Face-to-Face Communication:

-One person or small group communicating.

-This has been the dominate form of comm.

-5 senses are the channels of communication.

Mediated Interpersonal Communication.

-comm creator. -> media (middle) -> comm. reciver.

EX: Telephone or a single person to person e-mail.

Mass Mediated Communication

-Process by which a complex organization with the aid of one or more machines produces and transmits public messages.

-Complex Organizations are diminishing due to personal websites, blogs.

-Most recipients don't know each other.

How mass mediated communication differs from face-to-face interpersonal & mediated interpersonal communication?

Mass mediated communication differs:

-Face-to face:

This is a conversation between two people without a media tool, mass mediated communication involves a complex organization that produces and transmits messages towards the public. People in the conversation know each other generally, mass mediated messages don't share this trait.

Mediated Interpersonal:

Between two people only. The media tool (computer or telephone) is the middle which transmits the message.

Transmission 

"Comm. is a process whereby bits of information are transmitted and distributed across space for the control of distance and people."

-Comm. involves the "exchange" "transfer" of information.

Constructionist

"communication is a process whereby particular norms about the world are constructed and reinforced."

-We want to feel a shared sense of normality

The Role of Mass Media in society

The mass media's influence lies in their ability to shape our understandings of the world by simultaniously

1) Providing/emphasizing selected info (Transmission)

2) Presenting and affirming certain norms

(constructionist)

What distinguishes an "arena" in a cultural system?

EX: (education, religion, politics, law)

-Each of these include large institutions and people.

(School)

Pre-school through college. All grade levels are arenas of school.

Common philosophies of U.S media arena instituions and people

1) Spreading of ideas or messages

2) That these messages are free from govt. control.

3) Belief that more speech is always better than less.

(More people in the conversation the better)

"Media Effects" perspective of the role of mass media in society.

(Flow chart later slide)

-Growth of social sciences led to scientific method to be used to study people.

(Result): Cause and Effect

(Darwin argued that all animals/humans respond predictably to stimuli.)

THESE TWO (CAUSE AND EFFECT) AND (STIMULI) ARE THE 2 PILLARS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES.

Payne Fund Studies (1929)

-12 studies to examine the influence of movies on society.

-KEY FINDINGS: 

-Children attitudes changed from movies.

-Emotions were stimulated.

-Children's "moral standards" altered.

PROBLEMS:

-Asked the children "how they were influenced".

-Research focused only on when children came out of the movie immediately. 

The Magic Bullet

(Payne Fund Studies Led To This Idea)

-That mass media messages have direct effects.

-Effects were immediate.

-Power effects (changing attitudes).

-The expectation that this was Unanimous among everybody.

*At the time (WWI) this scared everybody.

Cantril Study (1938)

-Cantril (prof. at Princeton) interviewed people about the "War of the World's" broadcast.

Findings: Better educated, more critically thinking people tended not to believe the broadcast.

FIRST MAJOR STUDY STATING THAT PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS PLAY A ROLE IN BELIEVING MEDIA.

(FIRST CRACK AT THE MAGIC BULLET THEORY)

Katz and Larasfield "Personal Influence" Studies

(mid 1950's)

Influence of mass media on voting behavior.

Findings:

-Majority of people "scan" mass media.

-Opinion Leaders emerge within society. These are people that do pay attention to media.

-They then influence the majority.

"Media Effects" Perspective Flow-Chart

-Media Messages->society (opinion or behavior change).

"Cultural Studies" perspective of the role of mass media in society.

-Key is "cultural ideologies" exists. 

EX: Boys fall down and cry nobody cares. Girls do the same and get attention.

CULTURE PRECEDES MEDIA

Birmingham School of communication Scholars

-Cultural ideologies show up after they were already in the culture before media picked it up.

*Known as "cultural studies"

Mass Media chose which cultures to beat into society. It is the most important arena for cultural ideologies.

"Cultural Studies" Perspective flow-chart

Cultural ideologies-> media messages-> society.

Individuals ability to "resist" media messages.

Individuals can resist media messages.

1) Our values can prompt resistance.

2) Such resistance occurs with sub-cultural pockets.

Meaning:

(more likely to be empowered if others around support your idea)

"Critical Theory" Perspective Origins

The Frankfurt School

Nazi Germany:

The media was being used to manipulate people to believe what the govt. wanted them to.

Economic Recession:

Govt. handed out radios during a bad time to make sure people heard this idea.

"Critical Theory": Why mass media is important, especially commercial media?

Media Messages re-produce existing relation of power.

1) People in power own mass media.

2) People in power tend to be the "sources" of the media content.

3) People in power tend to fund mass media.

"Critical Theory" Flow-chart

Power relation-> Media Messages -> Society

"Medium Theory" Flow-chart

media technologies->social environments->society

"Medium Theory" Origins

Focuses on technological aspects of media, beyond content.

-Marshall McLuhan (1960): Canadian

"It's not the formal message but the way in which it is brought to us. This alters our experiences in life and how we interact with people".

"Medium Theory": Importance

It showed that new technologies were shaping our views.

T.V could now be in people's living rooms.

Television=Media Eutopia

(T.V combined both sense of seeing and hearing)

Key shifts in communication forms and how shifts shaped people's social relations.

(from the beginning)

Oral to print (printing press 1450).

-Shift from ear to eye.

-Good listener now need to be good reader.

-Systamatic "craft" of writing.

*EX: Right to Left.

Prior to visual societies (T.V in 1950's)

-More dramatic, moving images make you focus more.

-Visual image trumps all other forms of knowledge.

*EX: Seeing is believing.

Negative Effects of visual media

Provides a false sense of place:

-We think we are there and know what it is like. Arrogance because we think we know.

-Since it is similar to face-to-face interaction we begin to challenge authority in real life.

The notion of "objectivity"

-Its development in journalism,

its definition and how it may hurt the

journalism profession's reputation.

Definition: 

-Most journalist claim that they are object (their own values dont interfere with their report).

Development:

-Penny Press (1830's)

*Before this, newspapers were bias and

sponsored by government parties.

*New York Sun, sold paper's for a penny.

*Slogan, "Sunshines for all."

*Sold Ad Space.

-Cooperative news Gathering (1840-50)

*Newspapers gathered together to cut the

cost for telegram reports from europe.

*NY Associated Press

*News had to be un-bias so all papers

could print.

-Objectivity in news became good business.

* Without bias, people wanted to buy.

*Companies wanted AD space.

*By 1900's most took this approach.

KEY: IF THIS WASNT ECONOMICALLY FAVORABLE

THE WHOLE IDEA WOULDN'T WORKED.

8 VALUES OF MODERN U.S JOURNALIST

(Hurbert Gans, 1970)

1) Ethnocentrism-to think that your country is superior to others.

2) Commitment to altruistic democracy.

3) Commitment to responsible Capitalism.

4) Romanticization of small town life.

5) Freedom of the Individual.

6) Moderation (no extremes)

7) Emphasis on Order.

8) Expectation of visionary leadership.

"News holes"

The area where news can be put.

EX: A newspaper builds around AD's.

Only 30% of the paper is actual news.

How are deadlines influential

Limited time to collect all the news.

*pressure to get a story, print it and get it up asap.

Limited time to produce format.

*It takes time to format the news.

EX: Bad news is released by govt. at the end of the day cuz its to hard to rearrange the paper format right before printing.

24-hour news cycle

-Morning newspaper use to be the first source...now it is the last. 

-"mediums" such as internet, T.V, radio are all the first to report.

Three mechanisms of blog influences on news

1) A corrective on news coverage.

2) Offer additional Perspectives.

3) Advance distinctly political views-bias