Media Advertising Criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media Advertising Criticism - Essay Example The major role of advertising is to increase sale of products and services, in addition to creating and maintaining the brand identity and image. It also entails communicating the change that exists in the product line and introducing a new product or service (Bartels 46). It is also viewed as a favorable representation of products to make customers, consumers and the public aware of the existent products. In other words, it lets potential users, buyers, and the public as a whole become familiar with the various brands of products, goods and services found in the market. Advertising has faced various criticisms regarding the content, ethics, privacy and the cost of the adverts. In this essay, we are going to discuss the reasons why advertising is essential irrespective of the criticisms that have been lodged against it (Beckman 70). Additionally, we shall examine in details some of the issues that bring about the criticisms of advertising. For instance, that it does not protect other people’s privacy and that it lays emphasis on inaccurate or inappropriate content. Beckman brings out the fact that media organizations at times misinterpret and withhold relevant facts because they are subverted by the advertiser’s demands. ... They believe that tobacco adverts may convince the younger generation that smoking is cool, yet is not. In some countries such as Canada, Europe, South Africa and New Zealand, the advertising structure operates in a system of self-regulation where advertisers, media and advertising agencies agree on the code of advertising standards that all stakeholders try to uphold. This aims at ensuring that the advertising is decent, legal, truthful and honest (Beckman 89). Thousands of policy researchers, opinion makers and politicians often wish to transmit information to the larger public. In order to do that successfully, they need a medium of communication. Therefore, media organizations always serve as the intermediaries of conveying such messages. Transmission of information and news to the public is extremely expensive, and this has prompted media organizations to significantly depend on advertising in order to cover some of their costs. There are few organizations and corporations that spend heavily on adverts, and this has compelled media agencies to accept advert orders from them irrespective of whether they violate the media ethics or not (Bartels 100). Advertising in its essential nature boldly appeals to the self-interest of customers for the patent and selfish gain of the capitalists. Therefore, criticizing advertising is to criticize capitalism and ethical egoism (Albion 48). Anderson makes us understand that, in the psychological point of view, people are in control of their mind; thus, they cannot be manipulated unless they allow it. There are three facts that uphold this statement. First, reason is volitional, a fact that negates determinism; thus, removes the support for the view that advertising possesses