REVISED LIT REVIEW FOR ASSIGNMENT 2

Many times you will hear of way that media has effected society. From a Facebook post to a
YouTube video, a newscast, or even a television show all have the ability to plant new ideas in
the minds of viewers whether correct or incorrect. With media being such a big role in everyday
lives it is easy for people to believe what they hear. However, this also provides the producers of
such media the opportunity to inform viewers of what they may not already know, highlight
important ideas, or share new facts which can in turn be useful and informative. Television
shows can have these large impacts, so being able to see real life situations causes the reality of
them to increase along with believability. Shonda Rhimes is one of these producers. With her hit
show Greys Anatomy, Rhimes shows insight into the lives of surgeons in both the work field
and personal settings. She uses, and prides herself in, a diverse cast as well as real life situations
which causes viewers to perceive what they see as the truth about doctors. Many people go on to
argue whether the scenes portrayed in this show are similar to those found in real life hospital
situations. It is also very evident that Greys Anatomy plays a role in how its viewers believe the
medical world and all its advances to be.
My Year to say yes to everything (2016) and Greys Anatomy go colorblind, (2005)
both show how the directing style of Rhimes leads to the success and accurate nature of this
show. Rhimes demonstrates how using such diversity in her cast is natural and seemingly the
right thing to do. She wants her viewers to understand that this is what the world truly is made
up of so something as simple as a range in cast members can cause more reality in such a show.
The way all the doctors and patients come together regardless of their race or beliefs shows the
doctor patient connection that we should see happen in the real world. These references allow
insight to the producers way of thinking and how this allows her to create the most reliable
program.
When being admitted into an ER or simply going for a checkup, you want to have an
assuring feeling about the professionals that are working on or with you. The article Branding
Operation, (2010) talks about the level of trust that patients have for doctors who wear uniform
that have the Greys Anatomy label printed on them. Although this is a real brand that is named
after the show, the issue is whether or not it feels as professional. The label Greys Anatomy
links to a cast full of fictional characters. So this article focuses on the question of whether or not
these doctors come off as characters to their patients, even though the brand is legitimate and
well used.
In a show such as Greys Anatomy, it is the reliability of the medical issues that the show
hits on that are often put into question for their truthfulness. In the article written by Brian L.
Quick (2009) we can see just how viewing this show may spark questions or effect the real
medical world. By watching Greys Anatomy viewers form predispositions about their doctors
which causes them to identify their doctors with certain characteristics and expectations before
they may even had had the chance to meet with them. Another article that both agrees and
disagrees with this is Greys Anatomy and Communication Accommodation (2013). This
article discusses how the show currently causes misconceptions into patient-doctor relationships
and experiences. At the same time, they explain how communication accommodation can help
doctors with being better at consoling their patients, which is influenced by shows such as Greys
Anatomy.
One of the things that seems to be a common theme with Greys Anatomys viewers, is
how the show causes them to make assumptions and medical decisions based on what the show

teaches them. One article Motivating Television Viewers to Become Organ Donors, (2007)
demonstrates this. This is a case study that explains how the medical action that some people
take can be skewed due to watching these schools. This simply means that it may be easier to
convince patients into a certain form of treatment or that patients may think they already know
what is a good medical decision for themselves. In this article particularly, it investigates how the
balance of education and entertainment can lead to viewers to become organ donors. Similarly,
the article written by Eszter Ndasi (2016), discusses how the show introduces medical advances
to its viewers. This article talks about the reliability of the medical procedures discussed on the
show and compare that to how the viewers interpret the information. Ndasi explains how people
have expectations for the medical world based on shows such as Greys Anatomy, but also says
that they arent necessarily false and the shows can be used to teach these viewers what they may
not already know.
On a higher level of influencing, Weaver and Wilson (2011), explain how such television
casts can impact the students entering this field and engage them. The effects of watching TV
shows that appear as realistic as Greys Anatomy can greatly affect the way patients view doctors
as well as future students entering such fields. This could include patients refusing to see a doctor
do to their gender or race or any other extraneous factor that may influence their decisions.
People have the tendency to form strong opinions and shows including Greys Anatomy can
help form even more opinions in this matter.

Works Cited
Fogel, Matthew. "'Grey's Anatomy' Goes Colorblind." New York Times. New York Times, 8 May
2005. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
Jubas, Kaela, and Patricia Knutson. "Seeing And Be(Liev)Ing: How Nursing And Medical
Students Understand Representations Of Their Professions." Studies In The Education Of
Adults 44.1 (2012): 85-100. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Oct. 2016
Movius L, Cody M, Huang G, Berkowitz M, Morgan S. Motivating Television Viewers to
Become Organ Donors. Cases in Public Health Communication & Marketing. 2007 June.
Ndasi, Eszter. Changing the Face of Medicine, Alternating the Meaning of Human Medical
Innovations in Greys Anatomy. N.p., 18 May 2016. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
Quick, Brian L. "The effects of viewing Grey's Anatomy on perceptions of doctors and patient
satisfaction." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media Mar. 2009: 38+. Literature
Resource Center. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.
Shonda, Rhimes. "My Year of Saying Yes to Everything." Shonda Rhimes:. TED Talks, Feb.
2016. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.
Walker, Rob. "Branding Operation." The New York Times Magazine 3 Oct. 2010: 19(L).
Literature Resource Center. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
Weaver, Roslyn, and Ian Wilson. "Australian Medical Students' Perceptions of Professionalism
and Ethics in Medical Television Programs." Australian Medical Students' Perceptions of
Professionalism and Ethics in Medical Television Programs. N.p., 19 Jan. 2011. Web. 10
Sept. 2016.