reflection essay(1-2pages)
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COM101Summer2020Week3.pptxMASS COMMUNICATION
Media evolution, theory, & research
Defining “Media”
Medium/media (plural)—something which serves as a means of conveying info (i.e. messages)
Used synonymously w/ channel
Definition of “media”
Defining “Mass Media”
Mass media— media/tech w/ the capacity to convey messages to large numbers of people.
Mass media are linked to associated industries/infrastructure
Traditional platforms—TV, radio, newspapers, etc.
Emerging platforms—internet, social media, videogames, mobile, etc.
Definition of mass media
Defining Mass Communication
Mass communication— study of comm involving mass media.
The process of creating shared meaning between mass media & their audiences (Baran)
Includes the process, associated industry, usage, & impact
Definition of mass communication
Importance of Mass Media
Lasswell & Wright’s societal functions of mass media:
Surveillance: provides additional info about social environment
Correlation: influences selection & interpretation of info
Transmission of social heritage: communicates influences, and/or reinforces societal values & norms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqR3aUulqMQ
4. Entertainment: Recreation & escape from everyday life
Why we have to study mass communication? The importance of mass media: Not only a key element of our everyday interactions; but also have enormous impact on the direction of human progress.
Back to 6 decades ago, researchers identified 4 classical functions of mass media:
Surveillance: its’ important because it provide us with news and information about our environment that individually we would be otherwise unable to obtain.
e.g., daily events; weather cast
Correlation: refers to the role of the media in selection, organization, and interpretation of information about the environment.
Media doesn’t just replay the story, the information about the environment. The context, nature, the presentation of information provided by media helps us to make sense of the issues, stories and events they cover.
Transmission of social heritage:
Reflect, Reinforce and emphasize cultural norms, values social information
Entertainment : escape from everyday life
Evolution: Traditional & Emerging Mass Media
Media Sources:
Traditionally— Media scarcity
Relatively few sources, typically large, complex, organizations. Significant resources required
Emerging trend— Media abundance
Increasing # of sources, less resources required, emergence of “producers” (Bruns)
Decades ago, under the traditional mass communication context, i.e., television and radio; mass media sources were relying on large complex organizations, a lot of facilities, infrastructures, human resources are needed to produce media content. We described such an environment with a relatively limited number of potential mass media sources as media scarcity.
However, today’s media environment might be better described by the term “media abundance”. Think about the internet, the development of cable television, the social media, we are overwhelmed by those mass media messages. We described today’s environment as media abundance.
Another reason—user generated content
Now, what becomes scarce? Not media content, it is our attention.
Evolution: Traditional & Emerging Mass Media
Targeting:
Traditionally— Broad appeal
Content directed towards large, diverse, & anonymous audiences
Emerging trend— Media de-massification (segmentation)
Content increasingly directed to specific audience segments
For traditional mass media, (television, radio), the content was directed towards large, diverse, & anonymous audience.
Increasingly, media content is instead directed to specific segments of the mass audience. This trend has been labeled as media de-massification, audience segmentation or narrow casting.
Why? Media sources can differentiate themselves from other competing alternatives by labeling themselves with a particular interest, demographic, viewpoint, or value systems.
Media content providers have more and better information about their audience than they previously possessed.
Evolution: Traditional & Emerging Mass Media
Interactivity:
Traditionally— Limited interactivity
Inferential feedback—delayed, indirect
Emerging trend— Increasing interactivity
More user control/options; greater levels of more direct & instantaneous feedback
Decades ago, no instant feedback
Now increased interactivity
Evolution: Traditional & Emerging Mass Media
4. Technological dependence:
Traditionally— Basic tech requirements
Ownership/access & basic usage ability needed
Emerging trend— Increasing tech dependence
Greater number of media techs, more complex usage
Emerging trend– increasing technology dependence
Evolution of Mass Media
Several trends over recent history have contributed to evolution in the form, impact and usage of mass media
Economic Factors:
Economic imperative— influence of economic factors on media content/delivery
Revenue sources—advertising, subscription, etc.
Costs involved
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evo3PWrpaEI
Economic factors
We’ve talked about the costs associated with the production of mass media content, economic considerations have always been an important factor to take into account in the study of mass communication
Content production, distribution, and consumption
Revenue sources more—mass media product is more connected with commercial purpose
Hypercommercilaism—not only the amount of commercialism in mass media dramatically on the rise in recent history, but consumers have also grown more accepting of it. This means that media companies have produced content which has become increasingly commercial without fear of reprisal on the part of their audience.
Evolution of Mass Media
Conglomeration—large clusters of media increasingly controlled by small # of corporations
Media synergy: maximize potential revenue from media content by utilizing the potential of as many distribution channels as possible in an integrated corporate framework.
Intellectual properties vertical integration
Refer to the discussion of conglomeration in the Mass comm chapter of the Readings text
Benefits corporations, but may not benefit consumers
Conglomeration—refers to the trend for large groups of media companies to be increasingly controlled by a relatively small number of large corporations.
Evolution of Mass Media
Convergence— erosion of distinction among media (Baran) due to increasing comm tech functionality & cross platform content
Ex. Smartphone platform
Global Village (McLuhan)—as comm tech / mass media progresses, the world becomes increasingly connected via receiving similar info
May increase solidarity & understanding but also overload/anxiety
May contribute to the erosion of cultural uniqueness
Convergence—coming together
Erosion of distinctions among various media
Can be found in both the capabilities of media devices technologies and in the media content delivered via these technologies
Evolution of Mass Media
Infrastructure, (De) regulation, & Technology
Infrastructure— increasing capacity, coverage, & cost effectiveness
[De] Regulation— fewer restrictions on ownership limits & commercialism; filtering/regulation of content
Technology— impact of new/emerging media & advances in existing media
Massive changes to media use patterns
Goals of Mass Communication Theory & Research
To explore:
Mass comm processes & their effects
How & why people use mass media
Link between mass media & the public’s perceptions
Effect of environmental factors on media systems
Evolution of mass media & introduction of new mass media into society
1-step model: (Direct effects) Media as an immediate & direct influence on audience
Media
Audience
Media
Opinion Leaders
Audience
2-step model: media effects moderated by interpersonal influence (opinion leaders)
Theory & Research: Media Effects
Theory & Research: Media Effects
Media
Audience
Audience
Multi-step model : (complex effects) Multi-directional influence
Audience/users as active—selective exposure & processing of content—can be influenced by media or resist influence
Media content as focus for audience interaction (e.g. via social media)
Audience as an influence on media
Mass Communication Theory & Research: Media Effects
Cultivation Theory (Gerbner et al., 1980)—Overall pattern of television programming and regular exposure over a long time cultivates stable and common conceptions of reality.
Media as a ‘storyteller’—content helps shape beliefs, attitudes, values, & expectations of users
Media use produces cultivation—a shared set of views, norms, values, etc based on media content. Effect increases w/ greater media use
Original research centered on TV, suggested that accuracy/distortion found in TV (media) influences our perceptions
Heavy television (media) users more likely to see the world differently than light users and as similar to how it’s portrayed on TV
Overtime, exposure to media content can lead to a comment set of views, norms, roles, and values based on media presentation of the environment.
What’s on the TV: crime/violence is ten times rampant in TV
Experiment: heavy viewers (4 hours more) v.s. light viewers (less than 2)
Results: heavy viewers more likely to fear walking alone at night; general mistrust of people
Mass Communication Theory & Research: Usage
Uses & Gratifications Theory—audiences are active and goal directed, and select media based on their needs, including:
Escape
Belonging
Information
Entertainment
Personal identity
Postulates media choice is based partially on goals/costs:
Probability of Selection
=
Promise of Reward
Effort
Uses and Gratification Theory
The propositions: media users play an active role in choosing and using the media
Media users seek out a media source that best fulfills their needs – goal oriented
Media content alone can’t predict patterns of gratifications
Mass Communication Theory & Research: Third Person Effect
3rd Person Effect –Tendency for individuals to:
Overestimate the influence of mass media content on the beliefs & behaviors of others
Simultaneously believe in their own ability to resist such influence
Belief can serve as the basis for behavioral responses—e.g. oppositional content via social media
People tend to be optimistic about themselves.
Mass Communication Theory & Research: Media Effects
Agenda-setting (building): Media content/presentation influences how users perceive the importance of an issue
Issues given most &”best” coverage seen as most important
Media sources as gatekeepers—amount, order, & quality of coverage helps control perception of importance
Complex process influenced by multiple factors: media’s perception of public views, past history, govt. influence, choice, & convention
Media could influence how people perceive the “importance” of an “issue” or “topic”
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