2nd= Influences of the Government

The Government influences almost every aspect of society through regulating, allowing, or prohibiting certain things dealing with literacy. Figures in society, as well as important literacy leaders, deem certain texts as valuable and worthy of teaching or supporting in the classroom. Or, these same leaders can taint certain work as being not valuable to society or worthwhile to be read. This type of influence carries down to every student in a public education system through its curriculum.
The Government also controls what is allowed to be shown on TV or said on the radio, by prohibiting certain topics of discussion. The freedom of speech is considered the most valuable right Americans have...but do they truly HAVE it? The media in and of istelf is a mass producer and distributor of information. What viewers see affects their outlook on the world around them. Important political figures, speeches, elections, informative documents, soap operas, and daytime dramas are all available 24/7. And this can be both an amazing technological accomplishment, but also a negative downfall to society's critical thinking.
The media has a negative stigma attached when it comes to violence, sex, and profanity. These are all major categorical topics that are viewed as 'bad'...but what about the TV/media programs that are deceitful, misconstruing issues, giving a lack of information, or misleading its viewers? Many people don't seem to critically think through the bombarding messages being sent their way. The emssages that are superficially bad are somewhat easier to ignore and not be tricked or deceived by them...but the subversive implications of certain media messages can alter your views and perceptions on something without you even realizing it. This is one of the most dangerous issues the media presents. Individuals need to learn a new kind of Media Literacy in order to critically and analytically think through the informaiton being presented to them, not only through literal works of text.