Media Impact

The power of the media: rising and falling stars.

As the media have increased the technological global might fortunes, so has the reputation, celebrity’s success and ruin are like fast media clips and shadows we observe daily.

Since the mass press of on hundred years ago we have gone a long way. M Gandhi was a master builder of a shared reputation for Indians independence, from the former British Empire. He knew how to stop the mind of millions, how to impact million if Indian and citizen the world over, collecting the media in his favor.

As Facebook and Twitter seem to impact immediately on millions of people, the rising and falling stars—music, arts, sport, politics—all depend heavily on instant exposure. Political campaigns, election, fortunes and reputation are somewhat tarnished overnight in the internet. The famousChiapas revolt of the year 2.000 was a master media campaign by sub commander “Marcos”. He didn’t want political power, he needed exposure. His guns were the kind of a ridiculous low firepower for the Mexican army, although a threat for the local police. He empowered theChiapas peasant and the poor instantly. He set the fist rebel “website” financed by Europeans and dealt a heavy blow to the Mexican establishment. Sub commander Marcos, a rare outcast in many ways, he fled to the southern mountains of Mexico to embrace a powerful peasant cause: the forgotten poor peasant of Chiapas. He claimed to have established the Zapatista Army of Liberation, a symbol of Zapata’s revolution for the peasant one century ago. Another media hit. In a few months he ruined instantly, whatever achievements former president Salinas de Gortari had in Mexico reforms. The Mexican establishment was taken by surprise and the media war though the internet was won by the rebels. Their practical achievements perhaps were small after months of negotiations, but their cause was heard far and wide in all media around the world.

The examples are endless of stars rising and going into oblivion. Like king Midas, the gold-touch myth anything the media touch can convert into a fortune overnight and bring ruin in a couple of weeks. Sponsorship of advertising fees triples or more the income of ATP tennis players, Golf stars, or movie stars. This can vanish overnight. Examples are also endless.

This is of course a mixed blessing. By some account about 1.000 million Internet users are active: some one sixth of the world population. Most news are driven by sensation and emotional impact and money, oriented business providing an impact; but also becoming extinct for the next media impact.