Mid Term Key Terms Flashcards
Architectures of Serendipity and Control
control: Keep us in our control/ our box (apartments) serendipity: interacting with others and exploring (sidewalks)
Cognitive Dissonance
how we experience discomfort when faced with conflicting messages or information from the media.
Confirmation Bias
the tendency to search for, interpret, favor and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior beliefs or values
Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model
dispositional (identity), developmental (stages), social (network)
Abrams
Upheld clear and present danger test, Holmes’ dissent (marketplace of ideas) only imminent threat should be limited
Schenck
Leaflets opposing draft, violation of the Espionage Act of 1917, speech not protected when it poses a “clear and present danger”, falsity and harm
Echo Chambers & Filter Bubbles
Created by platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, further isolate individuals from diverse viewpoints by personalizing content based on their past interactions.
Episodic and thematic frames
episodic: single event based
thematic: broad context, focuses on systemic causes, trends, etc
Frames in communication and thought
Frames in Communication: The way the media (and political elites) present an issue
Frames in Thought: How individuals perceive and process an issue based on exposure to frames
Homophily
tendency of people to connect with others who are similar to them
Hypodermic Needle Theory
media messages are directly
injected into a passive (helpless) audience
Limited effects theory
Empirical work uncovered moderating effects: predispositions, peer groups, etc. (Human agency), Media influence on public opinion is small, reinforcing existing beliefs rather than changing them
Local news and newspaper (Key functions)
- Informing Citizens
- Holding local governments accountable
- Build sense of community
Marketplace of Ideas (holmes)
open exchange of ideas and concepts
Mass media function (Lasswell)
- surveillance
- interpretation
- socialization
- manipulation
Mean-world Syndrome
thinking the world’s current events are worse than it is
Media Bias
tendency of news organizations and
journalists to present information in a way that reflects particular
perspectives, ideologies, or interests
Framing
Presenting information in a way that
influences how audiences interpret it
Priming
Priming takes place when news coverage influences audiences to consider certain issues as key criteria for assessing the effectiveness of leaders and governments
Agenda Setting
Media may not tell people what to think, but it tells
them what to think about
Media fragmentation
more media channels, fragments audience
Media ownership (consolidation, conglomerates, media chains)
Consolidation: Due to deregulation and price to produce media
Media Chains: individuals or corporations that own several media outlets
Conglomerate: individuals or corporations that own media enterprises and other businesses
Media’s role in democracy
electoral forum, public sphere/affairs, watchdog
Negativity bias
Tendency to be both more aroused by and attentive to negative news
Sullivan NYT
Full page ad to support MLK jr., Sullivan sued for libel, in favor of NYT, must be reckless and knowingly false, free and open debate about public officials more important than factual errors, “actual malice” standard
NYT US
Pentagon Papers, no prior restraint on press, heavy burden of real irreparable harm, can still punish criminally
News deserts
Communities where residents have very limited access to critical news or information
Newsworthiness
- timeliness
- importance
- relevance
- appeal (if it bleeds it leads)
Plato’s cave and pseudo-enviro
- Representations of reality shaped by media and individual perception
Characteristics: - Often detached from the actual environment
- Act as filters for individual and collective behavior
Selective Engagement/Exposure
- Pay attention only to specific issues or when alerted by loud media “alarms.“
- Use cues like party affiliation, endorsements, or political shortcuts for decision-making
- Tune in during key moments (e.g., crises, elections) rather than consistently following news
Daily Me
highly personalized and customized
media consumption experience
Brandenburg Test
KKK leader, imminent threat, Speech is protected unless it is directed at inciting imminent lawless action and is likely to produce such action
(un)mediated communication
mediated: information filtered, US media
unmediated: direct communication from actors, euro system more common (social media)
US Media in comparative context
US: Laissez-Faire, profit driven, telecommunications act of 96, ownership concentration
Euro: Mixed ownership systems, more government mandates, public broadcasts
