Culture and the Media

Many people maintain that the media sets and controls the course of a culture by deciding what viewers should and shouldn't see. Objectivists, on the other hand, hold that ultimately the dominant ideas and philosophy during a given period determine its culture, and that the media is not a first cause, but merely a reflection (albeit an important one) of the dominant ideas.

While I agree with the Objectivist view on the subject, it is not fully "real" to me, so I'm always on the lookout for additional facts and evidence to support (or perhaps deny) the view. Here is one example from the Wall St. Journal entitled "TV Gets Religion" which I think clearly supports the Objectivist position.

In particular, this quote identifies the causal chain:

"We try in the entertainment business to find veins of interest to tap, and religion is a huge one that is currently very underserved," says Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment at NBC ...

Hat tip: Rob.