1. Chapter 1: Mass Communication: A Critical Approach

2. zWhat are the role and responsibility of media in local, national, and international events? zHow do media shape our culture, both positively and negatively? zHow do media reflect and sustain a vital democracy? zHow do we take a “critical perspective” about media? Some guiding questions

3. zThe powerful dynamics of media (their structure and function) zTheir impact on community and global life zTheir impact on our personal desires as consumers zOur roles as citizens who can shape media culture Our goal is to BE INFORMED and to THINK CRITICALLY about :

4. CULTURE AND THE EVOLUTION OF MASS COMMUNICATION

5. What is CULTURE? zDefined as “the symbols of expressions that individuals, groups and societies use to make sense of daily life and to articulate their values.” zIncludes both products and processes. z“A process that delivers the values of a society through products or meaning- making forms.”

6. zThe cultural industries that mass-produce and distribute cultural products zExamples of cultural products: ySongs, mystery novels, newspapers, movies, online services, magazines, comic books, CD-ROMs, video games, textbooks, etc. What are MASS MEDIA?

7. FIVE HISTORICAL ERAS of media and communication: zOral zWritten zPrint zElectronic zDigital

8. Characteristic communication of Pre-Industrial Cultures zOral zWritten

9. Characteristic media of Industrial and Post- Industrial Cultures zPrint zElectronic zDigital

10. MASS COMMUNICATION: zThe process of designing and delivering cultural messages and stories to large and diverse audiences through media channels.

11. zJohannes Gutenberg z1397-1468, Germany zStudied metallurgy, sold trinkets to religious pilgrims zInvented movable type printing zFirst printed “indulgences” for Catholic Church zPrinted 200 copies of two-volume Gutenberg Bible Invention of the Printing Press

12. Printing innovated MASS PRODUCTION and MASS MARKETING zMechanical duplication replaced tedious hand copying. zRapid duplication produced multiple copies. zCopies were less expensive and thus affordable to more people.

13. Social and cultural changes with advent of mass media zTransmission of knowledge beyond local communities zRise of nationalism zRise of elite class

14. Social and cultural changes with advent of mass media zDemocratization of knowledge and literacy zNourishing ideal of individualism zFacilitation of large social movements

15. zSeparated communication from transportation zTransformed information into a commodity zCoordinated commercial and military operations zForerunner of electronic communication Development of Telegraph (1840s)

16. zShift from agrarian to industrial society zTransformations in production and spread of information zChanged perceptions of time and space zChanged demographics (urbanization) zDevelopment of working class zNeed for leisure time activities Industrial Revolution

17. From Electronic to Digital z Images, texts, and sounds converted (encoded) into electronic binary signals z Transmitted through satellite and digital technology, then decoded

18. Age of Media Convergence zMerging of the electronic and digital eras. zRefers to the appearance of old media forms on newest media outlets. zVarious forms of communication are reinvented and reconfigured in the Age of the Internet.

19. A LINEAR MODEL OF COMMUNICATION zProcess of producing and delivering messages to large audience zSees mass communication as component system : z senders -> messages -> receivers

20. Components of linear model zSender zMessage zChannel zReceivers zGatekeepers zFeedback

21. Alternative model zBased on belief that audiences are NOT merely passive receptacles of message. zAudience members can can interpret the meanings of media messages differently based on their own values and viewpoints.

22. Mass media and public perception zMass media can alter a society’s perception of events and attitudes, and can even lead to changes in public policy. zFor example: yNews coverage of civil rights movement yO.J. Simpson trial and domestic violence yClinton-Lewinsky scandal yBush-Gore election disputes

23. Public debates about media zAncient Greece yConcerns about role of art and drama zEarly 20th century America yWorking class popular culture zLate 20th century America yOngoing concerns about children’s exposure to sex and violence in media

24. Concerns about media today zFragmentation of media audience zPerceived lack of quality, “family values” zOverabundance of information zDangers of cyberspace for youth zSex and violence in media zLoss of face-to-face community

25. CULTURE AS HIERARCHY High culture Narrow appeal Artistic merit “Classics” Low/popular culture Broad appeal Consumer culture Forms with short life spans

26. Concerns about popular culture zInundates our cultural environment and fills our lives with cheap, low-quality forms zMakes “genuine” culture less accessible zUndermines democratic reasoning and inhibits social progress zMultinational media conglomerates control what we see, hear, read, and know.

27. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

28. CULTURE AS A MAP zIs a metaphor that challenges the “culture as hierarchy” metaphor. zOn one hand, cultural phenomena are conventional, recognizable, stable and comforting. zOn the other hand, cultural forms may be innovative, unfamiliar, destabilizing and challenging.

29. CULTURE AS A MAP zPeople have complex cultural tastes, needs and interests. zCultural forms contain a variety of messages, “all over the map”--not just vertical as in hierarchy.

30. Media Convergence zCharacteristic of digital era and development of Internet zBlurring of boundaries between media forms and channels zTV, computers, stereo systems, VCR’s, newspapers--all functions merging into online information/entertainment sources

31. Shift from MODERN to POSTMODERN periods zSocial and cultural responses to changing economies and technologies zReflected in mass media and other forms of public culture

32. Values of MODERN period zCelebrating the individual zBelieving in rational order zWorking efficiently zRejecting tradition

33. Values of POSTMODERN period zOpposing hierarchy zDiversifying and recycling culture zQuestioning scientific reasoning zEmbracing paradox

34. Developing a CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE zDESCRIPTION zANALYSIS zINTERPRETATION zEVALUATION

35. Our goal is to BE INFORMED and to THINK CRITICALLY about zThe powerful dynamics of media (their structure and function) zTheir impact on community and global life zTheir impact on our personal desires as consumers zOur roles as citizens who can shape media culture