A common sentiment is that our beliefs and behavior depend on the media we consume – and people cannot do anything about it. Hence, media coverage is given a big responsibility, even to the point that people claim that media are per se manipulative and become sarcastic about reports and content.
But as things go, they are never as simple as they seem. Of course, media are fundamentally important for our opinion formation. To borrow from the sociologist Niklas Luhmann: What we know of the world, we most likely heard, read or saw through news coverage. But media research suggests that media do not determine what we think. They more likely influence what we think about.
This as a premise, we can think of the interplay between media and society as a two-way street. It is not just the media that shape our world view. The media is also informed by the people that produce and consume content. Hence, people set media norms, effect narratives and regulate which stories are considered significant. Therefore, we have a far greater stake in the media environment than we let ourselves believe.
Bats And Pirates: A Live-Action Realization
I just recently was reminded of that while watching the second season of “One Piece” on Netflix. In the live-action adaption of the renowned pirates-on-a-treasure-hunt manga series, we get to know the antagonists Mr. 9 and Miss Thursday. Both characters are baseball-themed, the former wielding a Louisville slugger, the later speaking in baseball-terms and hurling a weapons-grade baseball.
What stands out is that baseball references in “One Piece” are not just a style choice of some kind for the live-action adaption. In fact, fans of the manga know Mr. 4, the brother of Miss Thursday. He also deploys baseball-themed attacks. On top, viewers of the anime might remember the short film “Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King”. And back in 2004 “One Piece: Going Baseball” was released for GameBoy Advance in Japan.
Pitching An Idea: Baseball Around The World
The lingering question is what baseball has to do with a beloved manga. Here, the premise of the interplay among media and people comes into play – no pun intended. Wildy regarded an American pastime, baseball is also a hugely popular sport in Japan. Players such as Shohei Ohtani – who currently hits and pitches for the Los Angeles Dodgers – are considered national stars. In addition, “One Piece” creator Eiichiro Oda is believed to be a big baseball fan himself.
Apart from this, the cross-promotion among baseball and “One Piece” is striking. Over the years, several American baseball teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox teamed with the anime studio Toei Animation for special “One Piece” theme nights. During the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the main cast of the live-action adaption threw the first pitch of a game. And on Opening Night of the American baseball season, Netflix teamed with Major League Baseball (MLB) to promote the latest season of the live-action “One Piece”.
People’s Media
In my opinion, the baseball motifs in “One Piece” therefore point to how media and people shape each other in continuous exchange. The sport is beloved in Japan and the U.S., as are mangas and animes. And because people influence media through individual preferences and interests, it has a cultural impact beyond sports talk.
In my mind, the recurring motifs and the cross-promotion of “One Piece” exemplify this: A globally recognized sport, rooted in different countries, becomes material for a narrative that resonates with audiences. Therefore, it is not just media that shape our believes and norms. Because media are produced by people for people, we are a crucial agent for media content. In my opinion, we should not blame media for its influence, but assert our position as active contributor to a versatile media environment.
Thank you for reading. This is a “Memo” keeping track of words, phenomena and talking points across the fields of media and communication that are curious, fascinating or just fun trivia.