Transcript 幻灯片 1
Social Consequences of Communication Communication in Crisis The Audience: Findings Since WWII • From a malleable to a resistant audience • Mass communication is seldom, if ever, the sole agent behind any change; it is a mere contributing influence • Environment, change, and the media (Note the triangular relationship) Mass Communication engenders social consequences, through intervening factors The Power of Communication in Defining Situations • In the above-mentioned conceptualization, there are certain potentials leading to erroneous thinking. Take note of the following points: --difficult to separate the influence of the media from the influence of the myriad other forces working in society --not yet capable of separating the causal contribution of one variable from that of many others when working at the social systems level The Crisis • Unique quality of the events and their surrounding circumstances • TV provided something to do when people did not know what to do • Situation: the first loss of a national leader reported in detail on TV • Nature of the event: --unexpected; studied in detail The Role of Communication • 5 stages in social response • 3 periods, 3 different demands on communication • What the media did --3 steps in reporting --Mystery: journalists and policemen shared responsibilities for the confusion How News Traveled • Enormous flow of information • The event generated an uncommon amount of news-carrying • Wide-spread emotional response • Pattern of response • Characteristics of response Functions of Saturation Coverage • Swift, full coverage prevented rumors from spreading • Reassurance • Reminder • Audience participation Ultimate result: --Catharsis --Re-integration of the nation