Chapter 13 Flashcards
Argument #1 Media content has limited impact on audiences because people know it isnt real
- New is not make believe
- Most films are made to seem real
- Some are expressively real (reality TV)
- Advertising is supposed to tell the truth
- Early window (media gives a window to the world to children before they can judge it
- We enjoy shows by willingly suspending disbelief
Argument #2 Media content has limited impact on audiences because it is only play or entertainment
- New is not play or entertainment
- Play is important to the way we develop our knowledge
Argument #3 Media holds a mirror to society and reflects our world as it is
- Media is a very selective mirror. Some are over or under represented or not even visible.
Argument #4 Media reinforces preexisting values and beliefs
- Traditional socializing agents have lost most influence
- Reinforcement is not the same as having no effects
Argument #5 Media may affect unimportant things in our lives (fashion or fads)
- Fads and fashion are not unimportant
- Billions of money is spent on media efforts to sway social issue opinions
Micro-Level Effects vs
Macro-Level Effects
Micro: Asking you to do something very specific, effects of media on individuals
vs
Macro: media’s widescale social and cultural impact
Transmissional Perspective vs Ritual Perspective
Transmissional: Sees media as the sender of information for the purpose of control
vs
Ritual: Sees mass communication as the representation of shared beliefs
Cultivation analysis
Peoples ideas of themselves and their world are shaped through media
Attitude change theory
how people shape and change attitudes which influence behavior
Mass Society theory
media are corrupting social order and “average” people are defenseless against their influence
Hypodermic needle/magic bullet theory
people need to be told what to think
Limited effects theory
effects of media are filtered through other influences (Example War of the Worlds)
Two step flow theory
Peoples voting behavior was influenced by opinion leaders (people who interpret media and pass it on to opinion followers)
Dissonance Theory
people, when confronted by new information, experience a kind of mental discomfort. Selective exposure, selective retention, and selective perception
Reinforcement theory
media reinforces previous beliefs; many people seek information that reinforces their position
Uses and gratification theory
Looks at how people use the media (entertainment and information)