Episode 34: Media’s Influence on Empathy

Nov 7, 2017

Airdates: Wednesday, Nov. 15th, 12:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and Thursday, Nov 16th, 4:30 a.m/ET.

Consuming media—watching TV, playing a video game, downloading music—evokes a wide range of emotions. Happiness. Love. Boredom. Anger. But one emotion that it does NOT seem to evoke, is empathy. In fact, it can sometimes feel as if media content is designed for the exact opposite. News is often reported to pit one group against another. Reality TV celebrates defiance to authority. Lyrics in popular music sing about power and individualism. What happens when the media messages all around us make the feeling of empathy or a desire for empathy, seem like weakness and anti-heroic?

On this episode of Media Inside Out we explore media’s influence on empathy with host/producer, Sherri Hope Culver and guests, Dr. Frank Farley, Temple University, and Jennifer Kotler- Clarke. VP of Content, Research & Evaluation at Sesame Workshop.

Guests:

Dr. Frank Farley | Psychologist, Temple University

 

Jennifer Kotler- Clarke |        Vice President of Content Research & Evaluation, Sesame Workshop

 

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