If you can write a nation's stories, you needn't worry about who makes its _x000D_ laws. Today, television tells most of the stories to most of the people _x000D_ most of the time.
George GerbnerRead
You know, who tells the stories of a culture really governs human behavior. It used to be the parent, the school, the church, the community. Now it's a handful of global conglomerates that have nothing to tell, but a great deal to sell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The influence of story-telling in shaping human behavior has shifted from traditional sources to corporations.
George Gerbner's quote highlights the importance of storytelling in culture and how it profoundly influences human behavior. He suggests that in the past, stories were primarily shared by parents, schools, churches, and communities, which built cultural values and norms. However, in the modern world, this narrative power has shifted to a few global corporations that prioritize selling products over imparting meaningful stories, leading to a change in societal values and behaviors.
Themes
StorytellingCultureBehaviorInfluenceSocietyCorporations
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the impact of media on culture, this quote could be used to illustrate changing narratives.
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