results from this, but I have a clear understanding that the media in general has a very profound influence on both self and society.
Despite the many positive things that come from the media, there are notable harmful things that happen as well. For me, I think a very recent example was the media coverage, specifically on social media, following the 2020 election. As we know now as Americans, Joe Biden will take over as the 46th President of the United States in January 2021. The fact that there are outlets on social media giving credit to people who still think that the election is up in the air and that current President Trump will be in office for a second straight term is harmful. Speaking unbiasedly, this information is harmful because it is leading certain people to believe something that has zero chance of happening, as the transition is already taking place.
On the flip side of that, a recent helpful example from the media I noticed took place during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. As seniors across high school and collegiate sports were having their athletic careers cut short by a horrible virus, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt had a “Senior Night” segment on his show every night, highlighting the great careers of great young athletes and giving them the spotlight they never received. This is such a helpful example of media because it really shows what good can be brought out of people despite the circumstances they are dealt with. My Media experience definitely helped me differentiate the difference between helpful and harmful media. As I was looking at things in the media from a scholarly perspective, my ability to decipher the good from the bad was clear because of my past three semesters in this great program.
There are often times that the role of media in our lives is misunderstood. I think a prime example of this was when basketball legend Kobe Bryant tragically passed away this past January. There were conflicting reports of who was in the devastating accident, and most of them were proven untrue. This specific instance made me really skeptical about the media because it was such an important event that impacted society in a massive way. However, our class discussions about the news coverage of this horrible event really helped me gain a great understanding of how the role of the media in our lives could be misperceived.
Being a critical consumer of media is honestly extremely important to me. I would say that I was, just like most other people, a passive consumer of media before the last three semesters. I never looked at anything from a scholarly and critical perspective when thinking about the media. I just consumed information and went on with my day. Being able to look at media from a different lens is important to me because I can gain a greater understanding of what is really happening behind the headlines. I honestly do see myself in this role, specifically in sports. Covering sports has always been a passion of mine, and this program one-thousand percent helped me gain an understanding of how to critically and thoughtfully do it.
While I would not say being in Scholars brought me into contact with people or concepts that challenged my previous beliefs or opinions, I would say that they enhanced them and opened my mind to new thoughts. I consider myself a very open-minded person, and I think a lot of my peers also are too. Whether it be a meaningless sports debate or an academic discussion, there is no doubt that the people within Scholars helped me realize certain ideas. I will forever be thankful for my interactions with people in the program and I look forward to the many more that take place within the future.
In addition to those words, I would say that my learning was improved by interacting with fellow Media Scholars. Interaction outside class and in the dorms was a big help with that. Being in Cumberland Hall with everyone in the program was pretty awesome, as we were able to relate to each other and help each other out with work. For instance, everytime we had a big assignment due, whether it be a part of Scholars or not, my roommate and I could always look over each other’s work from a scholarly perspective. Group work in class also helped my ability to learn without a doubt.
There were experiences and opportunities I had throughout the last three semesters that definitely contributed to the Media Program and the Scholars community. While they may not have been major contributions, I think the field trips to both the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture played a big part in the community. I was only a small part of a big group that went, but there was no doubt we all had a major impact in the Scholars community by completing those field trips.
Finally, there is no doubt that my Scholars experience will inform me in the future. While what lies ahead down the road cannot be predicted in December 2020, I can say for a fact that these last three semesters shaped a valuable part of what will happen. In order to fulfill my goal of being a part of the sports media world one day, there will have to be a lot of hard work and commitment that goes into it. The countless specific lessons and broader memories from the Media Scholars experience will live with me for as long as I pursue my goals.
Despite the many positive things that come from the media, there are notable harmful things that happen as well. For me, I think a very recent example was the media coverage, specifically on social media, following the 2020 election. As we know now as Americans, Joe Biden will take over as the 46th President of the United States in January 2021. The fact that there are outlets on social media giving credit to people who still think that the election is up in the air and that current President Trump will be in office for a second straight term is harmful. Speaking unbiasedly, this information is harmful because it is leading certain people to believe something that has zero chance of happening, as the transition is already taking place.
On the flip side of that, a recent helpful example from the media I noticed took place during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. As seniors across high school and collegiate sports were having their athletic careers cut short by a horrible virus, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt had a “Senior Night” segment on his show every night, highlighting the great careers of great young athletes and giving them the spotlight they never received. This is such a helpful example of media because it really shows what good can be brought out of people despite the circumstances they are dealt with. My Media experience definitely helped me differentiate the difference between helpful and harmful media. As I was looking at things in the media from a scholarly perspective, my ability to decipher the good from the bad was clear because of my past three semesters in this great program.
There are often times that the role of media in our lives is misunderstood. I think a prime example of this was when basketball legend Kobe Bryant tragically passed away this past January. There were conflicting reports of who was in the devastating accident, and most of them were proven untrue. This specific instance made me really skeptical about the media because it was such an important event that impacted society in a massive way. However, our class discussions about the news coverage of this horrible event really helped me gain a great understanding of how the role of the media in our lives could be misperceived.
Being a critical consumer of media is honestly extremely important to me. I would say that I was, just like most other people, a passive consumer of media before the last three semesters. I never looked at anything from a scholarly and critical perspective when thinking about the media. I just consumed information and went on with my day. Being able to look at media from a different lens is important to me because I can gain a greater understanding of what is really happening behind the headlines. I honestly do see myself in this role, specifically in sports. Covering sports has always been a passion of mine, and this program one-thousand percent helped me gain an understanding of how to critically and thoughtfully do it.
While I would not say being in Scholars brought me into contact with people or concepts that challenged my previous beliefs or opinions, I would say that they enhanced them and opened my mind to new thoughts. I consider myself a very open-minded person, and I think a lot of my peers also are too. Whether it be a meaningless sports debate or an academic discussion, there is no doubt that the people within Scholars helped me realize certain ideas. I will forever be thankful for my interactions with people in the program and I look forward to the many more that take place within the future.
In addition to those words, I would say that my learning was improved by interacting with fellow Media Scholars. Interaction outside class and in the dorms was a big help with that. Being in Cumberland Hall with everyone in the program was pretty awesome, as we were able to relate to each other and help each other out with work. For instance, everytime we had a big assignment due, whether it be a part of Scholars or not, my roommate and I could always look over each other’s work from a scholarly perspective. Group work in class also helped my ability to learn without a doubt.
There were experiences and opportunities I had throughout the last three semesters that definitely contributed to the Media Program and the Scholars community. While they may not have been major contributions, I think the field trips to both the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture played a big part in the community. I was only a small part of a big group that went, but there was no doubt we all had a major impact in the Scholars community by completing those field trips.
Finally, there is no doubt that my Scholars experience will inform me in the future. While what lies ahead down the road cannot be predicted in December 2020, I can say for a fact that these last three semesters shaped a valuable part of what will happen. In order to fulfill my goal of being a part of the sports media world one day, there will have to be a lot of hard work and commitment that goes into it. The countless specific lessons and broader memories from the Media Scholars experience will live with me for as long as I pursue my goals.