Introduction

The Power of Media

In today’s digital world, media plays a significant role in shaping your perceptions and attitudes. Whether you’re watching TV shows or scrolling through Instagram, media influences how you view the world. It can even impact your behaviors. To truly understand the influence of media, it’s essential to look beyond the surface and dig deeper into the underlying messages. This involves asking questions like which topics get talked about the most? Do topics get portrayed differently at different times of the year or in different contexts? In what ways are stereotypes or biases present? By thinking about these types of questions, you can learn a lot about what’s important in society, how different groups are treated, and how media influences public views. In short, it is important to approach media critically and not simply accept everything you see or hear at face value.

Media’s Role in Social Issues

Analyzing how media portrays social issues is particularly valuable for identifying misconceptions and barriers to solution-finding. Systematically looking at the language used, the imagery portrayed, the framing of causes and key messages, as well as the representation of individuals experiencing these challenges, can be enlightening. Deep reading of media can ultimately help people not only advocate for more compassionate and informed portrayals but also imagine new ways of thinking.

This book presents undergraduate student research analyzing media content on homelessness, mental health, and food insecurity in Ontario, Canada, focusing on understanding the portrayal of these issues.