This blog is part of thinking activity. Assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. The aim of this activity is to develop critical thinking and analytical skills by examining the intersections of media, power, and education through the lens of Cultural Studies. Students will reflect on the blog post by Dilip Barad and engage in a critical dialogue on media influence, education, and cultural practices in contemporary society.
Introduction
In a world dominated by media images, algorithms, and information overload, power often operates invisibly. The blog “Short Lessons on Cultural Studies” illuminates how understanding power and media is central to becoming a truly educated citizen. Drawing upon theorists like Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky, it argues that media is not merely a tool for communication but an apparatus for shaping perceptions and maintaining ideological control. This reflection explores three interconnected ideas: how media and power intersect to construct modern culture, the role of critical media literacy in education, and the qualities of a truly educated person in a media-saturated society.
Media and Power: Manufacturing Consent in the Digital Era
The blog emphasizes that any meaningful study of cultural practices must include the study of power. Quoting Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent, it notes that “the major decisions over what happens in this society... are in the hands of a relatively concentrated network of major corporations” (Chomsky and Herman). Through five filters—ownership, advertising, media elite, flak, and the common enemy—the media manufactures public consent while claiming to reflect democratic values.
Today, this phenomenon is evident in the digital sphere. Algorithms curate personalized content that reinforces users’ pre-existing beliefs, creating echo chambers that divide societies. As seen during elections or social movements, the narratives dominating mainstream and social media often prioritize profit and political control over truth. The blog reminds readers that “power is like water—it flows through everyday life,” and unless citizens learn to read and redirect that flow, they remain controlled by it.
In this context, media ceases to be a neutral conduit and becomes a battlefield of ideas and ideologies. Every advertisement, news headline, or viral meme participates in what Foucault calls the discourse—the network of power-knowledge relations that defines what can be said or thought. Understanding this relationship between media and power is therefore essential for cultural awareness and democratic engagement.
Education Beyond Information: Reading and Writing Power
Traditional education often equates intelligence with memorization or conformity. The blog challenges this notion by arguing that a truly educated person learns to “read power and write power.” This concept aligns with Paulo Freire’s vision of education as an act of liberation rather than domestication. To be educated, one must move beyond consuming knowledge to questioning who produces it and for what purpose.
In today’s context, media literacy becomes a vital component of education. A truly educated person must be able to decode messages, recognize bias, and understand how narratives are framed. For example, a commercial that sells empowerment by linking it to consumption (“buy this to feel confident”) reveals how capitalist ideology seeps into everyday emotions. Similarly, news framing of protests often distinguishes between “rioters” and “activists,” subtly shaping moral perception.
Thus, education in the twenty-first century must nurture critical consciousness—the ability to perceive social, political, and media realities in their full complexity. As the blog insists, learning to analyze media and power is not merely academic; it is civic, ethical, and emancipatory.
Cultural Practices and Media Representation
The blog’s engagement with Foucault underscores that cultural norms are produced through systems of discourse rather than individual will. Media, as a key site of discourse, constructs cultural identity by defining what is “normal” and what is “marginal.” This is particularly visible in representations of gender, class, and race.
For instance, mainstream Bollywood often portrays women through patriarchal lenses—idealizing their self-sacrifice or silence—while independent filmmakers challenge such portrayals through subversive storytelling. Likewise, marginalized communities, from Dalit content creators on YouTube to queer activists on Instagram, use media to rewrite their own narratives. Such practices demonstrate that while media is a tool of domination, it can also serve as a tool of resistance.
By reclaiming visibility and voice, marginalized groups disrupt dominant ideologies and democratize the cultural sphere. Hence, as the blog implies, understanding media representation is not just about critique but also about creative participation in reshaping power structures.
Critical Media Consumption and Personal Reflection
Reflecting on my own engagement with media, I realize that platforms like Instagram and YouTube subtly shape my worldview—determining what is desirable, relevant, or even true. The pressure to conform to trends or opinions often overrides the space for independent thought. This self-awareness underscores the need for critical media literacy.
Adopting a critical stance—questioning sources, analyzing motives, and diversifying information intake—can transform passive consumption into active citizenship. Each act of questioning a headline, fact-checking a viral claim, or supporting independent journalism becomes an educational act. A truly educated person, therefore, is not defined by the volume of information they possess but by their ability to interpret and act upon it responsibly.
Conclusion
The interplay of media and power defines the cultural and intellectual landscape of the twenty-first century. As the blog and its cited thinkers illustrate, media does not merely inform us—it forms us. To be truly educated is to recognize this process, to interrogate it, and to participate in reshaping it. Education must go beyond acquiring information to fostering critical consciousness.
As Chomsky and Foucault’s debate reminds us, freedom and power coexist in tension. A citizen who learns to navigate that tension—to read power, write resistance, and use media ethically—embodies what it means to be truly educated in our media-saturated age. Only such education can transform media from an instrument of control into a medium of liberation.
References
Bavel, Jay Van. “ Do Politics Make Us Irrational?” YouTube, youtu.be/8yOoOL9PC-o?si=7kfO1HtWI6VlfTFb. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
“ Noam Chomsky - Manufacturing Consent.” YouTube, youtu.be/tTBWfkE7BXU?si=xL0JhxWPcbol-Eh0. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
“How to Understand Power - Eric Liu.” YouTube, YouTube, youtu.be/c_Eutci7ack?si=ETh5_wE280DZn4cP. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
“ Noam Chomsky - Manufacturing Consent.” YouTube, youtu.be/tTBWfkE7BXU?si=xL0JhxWPcbol-Eh0. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
No comments:
Post a Comment