Media or Society?

I've had this question in my mind for a long time. It's kind of like "Did the chicken come first or the egg?" Do you think what the media (tv, newspapers, magazines, etc) shows/writes about affects the way in which people act/talk to each other, or do you think the media simply presents society's present interests and customs?

i think its both

I think the same . Sometimes media can blow things out of proportion & create a hype out of nothing. Eg Jade Goody !

Usually it is the society's pulse which decides what media shows though what media shows does affect the society to a large extent. But with channels like Star News, Aaj Tak, India TV and other hindi news channels I'm not sure if they go by what society wants to see and whether their third grade reporting affects the society in anyway.

As an example this report of India TV right after the Mumbai attacks:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNOIK4NNnY[/YOUTUBE]

the JUNTA is media influenced and the media basically decides who the top guns are.

Thanks for your inputs guys. It was interesting reading them as I've had this question in the back of my mind for a long time now.

the media will not publicize something that the public do not want to see and will not show interest and the public point of view about government, etc, etc., will be heavily influenced by the media. so it's both ways.

Media, television, Films, Magazines, novels..everything is a mirror to reality and have some element of truth hidden in them...Media talks about what is in these days and what is out..what is cool and what is hot.affairs, celebrities lifestyle - they show us lifestyle that others are living, others although from the same planet but worlds apart..media is a mirror so somewhat do influence us..but the society, the mankind has a great mind of their own so one is able to decide to which extent they can follow the media's behavior without being uncivilized. If one fails to do that then there is trouble. Real trouble.

Edit to answer your question, Society show media the mirror, the media shows the mirror back..but the reflection may not be the same.

Xoxo