Isabelle Kristick
Reflecting:
When accepted into College Park Scholars you are asked to choose the top three programs that you would be interested in being a member of. When I look back at this simple task the only thought that comes to mind is how different my college experience would have been if I had not picked the Media, Self, and Society program. The Media Scholars program has not only provided me with knowledge and a better understanding of media, self, and society but also with the base on which I built my community at the University of Maryland.
Taken at the Scholar's Under the Lights event, I pose alongside my fellow peer mentors and program director, Alison Burns. This photo captures part of the community that the Media Scholars Program has provided me.
Through the Media Scholars experience, I have been able to learn from my professors and peers about the interactions between media, self, and society as well as the ever-changing roles they each possess. Media plays a key role in today’s society because it acts as a binder and unifier that connects society through the information it provides and by informing people on the events unfolding in their community and in the world around them. By having this key role media is granted an immense amount of power in our lives since they control our knowledge of the world around us and can impart beliefs and opinions through how they present the events and information unfolding. Thus the Media’s role is not just to provide information to the public but to do so in a way that acknowledges bias. Media impacts me because I am an active consumer of the information that it provides as well as the biases it creates. Since I have become a Media Scholar I have become more aware of the biases present in the Media and have become more active when consuming media by reflecting on the possible opinions infused in the information I am consuming and by pursuing alternative sources that are less biased. I also have become more engaged with media by creating posts about news events and art about the role of media in society.
This photo shows me alongside an art piece I made for the Media Scholars Program and is meant to capture the role of media in society as well as how media, self, and society collide
When I started Media Scholars I knew that media played a major role in marketing, my intended major. However through scholars I have gained a better understanding of the interactions between the two fields. For example, the impact that business and consolidation has had on media consumption and production. Additionally, through this program I have learned about the relationship between media and the law, another interest of mine. This relationship is based on how the law and legal decisions play a key part in news events which the media covers. This relationship also extends into how the law limits and protects what journalists and the media can produce.
This photo captures the relationships and friendships that I have grown through the Media Scholars Program that have extended beyond the classroom. Pictured is myself alongside fellow Media Scholars Josie Jack and Akshay Bhandari following an intermural kickball game.
The knowledge I have gained from this experience goes beyond the relationships between media, self, and society. I have also gained a community and learned how to better communicate and collaborate with others. Through this program I have been able to work alongside my peers to interpret events, craft projects, reflect on news stories, and to think critically about news rather than passively consume it. These skills as well as the ability to build a community will carry with me in my future endeavours and will allow for me to be a better student, teacher, creative thinker, and person.