Americans Admit Media's Broad Influence

(BP 7.30.07) A survey by the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the conservative Media Research Center, finds that most of the public believes American values are in decline, the media is contributing to the decline, and those who watch more television have more permissive attitudes about moral issues.

Among the findings released:

• 64% of Americans believe the media is the most important, or one of the most important, influences on American values.
• 74% believe American values are weaker than they were 20 years ago.
• 68% of Americans say the media has a negative impact on moral values in this country. Only 9% say the media impact is positive.
• 56% of those who watch four hours or more of television per evening never volunteer, compared to 27% of those who watch one hour or less.

"The more a person watches television, the less likely he is to accept personal responsibility" for himself and others, Robert Knight, director of the institute, said.

Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates conducted the poll for the Culture and Media Institute in December 2006. The polling company interviewed 2,000 adults -- 1,000 by telephone and 1,000 through the Internet.

"All of these statistics are concerned with the content of the media we consume. While this concern is understandable, they miss the hidden power of the media form itself to shape us," says Shane Hipps, author of the book, The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church. "Regardless of what's being conveyed through television, the medium has a right-brain bias. The mosaic pixel of lights wash over us evoking emotion and offering vague impressions. The result? As a medium, television atrophies our capacity for abstract reasoning and complex thinking patterns; the skills crucial to effectively navigate the ever-changing culture we now inhabit. My concern is that we've become too focused on the content debate at the expense of understanding the hidden power of our media. The content of our media is the magician's sleight-of-hand distracting us just long enough for the medium itself to slip the watch from our wrist." (Source: Baptist Press, www.sbcbaptistpress.org)