Transcript Mass Media
Mass Media COMM 1010 Summer 5 Week 2 2006 Mass Communication -- What is it? The process of designing and delivering cultural messages and stories to diverse audiences through media channels as old as a book and as new as the internet. (Campbell, 1998) Media is the plural of Medium (also known as a channel) Mass designates the type of audience Diverse in Spatial, Temporal, and Experiential Proximity How Many Mediums are in Media? Print (Newspaper, Magazines, Journals, Pamphlets, Books, Flyers, …You get the idea). Sound (Radio, CD’s, Tapes, 8 Tracks, Reel-to Reel). Electronic & Visual (TV, DVD, VCR, CD-Rom, Computer Games, Websites, TiVo, etc.) Media Use How often do you use media? Intersections pg. 79 Take 2-3 Minutes to complete Over 64% of adults read the daily paper, 80% if only once a week Adults read 10 magazines a month Adults listen to the radio 3 hrs/day The TV is on in each household 7 hrs/day, with adults watching 4 hrs/day Why do we treat Mass Communication differently? Difference between a group of people and a mass Group Communication is defined by the ability for each group member to interact with one another Mass communication occurs when differences in responses at the individual level no longer require much attention Less opportunity for feedback, if any at all Shannon-Weaver Model T=Transmitter (Source, Sender) R=Receiver (Audience) Functions of Mass Media Entertain Inform Socialize Surveillance Important Themes American Media are profit-centered businesses Technological changes affect the media Mass Media are culturally bound, they both reflect and affect the society in which they operate They also can transmit across societies (Ex: Us watching the BBC News or Russian people watching ‘The Price Is Right’) Today, the trends point toward media convergence Convergence Homogenizes producers of media Diversifies the reach of each individual message People practice convergence (thin of your self-diagnosis) Frequently increases the range of options to the consumer? Cultivation Theory Heavy viewing of television leads individuals to perceive reality in ways that are consistent with the portrayals they see on television. - George Gerbner Ex: Watching “Hannity and Colmes” regularly leads he viewer to believe that all democrats are buffoons. Caveat: The influence of Media is not absolute. The circulation of certain representations or portrayals makes them seem more accurate and natural Certain portrayals can be questioned, if one is confronted with other representations of the same group or event, or other contradictory personal experiences Ex: If you know a lot of smart democrats (or at least smarter than Alan Colmes) you are less likely to see “Hannity and Colmes” as an accurate barometer for both liberals and conservatives. Factors Influencing Cultivation Orientation of Use Audience Attitudes Importance Realism Medium Dependency Involvement Ritual – Use of Habit Instrumental – Use for content Identifying or getting caught up in “the story” (Rubin, 1993) Gatekeeping Regulating or determining what information will be carried over media channels. Can be both good and bad Good: Newspapers will only print those facts which can be independently verified Bad: Some issues never make the news, they are deemed to be too controversial or unworthy (no major news outlets cover the “Free Mumia” campaign) Agenda Setting The media determine what issues are important to the population An inevitable consequence of gatekeeping Ex: 10 news reports on the national debt usually prompts a political response Agenda Setting is usually concerned with issues, not outcomes Ex: The response may just entail the White House explaining its position on the national debt, rather than a debt reduction policy passing the house Be A Critical Consumer Who is Speaking? The mass media are owned by six corporate conglomerates with agendas -- Time Warner, Viacom, General Electric, Disney, Bertelsmann, and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. What is said? On which Channel? To Whom/ What audience? With What Effect?