By Albert Marshall 

There is a fairly widespread acceptance of the notion that the media is more important than almost any other commercially organised industry in the functioning of a democratic state because of its control over the flow of news and information and its ability to establish political, cultural and social agendas. Although the idea that commercial television is vastly more influential than commercial radio is highly moot, it is generally accepted that television is the medium with the strongest grip on these agendas.

Working from the axiom that power is knowledge, it follows that television is a superpower site because the masses perceive television as omniscient – a source of information driven by institutionalised organisations that the system has trusted with the delivery of the public good. Until this medium is consumed passively by the citizen, television will retain its leading role as a prime shaper of the masses’ cultural, social and political diet.

There are instances when people express cynicism about conflicting messages that are sometimes delivered by television gurus – news bulletins that thwart the real meaning of stories because of political bias depending on which station is reporting; advertising that sells products under false pretences using highly enticing and seductive images and textual inferences. However, there is ample evidence that public lapses into the sphere of the incredulous are generally short-lived and very quickly television messaging gains lost ground and wins back its credibility.

With the advent of new technologies, conventional patterns of television viewing are changing rapidly. Zapping is a current form of command assertion by the viewer especially in the case of satellite station multiplicity, but zapping will soon become an archaic method of commandeering your television viewing habits. As convergence creeps in, the traditionally passive televiewer will be involved in interactivity with the medium. The carefully designed schedules prepared by expert broadcasters to win the cut-throat battle for the highest ratings will be thrown out of the window and viewers will be able to concoct their own daily scheduling.

Mr Marshall is Chief Executive at Super One TV and former Chief Executive at PBS

By Peppi Azzopardi

I believe that the biggest power TV can wield is to set the discussion agenda. People discuss the subjects treated in the news, talk shows, telenovelas and others. However, I do not believe TV has the power to change attitudes, beliefs or decisions, just like human interaction has.

TV can reinforce your voting preference for a particular candidate rather then another. Nonetheless, the choice does not depend solely on what the TV has portrayed but also on the personal contact the candidate has established.

TV also has the power to raise awareness on injustices happening around us. This also comes with its dangers because when the injustice is not portrayed anymore on TV the impression is given that the injustice has ceased. People may also choose to pacify their conscience by just viewing the miserable pictures on their sets.

It is a common occurrence for people to modify their daily schedules not to miss certain TV programmes. This is another power that may be attributed to television.

It all boils down to the fact that TV is a medium that lies, and it cannot be otherwise. It shows you only part of reality because of the impossibility to show everything. Twenty years are condensed in 20 minutes. TV depicts non-existent lifestyles and reinforces stereotypes. The medium also gives the impression that it is objective even though it can never be. Even a simple decision of where to put the camera is a biased decision.

The question begs. Does this lying medium find people who believe its lies?

The problem is not related to the power TV wields but to the power that rests with the people who ‘read’ television. Censorship and impositions do not challenge television’s power. The biggest challenging force can be the viewer himself, armed with knowledge on how TV works. By knowing how editing is done, how light can be manipulated and other techniques pertaining to the TV language, the medium can be demystified. This is why I believe wholeheartedly that Media Studies is the most important subject at school.

Mr Azzopardi is a former media studies teacher and producer of the popular TV programme, Xarabank.