The example from the reading that made the biggest impression on me was media's relationship to events such as World War II or the attack on the world trade towers. The book focused on how one form of media, photography, had a powerful influence in each of these events. The picture taken of the marines putting up the flag in Iwo Jima, is a powerful example of how the context of the piece changed the way the photograph affected its audience. Because the photographer understood how the war spoke to the people of America, he was conscious of his duty as a photographer to capture pieces of this history that we share, which then influenced the many who saw it and those who still see it today. In a similar fashion, the photos and stories shared about the September 11 disaster both helped to pull the nation together, and at the same time they were only powerful because of what the nation was going through together.
Context has a powerful affect on how individuals engage with media. Our individual, as well as our social, understanding shapes the way media affects us. Thus, what I love and hold dear, another may think is silly or even stupid. For instance, some of my favorite stories are those told in a fantasy setting. There is something about that other worldly setting that is able to help me see life more clearly and use that setting as something similar to a powerful metaphor for reality. At the same time, this makes more realistic stories almost harder for me to connect with because there is something about removing reality that helps me look in more clearly. Yet, my social understanding, which I share with many others, helps me to understand and have compassion for the victims of 9/11 as well as a sense of bonding with my fellow Americans. Thus, context, our history of understanding, comes into play as a large part of what we are able to take from what media tries to share.
I also think that the context of the current events that were taking place during the work's conception can greatly reflect its meaning. Its sometimes hard to imagine how the media and our social setting can affect the outcome of our own personal work, but it truly does, even if we can't necessarily see it in ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThis is good stuff. Everything we encounter is viewed through our own "life goggles". An important thing I learned in TMA 102 was not to be so judgmental about what other people like. The way we see things is a result of our own life experiences.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, context is a huge part of understanding other people. Well put. Understanding context takes a very active part by the audience. Not everyone is willing to do that, unfortunately...