Letter to the Editor: Students Should Look Critically at Advertisemenets

Dear Arkansas Traveler,

As I was watching TV a few days ago, it hit me: we are a society that is bombarded with a constant stream of endorsements and advertisements, encouraging us to buy this, or support this, by advertising agencies.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how big a part advertisers play in these endorsements. These advertisers are the ones that frame things in either a positive or negative light, after all. If the media is against what they are informing us of, we are likely to be able to tell and vice versa if they support it.

It is important for us as a society that is surrounded by the media to practice media literacy. By this I mean that it is important for us to realize the hidden messages behind what advertising agencies are telling us. It is important for us to not be persuaded to buy something simply because it’s being worn by our favorite celebrity. It means being able to step back entirely from what media is telling us and look at the cold hard facts. It also involves a strong personal drive to want to do so, for it only when we’re personally driven will we find success.

The next time you see your favorite celebrity endorsing a product, I encourage you all to pause. Truly think about the facts of the product itself instead of the face of the celebrity trying to sell them.

Sophomore Brianna Locke