2IV075 Media, Culture & Society Lecture 1: Introduction to the field of mass communication studies Dr James Pamment, 3 September 2012

Course Goals The course elaborates on concepts and models for the scientific study of media and communication and demonstrates how the media are related to culture and society. Moreover, it shows from how many different perspectives the media can be studied, with particular focus on structure, production, content, audience and reception.

Knowledge & Understanding identify and describe basic concepts, models, and theories relevant to the scientific study of human communication and the mass media discuss the role of communication and the media in the shaping and development of culture and society reflect upon and theorize about the functions of technology and new media in today’s social and political context explain the underlying principles and mechanisms of media production and reception discuss various themes and representations within the media content (ex. politics, gender, ethnicity or social strata)

Skills & Capacities distinguish between different approaches to media effects on individuals and their social environment relate the practices and processes within the media to different social, cultural and political phenomena characterize a particular media message from different theoretical perspectives Evaluative Capacity & Approach critically appraise the cultural and moral responsibility of the media judge the political importance and democratic potential of mass media

Examination Seminars Seminar 1: Media Industries Seminar 2: Media Analysis Final Exam Take-home essay questions

Required Reading McQuail, ch.2 Albertazzi & Cobley, ch.1 Key Themes There is no ‘best’ or ‘correct’ approach for analyzing media Choice of method is determined by the context, questions and the material.

Definitions (1) Media (Medium) Storage & transmission channels for information Mass Media Technologies designed to reach large audiences with same materials Both technical and institutional methods of production and distribution

Definitions (2) Culture (early) Improvement, cultivation Capacity to represent experiences through symbols Shared languages, customs, symbols, behavior Society Large grouping of people through persistent relations Economic, social, political infrastructure Organization

Media History (1) Purpose, needs, usage Technologies Social Organization Regulation & Control

Media History (2) Needs-Technologies-Organization-Regulation ~500 BC First Library, Papyrus 100 AD Bound books 1455 Gutenburg Bible, Newspapers 1560 Camera Obscura 1814 Photograph 1821 Microphone 1831 Telegraph 1867 Typewriter 1876 Telephone 1877 Phonograph 1902 Radio

Media History (2) Needs-Technologies-Organization-Regulation 1910 Motion Picture 1923 Television 1927 Radio Networks 1939 Scheduled Television 1944 Computers 1969 Internet 1979 Cellular Telephone 1994 WWW 2001 Wikipedia 2004 Gmail, Facebook, Flickr 2005 YouTube 2006 Twitter, Wikileaks

Media History (3) Needs Mass society, urbanization, globalization? Market capitalism, democracy? War? Personal gratification?

Media History (4) Technologies ‘Great men’? Mass- &/or Personal? Cause social change? Military-Industrial-(entertainment)- Complex?

Media History (5) Organization Production, Distribution? Freedom, Empowerment? Surveillance, Interveillance? Information Society?

Media History (6) Regulation Censorship or Self-Censorship? Legal, Social or Governmental Control? Technology ahead of legislation?

Media History (7) Reflect over media in your country Culture, Heritage Political system, social organization Regulation, censorship Access DIFFERENCE

Approaches to Media (1) Marxism – sociology, political science Political Economy – sociology, economics Frankfurt School – sociology, cultural studies, philosophy Ideology – sociology, political science Ethnography – sociology, anthropology Uses and Gratifications - psychology Psychoanalysis – psychology, film studies Semiotics - linguistics Feminism – sociology, cultural studies

Approaches to Media (2) Why do people use ‘X’ media? Uses & gratifications Psychoanalysis Ideology Ethnography

Approaches to Media (3) How do media reproduce social structures? Marxism Political Economy Frankfurt School Ideology Feminism

Approaches to Media (4) What kinds of messages do media carry? Ideology Semiotics

What if every Olympic sport was photographed like beach volleyball? Article in Metro during Olympics

What if every Olympic sport was photographed like beach volleyball? How often do media reproduce representations? How often do media challenge representations? Shaped by or shaping?

Approaches to Media (5) Marxism Political Economy Frankfurt School Ideology Ethnography Uses & Gratifications Psychoanalysis Semiotics Feminism How do media support protest movements? How do media support gender inequality? Who has access to the internet? How are young women represented in magazines? How is online news distributed to offline audiences? Why do teen boys like horror films?

Key Themes There is no ‘best’ or ‘correct’ approach for analyzing media Consider factors such as purpose, technologies, social organization & regulation Differences between and within countries, cultures Choice of method is determined by the context, questions and the material Each approach has strengths & weaknesses Each approach refers to a wider academic field

Schedule (1) Tomorrow Basic concepts, theories and models of mass communication (10-12) Media structure and production: examples and contexts (13-15)

Schedule (2) Monday 10 th Seminar 1 (9-16) Presentation of a media industry/form More information tomorrow PM

Schedule (3) Tuesday 11 th Media content: introduction to texts, themes and representations (10-12) Media audiences and effects (13-15)

Schedule (4) Tuesday 18th Seminar 2 (9-16) Presentation of a content analysis More information Tues 11 th PM

Schedule (5) Monday 24th Exam Questions Published Monday 1 st October Exam Questions Uploaded