Reflection & Analysis of Moral Imagination & the Media Essay

The theme of globalization is one of the most popular topics during the last decades. Different specialist, mass media and politicians speak about global processes in politics, economy, trade and financial system. At this point globalization should become the sign of consolidation and unification. In reality, this process is not reflected in the moral life of the society.  Philip Rossi in his article “Moral Imagination and Media” speaks about moral values and their place in the contemporary society. He also points out that in the contemporary American society it is hard to find one common idea which would unite all people. Lack of such idea can be explained by  big autonomy of each citizen. People distance themselves  from each other, and this makes it difficult to define common values and common goals.  Ironically, this happens in the era of globalization, when general tendency to consolidation is proclaimed on different level.

Rossi uses the era of Enlightenment as a source  for basic and fundamental values which have had major influence on the development of the contemporary civilization.  He explores moral values and moral philosophy as one of the basic achievements of that time. He gives two basic ideas, which distinguish the basis of moral philosophy. First assumption assumes the ability of the person to put himself on the other’s place. The second one assumes existence of universal moral and ethical values. Unfortunately, as noted by Rossi, our age shows the tendency to distance from these values.  As the author points out,  “In the public arena, shared beliefs about what justice and equity substantively require have had to give way more and more to regulations and rules that direct the observance of proper procedure and that become law to insure that all observe them.  The private arena leaves each of us to build moral coherence for our individual selves” (Rossi 265). Privacy and independence became basic values in the contemporary society, but such a position does not imply the existence of shared values and ideas.  Each person lives in his separate world and these worlds become more and more distanced from each other. Finally, all these results in “moral incoherence”  and makes it not possible to define common moral norms.

Rossi turns to the idea of compassion and empathy as sings of moral unification. He believes that the ability to put yourself on the other’s place, or “wear other’s shoes” is crucial for the development of common morals. He believes that contemporary media can help to develop this feeling. According to the author, the influence of mass media can result in both – coherence and defragmentation, depending on the message transmitted to the audience.

Media image transmitted in the contemporary society from different kinds of media sources makes people think about others, compare themselves to them and thus makes them “to wear others’ shoes” and take part in “co-constructing of the moral world” (Rossi 268).  The development of mass media gave us an opportunity to share one and the same experience with big amount of people in shortest terms. This  is  a kind of experience humankind did not have before.  Nowadays we meet the phenomenon when one and the same information and emotional appeal can become available for people from different part of the planet during several seconds.  Moreover, people become able to compare their judgments and reactions with those of people from different parts of the world.  “This, indeed, may constitute the mass media’s most particular and important power, even though human culture has had, for far longer, public gatherings of ritual and festival to present the very “seeings” that hold a particular people together in a shared world” (Rossi 269).

Unfortunately, this new popularity and power of mass media has possible negative consequences. It is evident that mass media makes people take the position of others and makes the audience the participants of the events they present. At the same time, it is not always possible to be sure in unprejudiced position of media.  Voluntary or not, they present a certain perspective of events and make  certain accents in their messages. The picture shared with  the entire world with the help of mass media is limited by the vision of its producers.  In addition, there is another problem which arises from the popularity of media. Big amount of media sources give  people  opportunity to select media sources of information. Finally, they choose sources which fit their mentality and intrinsic vision best of all. This way, their ability to share common experience and feel others becomes limited by their choices and preferences.  At this point there appear  several different shared and co-constructed  worlds,  and people become free to choose these worlds according to their likes and dislikes. It is evident that they are very reluctant to share experience from the worlds which do not make them comfortable or ruin their picture of life.  “Media have acquired the symbolic and mystic power  that enables them to play a role not only in sharing culture but also in sharing our perceptions   both of culture and of our own identity within culture” (Rossi  271).  Luckily, there is the second principle of moral judgment and this principle is universality.  This principle implies inclusiveness and expanding boundaries. This principle can become a grading criterion for shared information. Media transmits a lot of diverse information, but it is important to distinguish one, which possesses a universal nature and unites different people with different values and desires.  Niebuhr used the principle of universalism to illustrate Christian doctrines , which state that God possesses an inclusive nature and accepts everything. Same way,  only those source which provide people with common vision and posses a universal and inclusive nature should become the source of moral and ethical values.

 

Works  Cited

Rossi, J. Philip. Moral Imagination and the Media in  Soukup A. Paul, Rossi, J. Philip.

Mass Media and the Moral Imagination (Communication, Culture and Theology) , Sheed & Ward, 1994.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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