By Mohamed Daramy

The media play a significant role in the society. Our knowledge and experience of the world come to us directly or indirectly from many sources, and the media are important source, playing a central role in our lives. The primary function of the media is to spread knowledge and information. It has a huge influence on society, especially on the process of informing the public. With the advent of the Information age where information is in abundance, the classic role of the media to keep the public informed has become polarized into a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is a benefit to the general population, while on the other, the view from the media is limited and selected.

Firstly, the public get to know things with the role of the media in society, new perspectives on issues are forged and for every issue which affects a person’s life, there’s an increasing likelihood that more lives will be affected.

The media is what enables the general public to learn a great deal from views, and pass judgment on a range of topics. People buy newspapers as a connection to our world; we listen to the radio at home, but also on the bus or in our cars. Thus, the concept agenda setting. The media is what keeps people informed about what is occurring in the world and around them and everyone learns something from it. The media have joined the ranks of social institutions such as the family, schools, religious organizations, in becoming a powerful socializing agent. The media is seen as a mirror of contemporary society, yet it is also the media that molds our lives.

However, what we see and hear in the media is usually a reflection of selected viewpoints and experiences. As mentioned earlier, some media houses are often involved in selecting, constructing and representing perceived realities-while obscuring others. A society has been negatively impacted by the media, mostly because the youth are heavily influenced by it. The media tend to emphasize and reinforce the priorities and values of those who create the messages, while at the same times turning a blind eye to the experiences of others. In this context, social media like Facebook and WhatsApp play a significant role. On August 10, 2022, fake news in Freetown led to the killing of innocent people and injury of hundreds of others. The issue of fake news is prevalent in social media journalism.

Media messages are therefore often stereotypical portrayals of society, based on preconceived notions and values of a small group of people yet impacting upon the lives of many.