Lim Jin Feng (12) 5M 17/04/18

6. Does the mass media divide or unite?

With the increasing influx of varied opinions due to the rise of mass media in this fast-
paced globalised world, it is easy to see why mass media could exacerbate existing tensions
and conflicts between different communities, leading to a divide in societies. Over the years,
the misuse of mass media has propagated hatred, lies and misinformation which have
detrimental consequences on societies. Despite the negative influence mass media can
exert on societies, the role of mass media is still a uniting one as its global reach enables
more people to become increasingly connected to each other. Mass media helps to fuel
empowerment for disadvantaged groups and create greater social and civic engagement
through social activism and democratising public life.

Critics may argue that mass media can create tension between communities with differing
opinions, leading to conflicts which might divide society. With the rise in social networking,
more information on the Internet offers more varied opinions, allowing people to take sides
more easily. This could potentially incite hate among communities or interest groups if there
is lack of government intervention. In Singapore, there have been occasional outbursts
online against people of other races, religions and nationalities. In September 2005, the
Sedition Act was first used in Singapore on individuals when three men, including a
teenager, were charged for making seditious and inflammatory racist comments on the
Internet. In 2012, Sun Xu, a scholar from China, called Singaporeans ‘dogs’ in his online
microblog. Such irresponsible behaviour would naturally cause unease, distrust and anger
from local netizens, hence weakening ties between immigrants and locals in society.
Therefore, mass media makes it easier for people to express harmful views without
considering the negative impact it has on various communities, leading to conflicts which
may divide society.

Mass media could also be a divisive force as it can lead to a possibility of rising
radicalisation through the spread of extremist views, leading to a divide of societies. The
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have created a strong brand via social media which convinces
thousands of people to embark on a one-way journey to join their cause. Their social media
strategy could rival the biggest brands in the world with them holding, at any one time, over
45,000 Twitter accounts. Terrorist groups might use mass media to exploits one’s
vulnerabilities by offering promises of excitement, empowerment and freedom along with
material rewards. Without the regulation of mass media, terrorist groups could spread their
ideologies to a greater number of people and encourage them to support terrorism. As
such, societies might face greater socio-economic losses and political instability due to the
use of mass media in perpetuating extremist views, leading to a divided society.

While it is true that mass media could weaken the social fabric of societies through rising
radicalisation and polarisation, mass media plays a pivotal role in uniting and empowering
societies through the sharing of common experiences.
 Lim Jin Feng (12) 5M 17/04/18

Mass media can unite people by raising awareness and inspiring people to fight for
common causes through social activism. With the widespread use of mass media, people
would be encouraged to help in solving societal problems as such issues are more easily
illuminated. The Ice Bucket Challenge which went viral on social media during July to August
2014 helped to raise a tremendous amount of funds for research on amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS). Mass media can also influence governments to allocate funding in such a
way to optimise their efforts in solving a multitude of glaring issues in society. This could be
illustrated in the example of global campaigns through top media outlets by Malaria No
More, an organisation which aims to end malaria. Such campaigns help to raise awareness
and create a sense of urgency amongst policy makers to invest in eradicating malaria.
Through the mass sharing of the importance to solve certain issues online, people can
influence others to feel accountable and understand the need to unite to solve such
problems.

While the propagation of extremist views could potentially weaken the social fabric of
societies, governments and citizens have made significant progress in uniting societies
through promoting public engagement and democratizing public life through mass media.
After the London riots in 2011, Facebook groups consistently broadcasted clean-up locations
and times, along with other pertinent information to organise massive clean-ups to clear the
streets of London. Blackberry Messenger and Twitter was also used to send out mass
messages globally to rally the people of London to help in rebuilding their city. Similarly,
mass media could also bridge the communication gap between citizens and the
government. For instance, Digital4Democracy incorporates Automatic Speech Recognition
technologies into government meetings in Italy. Citizens have free, immediate access to
indexed and searchable audio and video content, allowing them to actively participate in
democratic life through active engagement in issues they care about. By doing so, the
government is more in tune with the needs of communities. As the government becomes
more open and accessible, citizens have higher levels of trust and empathy, therefore
uniting society.

The mass media is only able to play a role in uniting society if citizens demonstrate the
responsible use of mass media for the right purposes. In recent years, many governments
have recognised the need to regulate mass media and to educate the public on the
responsible use of mass media. With continued efforts from citizens and governments to
improve the use of mass media, problems caused by mass media can be more easily
mitigated. Therefore, the role of mass media in uniting societies through social activism and
public engagement will likely outweigh its influence in dividing societies through
exacerbating conflicts and spreading extremist views in the long run.