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Running head: PRINT MEDIA ADVERTISING
Print Media Advertising:
Affects on Popular Culture
Name
Name of Institution
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PRINT MEDIA ADVERTISING
Abstract
Print media, a prominent form of advertising in contemporary society, plays an essential
role in the development of popular culture. Due to its broad base and strategic positioning
ability, print media constantly bombards culture with its messages. In terms of developing
popular culture, print media assists by informing, attracting, and persuading. The messages
projected by print media do not just affect individual decisions, but form a whole mentality that
affects one’s way of perceiving reality, including consumerism, work, social responsibility,
happiness, the human body, and justice. Considering that print media is a necessary means of
communication, but also uses manipulation and projects unrealistic ideals and images, more of
the general population should be educated about the methods and realities of such advertising.
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Print media is everywhere. From newspapers, magazines and brochures, to billboards,
bumper stickers, and bus advertisements, print media floods culture. Different sources place the
number of billboards in the United States alone at a range from 200,000 to 500,000. Based on an
article written in 2005, there are over 10,000 magazines published in the United States; 2000 of
these are widely circulated (cf. Business Wire, 2005). Clearly, people are bombarded with these
forms of printed media, and view them even unconsciously as they pass through each day. Due
to sheer quantity, in addition to content, print media has taken on an important role in society and
greatly influenced consumerism and the development of popular culture, or cultural values.
Role Analysis
The print media has played, and continues to play a key role in the development of
American popular culture. Popular culture can be defined as “cultural traits such as dress, diet
and music that identify and are part of today's changeable, urban-based, media-influenced
western societies” (Teacherweb, 2010). In order for such traits to become “culture,” they need to
first be invented or initiated, and then be adopted by a majority of people, or at least by certain
groups of people. Investors, business men, artists, designers, and other professionals are able to
design and begin traits and fashion. Mass media, and particularly advertising through print
media, then has the role of making the second step – adoption by the majority – a reality. Print
media fulfills this role in three ways: it informs, attracts, and persuades. First of all, print media
advertising informs the public that a new article, trend, activity, etc. has come into being. Then,
through pictures, statistics, and slogans, the print media makes the object attractive. This
attraction frequently involves manipulation of data, as can be seen in the difference between the
way a model looks on a billboard when advertising a new article of clothing and jewelry, and the
way the same model looked prior to being made-up, and even in the initial pictures prior to
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computer editing. Regardless of whether or not all the advertising appeal is founded in reality or
based on manipulation, it makes the object in question attractive. Now, people know about the
object and want the object. The final step in advertising that print media seeks to fulfill is
persuasion. Not everyone who is attracted to something will purchase or use it. Maybe it’s not
worth it. To counteract such thinking, print media advertising includes elements of persuasion,
in an attempt to bring the greatest number of people to actually purchase or implement the
object/trend in question. Persuasion is done by advertising bargain and sale opportunities,
dividing the overall price into monthly divisions to make it seem manageable, playing up any
other benefits that come along with the purchase or activity, listing the places available so
viewers can instantly find one close to them, etc. While all forms of mass media can implement
similar strategies, print media plays a very important role because it covers such a broad base.
Furthermore, print media, which is placed on moving vehicles, on roadsides, and in other visible
locations, will be seen by people who aren’t even intending to see it. In some senses, it can’t be
escaped. It is thus able to influence a larger number of people. Advertising on the internet is also
effective, but only influences individuals who choose to sit down at the computer and go to that
site. Print media will be seen by people regardless of whether or not they are planning to see the
advertisements or search for a particular object.
Print Media Trends
Different trends propagated by the print media include the importance of self image,
especially in terms of having a physically fit and slim body; the need to constantly listen to
music, whether running, studying or driving in the car; the importance and popularity of having a
drink as a means of relaxing and forgetting, and countless others. In propagating these trends, the
media doesn’t just influence people in terms of one action or decision, but through its habitual
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and constant flow of advertising, creates a new mentality that affects people’s view toward
consumerism, work, social responsibility, happiness, the body, and law and justice.
Consumerism becomes directly linked to happiness: having more and keeping up with new
trends and fashion starts being equated with happiness. Work, rather than being seen as a
necessary, and healthy element of life, is viewed in terms of usefulness: work is good to the
extent that it provides money to buy more things that are advertised and bad to the extent that it
prevents you from “having a good time.” True social responsibility is overlooked, and
responding to advertising is manipulated to be considered as helping society or the environment.
An example of this can be seen in a current advertisement for an air filter that supposedly
prevents H1N1. Such an advertisement is manipulating both the threat of catching the virus
(maximizing it), and attributing to the air filter an affect that isn’t as connected to it as portrayed.
Such an advertisement, however, uses the value of social responsibility to promote consumerism.
The human body is elevated, and an ideal image of the body is projected by fashion trends and
the images used in advertising. In reality, this is unfair to the general population, because the
image projected as an “ideal” is computer manipulated, unrealistic, and often impossible for
someone to achieve. Finally the concept of law and justice is also manipulated by the print
media, to the extent that justice is often strictly projected to finances, with anyone who doesn’t
have enough money to purchase all the new trends considering his situation an injustice. Law,
can also be seen as an enemy, and something to bypass, to the extent that it may prevent one
from happiness, through the restrictions on alcohol, drug use, etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while print media plays an essential and necessary role in the development
and adoption of popular culture through advertising, its role is not a pure one. Advertising
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manipulates data, and uses false facts for the sake of persuading. The result is a popular culture
with countless trends and new ideas, but also a culture of control. Due to subconscious
manipulation from advertising, people spend money time and effort in an attempt to achieve a
status, image, or happiness that cannot be obtained in the manner that advertising would lead one
to believe. As a result, it is important for more of the population to understand the basic
elements and influence of print media advertising, in order to benefit from the information it
does present, but not be deceived by unrealistic portrayals.
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References
Business Wire. Business Services Industry. Total Number of Magazines Published in the US…
September 21, 2005. Retrieved 2010 from
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Sept_21/ai_n15402401/
Teacherweb. AP Human Geography Exam Vocabulary Definitions. Retrieved 2010 from
http://teacherweb.ftl.pinecrest.edu/snyderd/MWH/AP/definitions/APdefinitions3.htm