Lindsay Lohan: What NOT To Do

Today's class presentation brought up a great question: What role should media play in our society?

A couple things were brought up - entertainment, education, a "watch dog" for government...

In Dr. Lule's book, Daily News, Eternal Stories, he brought up the fact that news keeps society functioning. It highlights what is acceptable and not acceptable to do in society. For example, we watch people being punished for committing a crime, we watch segments about scandals, we watch commentary on government affairs and debates, but we also watch positive stories about people rising from hard times and doing something great. Everything in the news reinforces our values and beliefs as a society.

I think this can apply to all media. Media is an avenue to express thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc. through many different platforms. While you might not think about it, even shows like Modern Family and The Office - shows that are purely for entertainment - are also reinforcing our values of what is accepted and normal at home and in the workplace.

Celebrity culture is another great example of reinforcement of societal values. For instance, Lindsay Lohan has been in the spotlight for various incidents including drugs and acohol, drunk driving, and now the latest: shoplifting. Click here for more on the story.

Society has made Lindsay an example of what NOT to do. This draws upon some Durkheimian concepts- societies have a collective conscience - values, rules, concepts of right and wrong, etc - and we maintain this collective conscience through reinforcement of those values via rewards and punishments. Court hearings, jail time and rehab have been the result of Lindsay's actions. The media has shown Lindsay in a negative light, reinforcing that society does not approve of her behavior.

So, media can have many different purposes, but one thing that connects all media is that it is a reflection of our society, and in a way, it keeps society functioning.