Abstract

Critical theorists of the Frankfurt School intended to strengthen the wisdom and consciousness of the members of the society including students, teachers, and the audience of the mass media by expressing their critical viewpoints in the field of education. From among the experts of this field of thinking, some individuals such as Giroux, Apple and Freire developed theories in the field of critical education. Some of other thinkers of the field such as Horkheimer, Adorno and Markuze have reviewed and analyzed the state of the media in educating the audience.

The present paper examines the viewpoints of Horkheimer and Adorno on the media and then, it examines the negative consequences of the media from the viewpoint of critical thinkers, , in educating the critical audience. From the viewpoint of critical thinkers such as Horkheimer and Adorno, the media has had negative consequences including mesmerized thinking, making the critical audience passive and maintaining the status quo as well as reviving capitalism, and it plays a role in weakening the enlightened and critical mind of the members of the society, especially lower classes of the society, by conveying targeted, abusive and exploitative messages.

Keywords: the media, the critical audience, Horkheimer, Adorno, mesmerized thinking, critical education