Mass Media in Building a Multicultural Society

The mass media have enormous influence in building a multicultural society because of his role with huge potential to raise public opinion as well as a forum for dialogue between the layers of society. Related to the issue of cultural diversity (multiculturalism), the role of mass media such as double-edged knife, also play a positive role as well as negative. Positive role of mass media in the form:

1.      Contribution in spreading and strengthening of understanding between the citizens;

2.      Understanding of the pluralism that gave birth to an appreciation of other cultures;

3.      As a public event in actualize the aspirations of the diverse;

4.   As a tool of public control in the control of one's community, group, class, or institution from arbitrary action,

5.      Raise awareness of social issues, politics, and others in his neighborhood.

Negative role of mass media can be intangible as follows:

1.     Media ownership and the power of 'judgments' so that the delivery of the stereotypes, biases, and tend to imaging that does not fully describe the reality may seem like an irrefutable truth;

2.    Media have the power to consider an act of violence common. Programs featuring ethnic-based violence, language and culture can encourage and strengthen ethnic hatred and racist attitudes;

3.     Media have the power to provoke the development of feelings of hatred through the mention of the perpetrator or the victim based on particular ethnic or cultural group;

4.     Coverage that reduces the facts so as to produce a reality pseudo (false reality), which could result in benefit specific interests and also detrimental to the interests of other parties.

Furthermore, it is undeniable that mass media has a reciprocal relationship of mutual influence with the people. Mass media organizations are relatively modern and well established to make the bargaining position of the mass media become more dominant in influencing the audience than vice versa. Core of the new paradigm of mass media is always put forward a common interest in each coverage, without ignoring the objectivity of the news itself. Various ways that can be taken:

1.  Orientation of the mass media coverage devoted to the significance of events more than the popularity of his character;

2.    Mass media should shift the pattern of news from ‘sensasionalitas’ drama to the utility (usefulness) information;

3.      Mass media should not be dazzled by the 'events', but must pay attention to the 'incident';

4.      Mass media should be able to strengthen its social vision by facilitating public. For this purpose, the mass media are required to give access to internal control, involving the need for public scrutiny of the media are presented;

5.     Encourages a critical view of the mass media, which spurred the movement of media monitoring (media watch) in the community.

Furthermore, judging from the aspect of the substance of the message (content), the mass media are expected to participate in building a multicultural society. The ideal mass media should not only provide a page or program to only focus on the present or the actuality of everyday reality, let alone presented with less attention to the aesthetic values ​​through an approach that not infrequently tend to be exaggerated.