Guiding Questions

• How does media shape our sense of justice?

• Who decides which voices are amplified — and which are silenced?

• Can truth survive in an age of misinformation?

The Power of the Narrative

Justice depends not only on what happens — but on how it is told.

Media — including TV, newspapers, social media, movies, and memes — doesn’t just report events. It frames reality:

• Which stories are covered (and which are ignored)

• Who is called a victim, a criminal, or a hero

• What counts as “fact” and what gets labeled “opinion”

• What’s trending — and what’s buried

This power to shape the narrative is itself a form of political power.

The Media Is Not Neutral

No media is perfectly objective. Every platform reflects:

• Economic interests

• Cultural values

• Political agendas

• Social biases

For example:

• Protestors may be described as “activists” or “rioters” depending on the outlet.

• A wealthy politician’s crime may be “a scandal” — while a poor person’s theft is “lawlessness.”

• Marginalized communities are often underrepresented — or misrepresented.

Justice requires not just freedom of the press, but critical media literacy.

Philosophical Perspectives

Antonio Gramsci – Cultural Hegemony

Gramsci argued that the ruling class maintains control not just through force, but through ideas — by making their values seem “normal” and inevitable.

Marshall McLuhan – The Medium Is the Message

McLuhan believed that how a message is delivered shapes its meaning. TV, print, and social media affect not just what we know — but how we think.

bell hooks – Representation Matters

hooks emphasized that media representations influence who is seen as worthy, lovable, or dangerous. Justice must include cultural equality.

Two Perspectives

Free Market of Ideas

Let all voices speak, and truth will rise through competition and reason.

Power Shapes the Mic

In reality, wealth, race, gender, and politics affect who gets to speak — and be heard.

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A Thought Experiment

Two people commit the same crime.

One is rich and famous.

The other is poor and unknown.

Which one becomes the headline?

Who gets sympathy — and who gets blamed?

Now ask: Is the media reflecting reality — or shaping it?

Misinformation and Justice

False or distorted media can:

• Spread harmful stereotypes

• Influence juries and trials

• Undermine trust in institutions

• Incite violence or repression

• Silence the truth

In the digital age, speed often beats accuracy. Lies go viral — truth takes time.

Building a Just Media Culture

• Support independent journalism

• Diversify media ownership and voices

• Teach media literacy in schools

• Hold tech companies accountable for harmful content

• Protect whistleblowers and truth-tellers

• Question the frame — not just the facts

Reflect and Discuss

• How has media shaped your view of justice — or injustice?

• Can there be justice if the truth is hidden or distorted?

• Who decides what stories get told in your society?

Suggested Readings

• bell hooks – Reel to Real: Race, Sex, and Class at the Movies

• George Orwell – Politics and the English Language

• Antonio Gramsci – Selections from the Prison Notebooks

• Marshall McLuhan – Understanding Media

• Shoshana Zuboff – The Age of Surveillance Capitalism