Mass Media and Mass Media and SocietySociety

Lecture by Dr Christopher Lecture by Dr Christopher KollmeyerKollmeyer

Lecture OutlineLecture OutlineSociological Perspective on the Mass Media Examples discussed:

– Media’s Influence on Personal Behaviour– Media’s Influence on National Identity and

Social Cohesion (skipped due to lack of time)

Political Economy Perspective on the Mass Media

• Examples discussed:– News Coverage of the Economy– News Coverage of the War in Iraq

Before Mass Media: Before Mass Media: Co-presence between sender and

receivers of messages was necessary.

Face-to-Face Conversation

Live Performances

Mass MediatedMass Mediated Communication Communication

1.Media: Message is encoded and delivered through technology (medium)

2.Mass: One sender (mass) audience

3.Unidirectional: Messages flow one-way

4.Standardized: Same messages for all members of the audience

5.Spatial-Temporal Disassociation: No co-presence at all.

Five Important Five Important FeaturesFeatures

Rapid Rise of Mass Media: Rapid Rise of Mass Media: Adoption of Media Technology by US Adoption of Media Technology by US

HouseholdsHouseholdsMedia Technology

Year medium reached 1% of US Households

Number of years to reach 75% of US Households

Newspaper(Penny Press)

1833 ?

Radio 1923 14 yrs (1937)

Television 1948 7 yrs (1955)–VCR–Cable/satellite TV

19801970s

12 yrs (1992)≈30 yrs (2000)

Internet 1992 12 yrs (2004)

Early Media Critic: Early Media Critic: Marshall McLuhan Marshall McLuhan

Famous book: • Understanding Media: The Extensions of

Man (1964)

Famous quotes and phrases:• “The medium is the message.”• Media were creating a “global village”

An obvious benefit of mass media

Media bring events from Media bring events from around the world into our around the world into our homes and local homes and local communities.communities.

ActivityActivity Hours per Hours per WeekWeek

Percent of Percent of TotalTotal

Watching TV 19 46%

Visiting Friends 8 20%

Reading 3 7%

Eating Out 3 7%

Doing Hobbies and Playing Sports

3 7%

Attending Church

1 2%

Other Activities 4 10%

Total 41 100%

Television crowds out other leisure Television crowds out other leisure time activities: Figures for Great time activities: Figures for Great

Britain, 1995Britain, 1995

Sociological Model:Sociological Model:Media Structure vs. Audience Media Structure vs. Audience

AgencyAgency

Media Message

Collective Response

Agency

Hypodermic Model

Over-emphasizes structure

Active Audience Model

Over-emphasizes agency

Merchants of CoolMerchants of Cool (2001) (2001)

Documentary about the media’s influence on youth culture in America. Produced by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), America’s one public television channel.

Illustrates the dynamic social relationship between the media and teenagers, what they call “the giant feedback loop.”

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/