1. Media Communications Richard Trombly Contact :
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Media Communications

2. Introduction Media and publicness
Refers to the role of the media and public opinion in democracies specifically and modern society in general

3. Introduction Media and publicness History
There was no public life for pre-modern people, only their leaders.
There was not always a concept of society even
As society emerges , the power of the monarch becomes that of the STATE

4. Introduction At this pre-modern phase
Homes were PRIVATE and most people had no access to public sphere.
Economy from its greek rootword "okionomia", which means "household management" – at this time most people were subsistence farmers and the means of production were in the households.

5. Introduction
As economic life moved outside the home a public life was created and with it the bourgeois class

6. Introduction In europe this coincided with several factors
Printing press / protestantism leading to literacy
Water operated weaving mill / cheap underwear --- linen paper
Rise of monied merchant class seeking educated children

7. Introduction
The marxist and most sociological theory concentrates on class struggle and the rise of the monied class bourgeois.
We should recognize that culture and society are often used interchangeably
That educated merchant class gained increasing control over the developing public sphere.

8. Introduction
The rise of the public sphere lead to manners and fashion , codified etiquette and
Public opinion that could influence leaders [or suffer the fate of the french king at the guillotine]
Parliaments take governance a step away from tyrants

9. Introduction
The rise of the public sphere lead to manners and fashion , codified etiquette and
Public opinion that could influence leaders [or suffer the fate of the french king at the guillotine]
Parliaments take governance a step away from tyrants

10. Introduction The idea of a rule-of-law based state is a bourgeois idea
In a society like america that makes a contradiction. The law will always be unfair in favor for the folks that have and enforce their right to rule.
However the bill of rights “all men are created, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights
Yet they entrenched that inequality.

11. Introduction Refeudalization of public life
Bourgeois existence is the illusion of freedom
The illusion of universal rights created an ideological struggle between utopian ideals and inequalities

12. Introduction Refeudalization of public life
Bourgeois existence is the illusion of freedom
The illusion of universal rights created an ideological struggle between utopian ideals and inequalities

13. Introduction Critical exploration was replaced by consumption
The rise of the general public created an interest to be informed and politically involved
POLIS is public realm metropolis
State and society became separate, state ruling over the society

14. Introduction The loss of separation of public and private sphere
Free time becomes devoted to consumption
Pubs , performances and cafes are replaced with home entertainment

15. Introduction Public discussion is a commodity/ mass media
Political discussion a sphere of entertainment
News becomes a dealer distributing and profiting from public opinion

16. Introduction This leads to OPINION MANAGEMENT
PR - PUBLIC RELATIONS firms exist to create favorable images for unfavorable companies and people.
“manage” the impact from leaks of damaging truthful information

17. Introduction This leads to OPINION MANAGEMENT
PR - PUBLIC RELATIONS firms exist to create favorable images for unfavorable companies and people.
“manage” the impact from leaks of damaging truthful information

18. Introduction Modernity vs post-modernity
History as progress is the narrative of modernity
Marxism and his struggle for world communism was just such a narrative of history as progress
Post-modern theory rejects the narratives

19. Introduction Knowledge + power = Truth
Truth requires power and power creates our truths
Introspection can be just fooling oneself
Reason therefore was seen not in introspection but in interaction
Interaction is observed via communication

20. Introduction We seek reason in undistorted communication
Reason is divided when self interest replaces general interest
The “ends justify the means “ style of reasoning

21. Introduction But public life starts and ends with GENERAL INTERESTS
There must be some way in pluralistic society to come to understandings

22. Introduction But public life starts and ends with GENERAL INTERESTS
There must be some way in pluralistic society to come to understandings

23. Introduction The media News politics and public service broadcasting
Programs not created for profit but for the benefit of the GENERAL PUBLIC

24. Introduction
The communication process , open to the public , critically engaged, is the only valid process to generate agreement and consent on public matters and political matters

25. Introduction CONCLUSION: The rise of social
Oddly in greek times the household was rigorous responsibility for the public sphere was freedom.
Today that is reversed we work OUTSIDE the home. Home is our privacy and freedom.
That is the key to modern sociology and communication.
But communication is not a private act.

26. Introduction How do we recreate a public sphere
That is the question for today's youth

27. Content Analysis Content analysis
The most common form of research in media and communications
Measures human behavior [language is a behavior]
Not OPINION POLL which is about claims people make NOT behavior

28. Content Analysis
People talking with each other in scripted or unscripted media
Written [newspaper, magazine or book] and film or audio productions
Fiction and non-fiction both reflect the society

29. Content Analysis
Is a quantitative, systematic and objective research technique for describing the manifest content of communications

30. Content Analysis Quantitative – we can count the numbers
Systematic – examine all relevant aspects not certain ones
Objective – has clearly defined criteria
Manifest – tangible and observable.

31. Content Analysis Applicable to personal communications or mass media
Does not tell effects on audience

32. Content Analysis Applicable to personal communications or mass media
Does not tell effects on audience
We can however make inferences from content analysis

33. Content Analysis Why content analysis Relevance to sociological issues
To test a hypothesis

34. Content Analysis Considerations
Facts without context or perspective provide no meaning or value
Start with a question clearly defined / narrower is better.
Use a historical or comparative approach

35. Content Analysis Operational definition are important
Classifying exactly how you define the aspect you are quantifying
Specific categories to make each quantity unique and clearly defined

36. Content Analysis Determine measurable scoring units
Ie one day's comic strip
1000 characters / words
One half hour of news broadcast
One minute of advertisement

37. Content Analysis
Determine coding system

38. Content Analysis Advantages
Unobtrusive – you do not interview, observe of bother people
Cost --It is often cheap to get the material and research analysis costs little
Contemporary-- It can be modern day
availability – getting the content is often easy to find
Quantifiable results – business world likes quantities. Numbers

39. Content Analysis Difficulties
Finding representative samples- WHAT and how much represents the research question
There must be standard in defining the measurable units.
Clear coding so all researchers can gain identical results, need strong operational definition

40. Content Analysis Difficulties Valid and useful findings
Did you actually measure what you intended to

41. Content Analysis Conclusion
With careful construction , this analysis can provide interesting insight
It provides numbers so feels like hard data, but there is always a subjectivity
One of the most important things is CONTENT selection for relevance to society – is it representative?