The mass media in our lives

Reading Highlights - Ch 1. (part 1)  Media criticism  Media literacy  Communication  Mediated Communication  Mass Communication  Mediated Interpersonal Comm.  Convergence

Definitions of communication  Transmitting information, ideas and feelings.  Creating shared meanings and culture.

Communication as transmission  Traditional view; represents earliest conceptualization of communication.  Main concern - public speaking and persuasion  Aristotle: “rhetoric is the faculty of observing in any case the available means of persuasion”

Communication models  Simplified way to represent the process of communication. SpeakerSpeechAudience Message Goal: Persuasion Tools of persuasion: Logos, ethos and pathos + evidence, witnesses, etc.

The Lasswell Formula  Who, says what, to whom, through what channel, with what effect?  Who - the source, the sender, you  What - the content, the message.  Whom - the audience  Channel - the physical means of message transmission.  Effect - what happens once message is received

Criticisms of transmission models  They don’t deal with meaning and/or culture.  They tend to overlook the context of communication  They do not deal with intentions of source or receiver, nor with power imbalances  They tend to not address the problems of noise, inattention, attitudes, etc.

Another definition of communication  The process of constructing shared meanings.  Communication involves individuals and organizations  Communication is closely related to culture, and it is context-specific.

Mass media and culture  Mass media participates in the process of creating shared meanings.  Media reproduces and reaffirms values.  Disney films (nuclear family; prince charming; Cinderella).

A definition of mass media  The mass media are means of communication that are mainly used for the transmission of messages from a single point to a widespread audience.

Characteristics of mass media (Rodman)  MM reach widespread audiences  Usually, there is little room for feedback.  Gatekeepers determine content  Impact is greater

But…  Individuals are talking back to the media.  Audiences create media, rework and bypass traditional media.  The way we use media often forces changes in the industries and technologies (Napster).  We can never be certain that media has an impact  Individual differences limit effects  We don’t live in a world exclusively made up by media.

Additional characteristics (Grossberg, et al)  Technologies allow production, reproduction and distribution of media products.  Institutions shape, create and control media and technologies.  Media products reflect values and culture of those who create it and control it.  Media organizations are commercial enterprises.

Media literacy  Ability to understand and make productive use of the media.

Need for Media Literacy  To make informed choices about the media that we use, the media products that we buy/watch/consume and the information that we expose ourselves to.

Some statistics (United States) Total US Media Spending930 billion (2006) Full Service FM Radio Stations9,163 (2007) Daily and Sunday Newspapers2,344 (2006) Broadcast TV Stations2,320 (2007) Album Sales588.2 mill (2006) Music downloads (in $)2.0 billion (2006) Box Office Revenues (in $)10.2 billion (2006)

Core Concepts of Media Literacy (Center for Media Literacy)  All media messages are constructed.  Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.  Different people experience the same messages differently.  Media have embedded values and points of view.  Media messages are constructed to gain profit and/or power.

Five Key Questions  Who created this message?  What techniques are used to attract my attention?  How might different people understand this message differently from me?  What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in or omitted from this message?  Why was this message sent?