--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the modern media is the mass media and…" description: "\"“the modern media is the mass media and they understand only four things. Every story carried by the modern media involves one of these four things: se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/paul-watson-1855_four-elements_the-modern-media-is-the-mass-media-and-t_2998553.jpg" --- # the modern media is the mass media and they understand… ![“the modern media is the mass media and they understand only four things. Every story carried by the modern media involves one of these four things: sex, scandal, violence and celebrity culture. If a story does not include one of those four elements, it isn't a story and it becomes difficult if not…” quote by Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/paul-watson-1855_four-elements_the-modern-media-is-the-mass-media-and-t_2998553.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/paul-watson-1855_four-elements_the-modern-media-is-the-mass-media-and-t_2998553.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/paul-watson-1855_four-elements_the-modern-media-is-the-mass-media-and-t_2998553.jpg) > ““the modern media is the mass media and they understand only four things. Every story carried by the modern media involves one of these four things: sex, scandal, violence and celebrity culture. If a story does not include one of those four elements, it isn't a story and it becomes difficult if not impossible to get the message out. So, you have to tie your story to one of the four elements to ensure that it is picked up and that you get your message out. (p. 125)”” [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern media only tells stories that fit sex, scandal, violence, or celebrity; other messages struggle to be heard. **In simple terms:** Media favors sensational topics. Key Takeaway Craft messages with one of the four hooks. Themes media communication culture Mood critical analytical Type media studies When to use this quote - advertising - political campaigning - public awareness Key Concepts Sensationalism message framing Questions to Reflect On - How can you convey important ideas without sensationalism? - What are alternatives to the four hooks? A Different Perspective It can marginalize important but bland topics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Four elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four-elements/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Mass media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-media/) ## Related quotes > [I think defeating Fox - and more importantly, getting the rest of the media to understand they do not do legitimate news - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/i-think-defeating-fox-and-more-importantly-getting-the-rest-of-the/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [Any fiction should be a story. In any story there are three elements: persons, a situation, and the fact that in the end something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-cowley/any-fiction-should-be-a-story-in-any-story-there-are-three-elements/) [Malcolm Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-cowley/) > [A dream inspiring a story is different than placing a description of a dream in a story. When you describe a character's dream, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/a-dream-inspiring-a-story-is-different-than-placing-a-description-of/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“I was starting to believe I was a character in a greater story, which is why the elements of story made sense in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-was-starting-to-believe-i-was-a-character-in-a-greater-story-which/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Just as characteristic, perhaps, is the intellectual interdependence created through the development of the modern media of communication: post, telegraph, telephone, and popular press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lous-lange/just-as-characteristic-perhaps-is-the-intellectual-interdependence/) [Christian Lous Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-lous-lange/) > [The modern media environment is so overrun with bullshit and static and people trying to sell you stupid crap. It makes you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-listi/the-modern-media-environment-is-so-overrun-with-bullshit-and-static/) [Brad Listi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-listi/) > [Modern media has a real tendency to focus on the divisions rather than the commonalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/modern-media-has-a-real-tendency-to-focus-on-the-divisions-rather/) [Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/) > [There is no business model in the modern media that promotes comity. If we worried too much about criticism, we wouldn't get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pfeiffer/there-is-no-business-model-in-the-modern-media-that-promotes-comity/) [Daniel Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pfeiffer/) > [I am not good at dealing with the modern media. I have not felt I have been as effective as I should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle-morris-baroness-morris-of-yardley/i-am-not-good-at-dealing-with-the-modern-media-i-have-not-felt-i-have/) Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley > [The anorexic is the fuse nakedly exposed to the direct power of modern media, a psyche whose wiring has no insulation. The anorexic is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/the-anorexic-is-the-fuse-nakedly-exposed-to-the-direct-power-of/) [Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/) > [In the modern media age we are rarely surprised by what we see. Whether it's on television or film or in the theatre, everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/in-the-modern-media-age-we-are-rarely-surprised-by-what-we-see/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [“The modern media, with so many options tailored to particular views, is a huge exercise in confirmation bias. This means that Americans are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/the-modern-media-with-so-many-options-tailored-to-particular-views-is/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“We can be sure that the fifth element (idea) was immaterial for Plato and Aristotle, who used the term aether. The fifth element (Latin:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/we-can-be-sure-that-the-fifth-element-idea-was-immaterial-for-plato/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [But I don't think I have any particular talent for prediction, because when you have three or four elements in hand, you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-tabucchi/but-i-don-t-think-i-have-any-particular-talent-for-prediction-because/) [Antonio Tabucchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-tabucchi/) > [“I found that men and women with high levels of shame resilience share these four elements: They understand shame and recognize what messages and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-found-that-men-and-women-with-high-levels-of-shame-resilience-share/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) ## More by Paul Watson > [Social change comes through people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/social-change-comes-through-people/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [Sea Shepherd is to terrorism what Groucho was to Marxism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/sea-shepherd-is-to-terrorism-what-groucho-was-to-marxism/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [You don't get anywhere unless you've had a little bit of a complicated life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/you-don-t-get-anywhere-unless-you-ve-had-a-little-bit-of-a/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [Here's the thing: Nobody gets extradited for a crime where nobody's been hurt, where no property's been damaged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/here-s-the-thing-nobody-gets-extradited-for-a-crime-where-nobody-s/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [The shark is the apex predator in the sea. Sharks have molded evolution for 450 million years. All fish species that are prey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-shark-is-the-apex-predator-in-the-sea-sharks-have-molded/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [We are literally eating the oceans alive and there are simply not enough fish to continue to feed an ever expanding population of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/we-are-literally-eating-the-oceans-alive-and-there-are-simply-not/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [I want to stay in the ocean. I'm not going to be able to do that from some holding cell in Japan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/i-want-to-stay-in-the-ocean-i-m-not-going-to-be-able-to-do-that-from/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [It is true that many of the Sea Shepherd crewmembers are inexperienced, but the fact is that these volunteers bring a passion to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/it-is-true-that-many-of-the-sea-shepherd-crewmembers-are/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [We have intelligent species on our planet that we are not even trying to communicate with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/we-have-intelligent-species-on-our-planet-that-we-are-not-even-trying/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [I don't think you really have to retire from what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/i-don-t-think-you-really-have-to-retire-from-what-you-do/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [If you want to know where you would have stood on slavery before the Civil War, don’t look at where you stand on slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/if-you-want-to-know-where-you-would-have-stood-on-slavery-before-the/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [People sometimes feel frustrated about what's going on in our oceans and environment, and 'Whale Wars' shows that ordinary people can take action and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/people-sometimes-feel-frustrated-about-what-s-going-on-in-our-oceans/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [The only language that the Japanese whaling industry understands is economics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-only-language-that-the-japanese-whaling-industry-understands-is/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [I'm not pessimistic about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/i-m-not-pessimistic-about-anything/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [I don't eat fish because there is no such thing as sustainable fishing in the world right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/i-don-t-eat-fish-because-there-is-no-such-thing-as-sustainable/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) [Explore all 203 Paul Watson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) ## More Four elements quotes > [“I found that men and women with high levels of shame resilience share these four elements: They understand shame and recognize what messages and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-found-that-men-and-women-with-high-levels-of-shame-resilience-share/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [But I don't think I have any particular talent for prediction, because when you have three or four elements in hand, you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-tabucchi/but-i-don-t-think-i-have-any-particular-talent-for-prediction-because/) [Antonio Tabucchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-tabucchi/) > [“We can be sure that the fifth element (idea) was immaterial for Plato and Aristotle, who used the term aether. The fifth element (Latin:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/we-can-be-sure-that-the-fifth-element-idea-was-immaterial-for-plato/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [Whenever learners or those beyond learning awaken the mind, for the first time they plant one buddha-nature. Working with the four elements and five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/whenever-learners-or-those-beyond-learning-awaken-the-mind-for-the/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [The energies represented by the four # elements are ulitimately the fundamental realities of life that are being analysed with # astrology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-arroyo/the-energies-represented-by-the-four-elements-are-ulitimately-the/) [Stephen Arroyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-arroyo/) > [“The home is a sacred place where you can communicate with the four elements of the universe: earth, water, air and fire,” says writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/the-home-is-a-sacred-place-where-you-can-communicate-with-the-four/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [I acknowledge the four elements. Water in the North; incense to recognize the air in the East; flowers for the earth in the South;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-esquivel/i-acknowledge-the-four-elements-water-in-the-north-incense-to/) [Laura Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-esquivel/) > [“True love is made of four elements: loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. In Sanskrit, these are, maitri, karuna, mudita, and upeksha.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/true-love-is-made-of-four-elements-loving-kindness-compassion-joy-and/) [Thich Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [“The late duchess wore around one finger a diamond icicle band, known as a water-stone in Elemental mythology. There is no definite word on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/the-late-duchess-wore-around-one-finger-a-diamond-icicle-band-known/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [“in the universal womb that is boundless space all forms of matter and energy occur as flux of the four elements, but all are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/longchenpa/in-the-universal-womb-that-is-boundless-space-all-forms-of-matter-and/) [longchenpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/longchenpa/) > [Of the four elements water is the second in weight and the second in respect of mobility. It is never at rest until it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/of-the-four-elements-water-is-the-second-in-weight-and-the-second-in/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Worldviews have four elements that help us understand how a person's story fits together: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. "Creation" tells us how things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/worldviews-have-four-elements-that-help-us-understand-how-a-person-s/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [Everything was simple, physical, painful, exalting. The world consisted of the four elements - land and water, firepower and distancing air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/everything-was-simple-physical-painful-exalting-the-world-consisted/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Four elements, Hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, also provide an example of the astonishing togetherness of our universe. They make up the "organic" molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/four-elements-hydrogen-carbon-oxygen-and-nitrogen-also-provide-an/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [“The Horned Master governs the generative powers of the kingdom of the beasts, the raw forces of life, death and renewal which sustains the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholaj-de-mattos-frisvold/the-horned-master-governs-the-generative-powers-of-the-kingdom-of-the/) Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold [Browse all 49 Four elements quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four-elements/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“the modern media is the mass media and they understand only four things. Every story carried by the modern media involves one of these four things: sex, scandal, violence and celebrity culture. 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