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, CDs,
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?