Manifestations of Media Exploitation and its Consequences

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Media Exploitation
Media exploitation describes the purposeful manipulation of media through content or structure to capitalize on people’s susceptibility to persuasion or control (Holiday). Examples include utilizing subliminal messaging or secretive advertisements targeting specific demographics, such as the elderly or young, to solicit attention or coerce purchases. It further entails the implementation of one-sided visuals or statements to bolster a political aspirant or faction. This essay will analyze the various manifestations of media exploitation, and its consequences, to enlighten readers on the risks posed by media exploitation and strategies to avoid it.
Visual Description
The image chosen for this essay is an advert for the PlayStation Portable White. In this ad, a lady of Caucasian descent menacingly holds up another person of a black complexion while illumination of light provides the backdrop. This visual representation promotes a message of control and dominance, suggesting that the lighter-skinned person has power over the darker-skinned person. This ad implies a subtle message of racial superiority, a practice that is one of the most common forms of media exploitation. Examining this advertisement, it is evident that media exploitation is employed to persuade vulnerable groups into perceiving false or distorted information. Manipulation of public opinion, the pursuit of political interests, or even monetary gain can be achieved through biased visuals, subliminal messaging, or covert advertising.
How the selected visual image of the PlayStation Portable White ad plays into media exploitation
Emotional appeals used in the ad
The PlayStation Portable White advertisement exemplifies how media manipulation influences public opinion. The media can shape public consciousness by evoking emotions, deploying logical fallacies, and leveraging visual cues (Ecker et al.). Upon examination, the ad portrays a young Caucasian woman menacingly grabbing another person of a different racial background, with the PlayStation Portable White in the background. Media exploitation plays a significant role in influencing people's perceptions. The media utilizes emotional appeals to manipulate viewers. In this instance, the advertiser capitalizes on the fear of the “other,” highlighting the contrast of racial backgrounds via a Caucasian female figure and the difference in skin tones of the two people featured in the advertisement. The white background further emphasizes this contrast, evoking an emotional response and creating a sense of insecurity amongst the audience, aiming to promote the PlayStation Portable White.
Logical fallacies
Using logical fallacies by the media is a powerful strategy to manipulate the viewers. Logical fallacies are incorrect reasoning that can lead to false conclusions (Petric). Some common examples include appeals to emotion, circular reasoning, false dichotomy, and false cause. In the case of promoting the PlayStation Portable White, a false analogy was utilized, implying that the purchase of the product would provide security and protection from the unknown. This purported analogy is erroneous, as the PlayStation Po...