Post Three: I Watch What I Wanna Watch

The concept of selective process argues for and helps to support the idea that people are the ones who sustain the power in the exchange of media. It states that audiences exercise selective exposure by avoiding media circuits that espouse certain messages with which members may not agree. In addition, certain members will watch those which advocate in what they already believe or propagate. This further confirms their beliefs as they find support from those considered more knowledgeable. By adapting this way of digesting information from the media, people can undergo selective retention which means their perceptions can become distorted or skewed to the point where they remember what they want to remember instead of what actually happened. This selective reception in which a person chooses what he or she wants to watch decreases media’s hold and impact on its audience members but can also negatively proliferate ignorance.

An example of selective process can be seen in this article. The Today Show, a significantly popular daytime and morning show, has decided to open its Modern Day Wedding competition to same sex couples after discussing the matter with GLADD, a pro-LGBT rights group. Many (in my opinion, progressive) people have applauded The Today Show for showing an interest in equality concerning gay marriages. However, The Today Show has also found its share of criticisms from other people who are not as like-minded. As seen in the comments below in the article, many people who are against the recent change have declared that they will be protesting the show.

A few of the comments:

DeeBoo: “I will watch another channel in support marriage being between a man and woman.”
JDTransplant: “I won’t watch NBC any longer.”
nj_tax_man: “As of now, I will no longer watch any NBC programming.”
Oksusieq: “I for one, will not be watching, nor do I condone same sex marriage. I am so disappointed that NBC has given in to ‘peer pressure’ to encourage the moral decline in the country.”

In addition, one user (Traveling1) summarized selective exposure very well: "You always have the option of not watching...but America is the land of voyeurs. We are so anxious to not live our own lives that we have to turn to TV to live the lives of others. Well, if those TV lives are not what you like, live your own and turn the damn thing off. Better yet. Sell it! lol"

As exemplified in the aforementioned snippets taken from the comment section of the article, many people are choosing to end their support of NBC and The Today Show in order to show their disapproval. They are using the selective process in order to avoid messages that contradict their own beliefs and so-called values. Granted, I do believe that they all have a choice on what they decide to watch. At least selective process attempts to correct the imbalance that media and its audience have with one another. However, media and television are great technological inventions and should be used to progress society’s amount of knowledge and open up its ability to access other peoples’ opinions and perspectives. Ignorance and such examples of bigoted thinking and shutting off completely to media circuits solely because they do not agree with your personal perspective end up stinting society’s growth rather than helping it along.



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