Notes to Self

My name is Delanee Kilgore, and I’m currently a student at North Carolina Central University as a Mass Communications major. I’m a college student working to forge a career path in communications and media. Dancing is one of my favorite hobbies; however, I also enjoy getting creative using various methods of expressing myself, spending time with close friends, and keeping video diaries that document aspects of my life. The reason I chose to enroll in this course is that I want to learn more about media and communications, as well as how information can be presented in different ways. As someone studying Mass Communications, I know that media knowledge is important for my prospective career since I want to pursue Talent Agency. 

To me, mass communication means the way information, ideas, and messages are shared with large audiences through different forms of media. We experience mass communication every day through social media, television, news, advertisements, podcasts, movies, and even conversations with people around us. Because media is such a big part of our everyday lives, it is important to understand how messages are created and how they can influence the way we think and see the world. Being aware of the media we consume means not automatically believing everything we see or hear. Instead, we should consider where the information comes from, who created it, what its purpose is, and whether there is evidence to support it.

There have been multiple instances when a message from the media confused me or prompted me to reconsider my view on current events or stories. For instance, I might have seen a post on social media platforms one minute, but the next day I learned that the news had left out key details or that the original post was deceptive. My first reaction may be to trust the information I saw the first time around, but I have learned that being viral does not make something true; I especially realized that with the activity we did today in class. When this happens to me, I’m now training myself to take my time and find the original source as well as information from other credible outlets before making a decision on what to believe. 

I try to do a background check on the credibility of information based on its source, as well as the publication date and whether or not other reliable sources agree with the information. I also try to investigate whether it contains data or opinions from authorities supporting the information on the platform. If I start to notice that the purpose of the post is to provoke strong emotions such as anger or fear, I start to become more skeptical.

I think that the media plays an important role in the way people perceive reality. How a story is told can have a huge impact on people’s feelings about a person or event. Repeated exposure to certain messages can have a big effect on people’s beliefs and the way they think. Social media can enhance this effect since the algorithms usually show us content that viewers are already accustomed to. With that being said, people may only be exposed to thoughts that agree with their own.

In conclusion, media tends to shape our mindset. My goal is to become a person who is not just a passive consumer of information but someone who thinks critically and analyzes information given to me. As a Mass Communications major, I feel that being able to develop media literacy will make me a more reliable communicator and help me become more knowledgeable and open-minded about the topics.