The Influence of Commercial Interests on Media Consumption: A Reflective Analysis of Target Audience and Persuasive Communication
Overview
This reflective paper examines how commercial interests, including media ownership and advertising, shape media consumption patterns. The author reflects on an earlier blog post published in June 2020, acknowledging an overlooked factor: the importance of target audience identification. The paper argues that persuasive language tailored to specific social classes and audience demographics plays a more significant role in shaping media consumption than previously acknowledged.
What this reflection paper covers
- Initial blog post analysis of commercial interests and media consumption patterns
- Critical reflection on omitted factor regarding target audience identification
- Expanded understanding of media industry dynamics and the role of persuasive language in audience targeting
- Discussion of media diversity and how different audience segments select content based on personal preferences
Preview
Reflective Blog
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Course
Professor
Date
Reflective Blog: Influence of Commercial Interests on Media Use
Influence of Commercial Interests on Media Use is the title of a post I published in my blog on 18th June 2020. The post analyzed how commercial interests shape how different people consume media content. In this case, commercial interest includes media ownership and the adverts that run in a particular media firm. Gasher, Skinner & Lorimer (2016) argue that mass media a great agent for globalization and has taken local business entities to international levels. People tend to consume content from a media house that they have a personal connection locally or internationally with their owners or media firms that advertise products that one has a personal touch. However, I forgot one significant factor concerning this topic. I did not include who the media firms target. Most times, people complain about content from a particular media house without asking themselves who the content is targeting. Commercial interests shape media consumption depending on who the target audience is.
My thought process has changed since I published the post almost two months ago. I have learned more about the impact of mass media on how people choose what to consume. Communication is at the center of everything in the media industry. Every media firm has its target audience. It, therefore, chooses a persuasive language that fits its audience to sell a product. It is the language that plays a more significant role in shaping media consumption.