Theory of Mass Communication Overview 2017
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Mass media plays a significant role in shaping society and culture by influencing our identities, notions of gender and ethnicity, and sense of self. Media images and stories provide the symbols and resources through which we understand ourselves and our shared culture. Communication theory examines the relationships between media and politics, the influence of media on social issues like crime and violence, and the economic and normative aspects of media such as freedom of expression and commercialization. Theories take either a media-centric view that emphasizes the autonomy of media, or a society-centric view that sees media as reflecting broader social and political forces.
Theory of Mass Communication Overview 2017
- 1. Overview Baylor University 4320 Theory of Mass Communication Mia Moody Ramirez
- 2. Influence of mass media on society How much media do you consume?
- 3. Mass Media Radio, television, film, and the other products of media culture provide materials out of which we forge : Our identities; our sense of selfhood Our notion of what it means to be male or female Our sense of class, of ethnicity and race, of nationality, of sexuality; and of "us" and "them.”
- 4. Defining Theory Stories about how and why events occur (Baran & Davis) Theories begin with the assumption that the universe reveals certain basic properties that explain the ebb and flow of events Any organized set of concepts, explanations and principles of some aspect of human experience
- 5. Media Culture Media images help shape our view of the world and our deepest values Determine what we consider good or bad, positive or negative, moral or evil. Media stories provide the symbols, myths, and resources through which we constitute a common culture and through the appropriation of which we insert ourselves into this culture.
- 6. Types of Theory (McQuail) social scientific theory General statements about the nature, working and effects of mass communication, based on systematic and objective observation of media and other relevant sources Normative Concerned with examining or prescribing how media ought to operate if certain social values are to be observed or attained. Operational Theory Refers to the practical ideas assembled and applied by media practitioners in the conduct of their own media work Common-sense theory of media use Refers to the knowledge we all have from our own long experience with media, which enables us to understand what is going on
- 7. Questions and concerns (McQuail) Relations with politics and state Political campaigns and propaganda Citizen participation Influence on the making of foreign policy Cultural issues Globalization of content and flow Social concerns Definition of reality and mediation of social experience; links to crime, violence, pornography to deviance Normative questions Freedom of speech and expression Class, gender and sexuality Media norms Economic concerns Degree of concentration Commercialization of content Global imperialism and dependency
- 13. Media-centric vs. Society-centric •Media-centric attributes much more autonomy and influence to communication and concentrates on the media's own sphere of activity •Society-centric - takes a view of the media as so much a reflection of political and economic forces that theory for the media can be little more than a special application of broader social theory
- 14. Themes and issues in Mass Communication Time: communication takes place in time and it matters when it occurs and how long it takes Place: communication is produced in a given location Power: social relationships are structured and driven by power where the will of one is imposed on another.
- 15. Concerns of communication theory and research · Who communicates to whom? (Sources and receivers) · Why communicate? (Functions and purposes) · How does communication take place? (Channels, languages, codes) · What about? (Content, references, types of information) · What are the consequences of communication? (Intended or unintended)
- 16. AlternativeTraditionsofAnalysis The Structural Approach Derives mainly from sociology but includes perspectives from history, law and economics. Its starting point is 'society-centric' rather than 'media-centric', and its primary object of attention is likely to be media systems and organizations and their relationship to society. The approach favors the analysis of representative aggregate data derived from surveys or complete sets of statistics.
- 17. The Behavioral approach The behavioral approach has its principal roots in psychology and social psychology but is also represented by a sociological variant. In general, the object of interest is individual human behavior, especially in matters to do with choosing, processing and responding to communication messages (thus mass media use and effect).
- 18. Psychological Approaches Psychological approaches are more likely to use experimental methods. Individuals are classified according to relevant variables of social position, disposition and behavior, and the variables can be statistically manipulated. In the study of organizations, participant observation is commonly adopted.
- 19. “A typewriter is a means of transcribing thought, not expressing it. “ --Marshall McLuhan THE MESSAGE
- 20. The Medium is the Message… A sign of the times
- 21. Global Village: The social organization that might emerge when instantaneous electronic media is available. The global village means that the world is made up of one social, political, and cultural system. Are we living in a global village?