Lecture 2 Flashcards
Mass Media Purpose:
to inform, create awareness of issues, entertain, transmit culture, persuade
News media viewed:
as the bad guys, having a job to do
Media is:
mass communication vehicle, info delivery system, news/entertainment source, a business – delivers ads, packages news as a commodity and expenditure
News media is not:
a conspiracy, promotional vehicle, or “purchased” (favours) – although there are exceptions
Goal of Media Relations:
to obtain accurate/fair/balanced coverage - contain, clarify, correct
Gatekeepers:
owners, editors, producers, publishers – make decisions on what is covered - power to shape messages that reach us
Marx:
the class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production
Agenda Setters:
media raise awareness of issues they believe to be important to public - not telling them what to think but what to think about - but who is informing media and for what purpose
Watch Dogs:
aimed at holding institutions/public personalities accountable for impact their actions have on society
Powerbrokers:
influence perception and alter balance of power - ability to and can influence many people on a national level - has credibility - what is reported can shape public perception of an issue.
Role of Media (Manufacturing Consent):
not only to entertain/inform audiences, but to shape/support societal beliefs/values/social codes
Political Economy (Manufacturing Consent):
capitalism has emphasis on market as most efficient way of generating wealth/maximising public good
Economic Determinism (Manufacturing Consent):
info we receive through media is controlled by those who own it - therefore they control the info we receive
Media Filters (Manufacturing Consent):
size/ownership/profit orientation of mass media; advertising license to do business; sourcing mass-media news; flak and the enforcers; anti communism as a control.
Size/Ownership/Profit orientation:
views of media owners are supported by messages conveyed through media companies/products - info/tone aligns w views/values of media owner - info that challenges owner’s view is not presented
Advertising License to do business:
media is business, create products desired by the public as vehicles to deliver advertising, ads pay for program production - companies want products displayed to as many people as possible and have influence on content created by media
Sourcing mass-media:
news in constant need of material - gov’t and large private comps need visibility - parties form mutually beneficial relationships to meet demand for news that is inexpensive and easy to get – enhances possibility that spokespeople/content experts chosen by media share common belief system w/i media company
Flak:
a negative response to a program/statement made in the media - letters/petitions/complaints can impact media on a large enough scale - media may have to defend its statement or may face legal action - those who produce flak attempt to draw attention to cause by organizing large campaigns to correct statements made/reshape material content – major producer is gov’t who steps in to correct news/bring views back into the acceptable range
Anti Communism as control measure:
US has long opposed communism, seen as threat to “american way” - this rhetoric makes way into media as means to marginalize dissent against American ideologies - an “us against them” enviroment - American way of life is portrayed to be superior
Audience Factors on Mass media:
Size, Longevity (loyalty/interest), Specialization (fragmentation), Audience Expectations (ind. interests/content/format)
New Media (BUT NOT MEDIA RELATIONS):
SM, email, IM, Text, chat, wiki, blogs, RSS etc – complementary/supplementary to media relations - never use these! And never use media as a public
new media characteristics
fragmented audiences
peer-to-peer networking
less face-to-face
info sent globally in seconds
anyone can publish
Effects of new media:
peer to peer sharing, instantaneous info, news media monitor to id leads, print posting updates to webpage/SM sites - Tv posting links to print, radio & print posting video - trying to provide info at pace desired by the wired
McLuhan Technological Determinism:
medium is the message - theory that tech has greater impact on shaping culture than the messages sent using it - ie town crier, newspaper, telegraph, telephone, radio, tv, smartphones
What does it mean for PR:
WE need consider message/timeline/audiences/vehicles - serve audience with content/info they want, in whatever format, on whatever device they want whenever they want
Teun Van Dijk
Most of our social and political knowledge, and belief about the world derive from the dozens of news reports we read or see every day
News is:
new, significant, unusual, need to know, would like to know
Seven elements of news:
Timeliness, proximity, prominence, conflict, consequence, oddity, human interest
WJ Potter:
News is not something that happens; instead, news is what gets presented. We almost never see news events as they happen. Instead, we are shown the media’s manufactured construction of a very small set of selected events
Who are the news media:
big business, competitive, trained & experienced, deadline driven, space-limited
Who owns what
media convergence – newspaper companies buying TV/radio/internet companies - decrease in number of companies that own media due to mergers/buyouts
