Concepts and Models for Mass Communication

Early Perspectives: Power BELIEF based on reach and impact Advertising and sensational news Entertainment and propaganda At present: advertising, public relations, political campaigning all rely on MEDIA

Early Perspectives: Social Integration Negative: more crime and immorality Individualistic: loneliness, loss of collective beliefs Positive: cohesion, entertainment At present: the Internet’s individualizing effects are of concern

Early Perspectives: Education MEDIA as a potent force for enlightenment Spreading of information, exposing political corruption GOALS: Cultural, educational and informative At present: highly competitive market; entertainment over education, culture and information

Early Perspectives: Problem Scapegoat: Blame the media! Moral panics! At present: Internet is suspect to encouraging pedophilia, violence, hate, and international crime

MASS COMMUNICATION: THE PROCESS Large-scale distribution and reception of content One-directional flow Asymmetrical relation between sender and receiver Impersonal and anonymous relationship with audience Calculative or market relationship with audience Standardization/commodification of content

MASS COMMUNICATION: THE AUDIENCE Large numbers of readers, viewers, etc Widely dispersed Non-interactive and anonymous relationship with each other Heterogeneous composition Not self-acting/organized An object of management/manipulation by media

MASS MEDIA AS INSTITUTION Refers to: set of media organizations and activities and their (in)formal rules of operation and sometimes legal and policy requirements. Core activity is the production and distribution of information and culture Responsibilities and functions are acquired in the “public sphere” and overseen by institution Control is via self-regulation with limits set by society

MASS MEDIA AND POPULAR CULTURE Mass Culture … non- traditional form and content … intended for mass consumption … mass produced and formulaic … pejorative image … commercial … homogenized

MASS MEDIA AND POPULAR CULTURE MASS CULTURE= passé, use POPULAR CULTURE instead How does it differ from CULTURE and TRADITIONAL CULTURE? Maybe MASS CULTURE is really just universal, standardized culture and MASS MEDIA served as a tool for its development.

MEDIA IS TRICKY

Positivist Paradigm Assumes … a NORMATIVE society … MEDIA has functions in society … primacy of behaviorist, quantitative and scientific methods … MEDIA is powerful

However Messages do not SIMPLY reach receivers Messages are not UNDERSTOOD as they are sent NOISE is not just NOISE

Critical Paradigm Does not ASSUME

Features of the Critical Paradigm Critical view of society and rejection of value neutrality Rejection of the transmission model Non- deterministic view Qualitative Preference for cultural or political-economic theories Wide concern with inequality and sources of opposition in society

Four Models of Communication

1: Transmission Process of transmitting a fixed quantity of information as determined by the sender

2: Ritual/ Expressive Sharing/ participation/ association of shared beliefs.

Under a ritual view, then, news is not information but drama ...Under a ritual view, then, news is not information but drama. It does not describe the world but portrays an arena of dramatic focus and action; it exists solely in historical time; and it invites our participation on the basis of our assuming, often vicariously, social roles within it. - CAREY, JAMES

3: Publicity Attention-seeking , often to gain audience revenue

4: Reception From the position of many different receivers who do not perceive the messages “as sent/expressed”