Wars are not fought for territory, but for words. Man's deadliest weapon is language. He is susceptible to being hypnotized by slogans as he is to infectious diseases. And where there is an epidemic, the group mind takes over. -Arthur Koestler

A lasting influence on the formation of the radio industry in the 1920s till present day, regulation and government intervention has shaped radio culture in the U.S. and worldwide. The Radio Act of 1927 produced the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) to oversee transmitter and technical components of radio networks to ensure proper reception of broadcast signals. Governmental intervention largely influenced the prosperity of radio programs by settling frequency disputes.

 Alongside technical influences of government regulation, the style of radio programs changed drastically as a result of regulations over advertising and the ability to highlight national issues. Government intervention abroad could be seen in propaganda programming. Radio under the control of government is unavoidably steered to promote political context. A prime example of such intervention and regulation can be noted in the "Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines" broadcast radio shows of the Rwandan Genocide (1994) against the Tutsi people by the Hutu Power. This broadcast was fuel to the fire already growing in a country where millions died by the minute. Regulation by the Hutu of the sole mean of communication across Uganda influenced the life and death of the audience to its own station. The Hutu Power directed the annhiliation of the "cockroaches," of Rwanda during their daily broadcast focusing on mobilizing the Hutu into a mass slaughtering of every Tutsi. Radio in Rwanda was converted to a horrifying system of regulation by a governmental power focused on nothing but destruction and blood.

 An outlet for voicing and spreading thoughts can be easily turned into a communicative monster where none but the most angry or powerful are heard. Rwanda proves a tragic account of such interference by governmental regulation. During the 1920's, radio evolved to be regulated by the Secretary of Commerce and eventually the FRC. Governmental regulation of the number of stations allowed to operate at night in order to not conflict with AM signals largely influenced the production of shows featuring information on the war. From the beginning of the 1920's news could spread like fire till the end of the decade when the Wall Street Crash dropped many to their knees. All the influences of governmental regulation in the 1920's supported the development of future radio formats where political agendas may be shared and where the loudest voice may not always be right but nevertheless is heard. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeVa6U9yLCc

"See this is why we're not watching TV, people become obsessed."-Signs

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The film "Signs" perfectly depicts cultivation theory, where lengthy exposure to television impacts one's worldview, as the dramatic depiction of crop circles on television is connected to extraterrestrial influence and a resultant chaos across the world. Much of the film is centered around the family room, and later the pantry where the television is located. From an alien stalking a child's birthday party to news reports of crop circles appearing in numerous domestic areas, the Hess family immediately feels vulnerable. The television causes the children of the family to attend to only their worst fears and the unknown, versus Mr. Hess's attempts to instill optimism. 

The cultivation theory entails an adoption of a perception held by mass media and presented to viewers. It may result in a common idea of reality and subsequently influences people's emotions, beliefs, and expectations of the world. The unknowns of life are changed to a sense of consistency and likelihoods, where what is common on television becomes common to an individual who may have zero connection to the situation. 

"Sign's" depicts what happens when long exposure to television changes reality. The Hess family struggles to separate the doomed world the news depicts to their own reality. Faith and reason contrast the helpless negativity the television spreads. This film climaxes when personal conviction must conquer a "cultivated" obstruction to reality. 

"Audiences see personalities on shows interacting with wild animals as if they were not dangerous or, at the other extreme, provoking them to give viewers an adrenaline rush. Mostly, the animals just want to be left alone, so it’s not surprising that these entertainers are seriously hurt or even killed on rare occasions. On one level, it’s that very possibility the shows are selling." — Chris Palmer

Whether the subject or storyteller holds the truth can be debated. Biases, emotions, and opinions are nearly unavoidable in terms of conveying a perceived truth. Framing is a powerful manipulation of such truth where the media has an interpretive hold on information.

In order to share information or meaning a modified conceptualization occurs. This modification of truth occurs when the "facts" are shared in the favored form of the media. By omitting or over-emphasizing particular elements there are unending routes truth can be avoided. Most often these routes lead to a beneficial response for media.

In the context of wildlife films, framing may be used to magnify most dramatic behaviors of particular wildlife in order to grab the attention of more viewers. By merely showing the most aggressive and brutal qualities of a species, people immediately form perceptions of a censored truth. The idea sharks are only man-eating, blood thirsty monsters is greatly visualized in media productions where shark attacks are sensationalized as a daily occurrence and only the "10 Deadliest Sharks" are featured of the nearly 400 species in our world.

The focus on mainly frightening qualities creates a conflict for the true understanding of a subject with no say in it's portrayal in life. Terror is a powerful tool in influencing the way people think. Framing to strike the most sensitive feelings of an audience is highly effective in controlling both thoughts and response to the subject. Influence over perception gives media the ability to control the response of people and in turn drastically effect the actions of our world.


Understanding the technique of framing brings to light the often hidden intentions of media. Whether something is good or bad, valued or disposable, loving or merciless can be decided by the form of framing. Shark population declines are unsurprising in a world where what you feel is manipulated by what you see. Media features destruction by sharks and what is growing is destruction of sharks. One truth is undeniable, framing influences action.

image via: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-471729/Second-Great-White-Shark-sighting-shocks-holidaymakers-Cornwall.html