Final answer:
The portrayal of war on TV news has significant power in shaping how people of Gilead view the conflict, potentially reinforcing or challenging the state's narrative. Media's role can vary between informing the public and sensationalism, influencing public opinion and eliciting varying responses among different social groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
The way TV news (media) portrayal affects how the people of Gilead should view the war can be quite significant. It has the power to shape perceptions and mould public opinion. Through dramatizations, as seen in Katrien Pype's studies, emotional responses to media can affirm and influence viewers' worldviews. This effect is seen in the power of TV coverage to alter the American public's view on the Vietnam War, as discussed by Don Hewitt. Similarly, in Gilead, TV news may either align with the state's narrative, fostering support for the war, or challenge it, potentially stirring dissent depending on the content presented.
In analyzing media influence, it is important to consider the purpose it serves - whether it provides necessary information for a well-informed public or if it panders to viewers' desires for sensationalism, as seen in criticisms of the media's role in political coverage. These considerations help to determine whether the media is fulfilling its role as a 'watchdog' or succumbing to more tabloid-like behaviors, with direct repercussions on the society's perspective on the war.
Furthermore, portrayal of war in media, such as news magazines, and their influence on various social groups such as businessmen, workers, and the middle class, can vary greatly. Images and text can reinforce positive or negative treatment of the subject at hand. The media's storytelling could provoke viewers to support or oppose the war, showing that public opinion is malleable and subject to the media's framing of events.