module 11 Mass Communication Flashcards
What is Mass communication
“the process whereby media organizations produce and transmit messages to large publics and the process by which those messages are sought, used, understood, and influenced by audience.”
What are some key functions of mass communication
Surveillance
Correlation
Sensationalization
Entertainment
Transmission
Mobilization
Validation
Surveillance
Media serves as the eyes and ears for those seeking information about the world.
Correlation
how the media presents facts
Sensationalization
when the media puts forward the most sensational messages to titillate consumers
Entertainment
media that entertains us
Transmission
media is a vehicle to transmit cultural norms, values, rules, and habits
Mobilization
mobilize people during times of crisis
Validation
Used to validate the status and norms of particular individuals, movements, organizations, or products.
Prominent theories of mass communication
Magic Bullet Theory
Two-Step Flow Theory
Multi-step Flow Theory
Uses and Gratification Theory
Magic Bullet Theory
Communication was seen as a magic bullet that transferred ideas or feelings knowledge or motivations almost automatically from one mind to another
two-step flow theory
a small group of people, gatekeepers, screen media messages, reshape these messages and control their transmission to the masses
Multi-step Flow Theory
Media shapes messages but receivers influence media
Uses and Gratification Theory
Audience search for media that satisfies their own needs and ideas
How does mass media affect your life?
it blurs lines of reality, blends group reality into one cultural mainstream, and bends the mainstream toward its sponsors
