Media, Power, and the Truly Educated Person

 Media, Power, and the Truly Educated Person: A Reflection through Cultural Studies

Introduction

In the contemporary digital age, media has become the most powerful force shaping how individuals think, behave, and interact. It influences not only political beliefs but also cultural identities and educational ideals. In his thought-provoking blog “Cultural Studies: Media, Power and the Truly Educated Person” (2017), Professor Dilip Barad explores how media and education intersect within systems of power and how critical awareness defines true education.

Drawing on insights from Jay Van Bavel’s talk “Do Politics Make Us Irrational?”, Eric Liu’s video “How to Understand Power,” and Noam Chomsky’s documentary “Manufacturing Consent,” this reflection examines how media and power influence culture, why critical media literacy is essential, and what it means to be a truly educated person in a world saturated with information.

1. Media and Power: Understanding the Invisible Mechanisms

Professor Barad asserts that media is not neutral; it functions as a cultural institution that constructs reality and reproduces social hierarchies. He aligns with the Cultural Studies tradition that views media as a site where meanings are produced and power is negotiated.

Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent offers a powerful illustration of this concept. He argues that corporate and state interests filter information, shaping what the public perceives as truth. Media organizations often serve as tools of ideological control, guiding public opinion while appearing objective. Similarly, Barad observes that in India and elsewhere, media frames political events, consumer trends, and social issues through narratives that serve dominant powers.

Jay Van Bavel’s psychological perspective adds another dimension: people do not process information rationally but through identity-based filters. Our political or cultural affiliations determine how we interpret news, which explains why even factual information can divide rather than unite societies.

From my own observation, during national elections, television channels and social-media platforms emphasize selective stories that reinforce pre-existing beliefs. Algorithms promote emotionally charged content, keeping users engaged but polarized. Thus, power operates invisibly through media structures, shaping not only what we know but also how we feel and act.

2. Redefining Education: The Truly Educated Person

Dilip Barad redefines education as an act of questioning and critical engagement, not mere academic achievement. A truly educated person, he writes, is one who is aware of how power functions through cultural institutions like the media and who resists manipulation by cultivating independent thought.

This redefinition echoes the ideas of critical educators such as Paulo Freire, who described education as a process of conscientization—awakening the ability to read the world, not just the word. In Barad’s view, information without critical consciousness produces conformity, not wisdom.

Eric Liu’s talk “How to Understand Power” supports this notion by explaining that power is not inherently negative; it is simply the capacity to act and to affect others. However, those who lack awareness of how power works become subject to it. Hence, understanding power how media, institutions, and ideologies operate is an essential step toward becoming genuinely educated.

In today’s context, critical media literacy is a core element of true education. A university degree may provide skills, but without the ability to question media narratives, individuals remain intellectually dependent. When I analyze news or social content now, I consciously look for framing, source credibility, and missing perspectives. This practice transforms learning into an act of liberation a shift from passive consumption to critical participation.

3. Media Representation and Cultural Practices

Barad’s blog emphasizes how media shapes cultural practices and identities by defining what is considered “normal” or “valuable.” Representation determines visibility: who is heard, who is ignored, and who is stereotyped.

Chomsky’s critique of the propaganda model reveals how economic and political elites control not only what stories are told but also which voices are amplified. This extends to the representation of marginalized groups whether based on caste, class, gender, or religion whose experiences are often distorted or simplified.

However, as Barad notes, media can also serve as a platform for resistance. Digital technology enables marginalized communities to tell their own stories, challenge dominant ideologies, and construct alternative realities. Independent filmmakers, online activists, and educational YouTubers use media creatively to expose injustice and promote dialogue.

For example, social campaigns such as #MeToo or local Dalit rights movements in India use social media to reclaim agency and disrupt silence. In such cases, media becomes a tool of empowerment rather than control. The key difference lies in how consciously and critically it is used.

4. Critical Media Consumption: Awareness as Empowerment

Reflecting on my own habits, I recognize how effortlessly media shapes opinions and daily choices—from what products I buy to how I perceive social issues. Earlier, I consumed media passively, assuming objectivity. After reading Barad’s blog and exploring the perspectives of Chomsky, Liu, and Van Bavel, I have begun approaching media with critical mindfulness.

I now ask:

Who created this content, and why?

What assumptions or power interests underlie this narrative?

Which perspectives are being excluded?

This habit aligns with Barad’s idea of critical consciousness the capacity to detect ideological manipulation and make informed judgments. Media literacy, therefore, becomes a moral responsibility. As Eric Liu points out, understanding power allows individuals to use it ethically and collaboratively.

Moreover, Van Bavel’s research reminds us that awareness of our cognitive biases can help us engage in reasoned dialogue rather than emotional reaction. Recognizing our own susceptibility to manipulation is itself a sign of true education.

By practicing critical media consumption, we transform education into a continuous, self-reflective process that resists both ignorance and control. We become active interpreters rather than passive receivers of meaning.

Conclusion

Media and power are interwoven forces that shape the cultural, political, and intellectual climate of our times. As Dilip Barad insightfully demonstrates, education must go beyond memorization to cultivate awareness of these forces. A truly educated person is one who questions power, reads between the lines, and uses knowledge responsibly.

The combined insights of Noam Chomsky, Eric Liu, and Jay Van Bavel reinforce Barad’s central message: to live intelligently in the twenty-first century, we must understand how media structures influence perception and how power circulates through communication.

In a world flooded with information yet starved of wisdom, critical media literacy is the true mark of education. It enables us to see through propaganda, challenge inequality, and participate consciously in cultural creation. Ultimately, being educated means being awake to question, to understand, and to transform both ourselves and the society we inhabit.

References

Barad, Dilip. “Cultural Studies: Media, Power and Truly Educated Person.” Dilip Barad Blog, 22 Mar. 2017, https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2017/03/cultural-studies-media-power-and-truly.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

Van Bavel, Jay. “Do Politics Make Us Irrational?” YouTube, https://youtu.be/8yOoOL9PC-o?si=7kfO1HtWI6VlfTFb. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

Liu, Eric. “How to Understand Power.” YouTube, https://youtu.be/c_Eutci7ack?si=ETh5_wE280DZn4cP. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

“Noam Chomsky – Manufacturing Consent.” YouTube, https://youtu.be/tTBWfkE7BXU?si=xL0JhxWPcbol-Eh0. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.