Anyone who says media does not affect them is either lying or oblivious. The media absolutely affects us as humans, as it is intended to do so. There is so much constant information and stimulation produced by media that it is impossible for it to not affect us. Of course, we affect media too, because what we do as a society is often mirrored in the media, however I would argue that we allow the media to affect us more. There is an endless amount of research to explain the effects of mass media, but this blog is more of a personal record of how I am affected both positively and negatively by the different forms of media I use, see, read, hear, etc., as a young adult in college.
Forms of media such as TV, Internet, newspapers, magazines etc. are endless sources of information, and imagining a world where all that information was not at my fingertips is practically unfathomable. Media hands us all this information, sometimes (if not most of the time) without us even wanting it or asking for it. Being in tune with the goings-on of the world and recent events is a positive way that media affects me. Media keeps people constantly informed, in a very short amount of time.
media darling 
USA Today Article: Black caucus should end Big Tobacco ties
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/09/black-caucus-sh.html#more
Black caucus should end Big Tobacco ties
The Congressional Black Caucus hosts its 38th Annual Legislative Conference this week, where thousands will converge on Washington to discuss how issues such as the economy, health care and the Iraq war are affecting African Americans.
For decades, tobacco companies have been major donors to the 43-member caucus. Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris, has donated $1.45 million to the group since 2002. The bucks don’t stop there, either. Though some caucus members, such as Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., do not accept tobacco company contributions, others do. This fact should disturb blacks, who are at increased risk for lung cancer compared with whites, according to the American Lung Association.
The caucus-Big Tobacco ties also explain the dispute that erupted this summer over a provision in a bill that would enable the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco. The bill, which was aimed at reducing the appeal of smoking to teenagers, would ban flavored cigarettes — except for those with menthol, which are preferred by blacks.
Louis Sullivan, a former Health and Human Services secretary who’s black, joined others in sending a letter to the bill’s sponsor saying that the menthol exception amounted to discrimination against the health interests of blacks. Despite these objections, the caucus supported the legislation after including a feeble stipulation that a scientific panel would issue recommendations on menthol in cigarettes within a year.
As smoking has declined among whites, tobacco companies have targeted blacks. A San Diego State University study found that from January 1998 to August 2002, black magazines were 9.8 times and Latino magazines 2.6 times more likely than white magazines to contain ads for menthol cigarettes.
Why might black lawmakers accept tobacco donations? Caucus member Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., who has been called the “Marlboro Man” because of his tobacco contributors, grew up the son of sharecroppers. His family relied on tobacco crops for their survival.
And to be fair, these companies have done some positive things. Philip Morris was the first company to desegregate cigarette factories in the South after World War II. Tobacco also has supported other black groups such as the NAACP, National Urban League and United Negro College Fund. Even so, no one should rest easy until the day when black institutions are not party to the occasional fling with Big Tobacco.
Yolanda Young hosts video blog Spadeproject.com.