Outcome 2 sac Flashcards
Question 1 Media Theories Cultivation
Theories such as the ‘Two step theory’ and Cultivation theory can be clearly linked to case studies such as Kony 2012 and the ALS ice bucket challenge.
Created by George Gerbner in the 1970’s, the cultivation theory suggests that the media such as TV contributes to the audience’s perception of social reality.
As in context with Kony 2012, the high production value of the video and its emphatic approach to a false issue is so pervasive; it dominates our view of reality, cultivating attitudes.
The strengths of this theory is that it considers the contribution that television makes to our culture and social reality however as proven with Kony 2012, Interview subjects are unreliable source of information and relatively small effects are shown
Question 1 Media Theory Two step
Created in 1948 by Paul F Lazarsfeld, the two step theory suggests that people are more likely to be influenced by ‘opinion leaders’ or well known media influencers with an agenda.
The ALS ice bucket challenge could be aligned with the ‘Two step theory’ considering that big names such as Chris pratt, Barack Obama and ‘Lebron James were able to influence others in doing the same challenge as them, and then through the viral sensation of the internet others are influenced by their friends or family to do the challenge so that they can keep up with the ‘trend’.
The flaw of this theory however is that it is a flawed methodology as it could not identify the nature of influence by ‘opinion leaders’.
Give an example of one way an audience has had influence over the media
One way an audience has had influence over the media is through box office numbers and how they affect what new films are being released.
Audiences for example did not go see ‘Ghost in the shell’ due to its critisms of ‘White Washing’ and a result, bombed at the box office. White washing means casting a Caucasian actor for a character with a different ethnicity or for this case, Scarlett Johanson being cast an asain character.
In the past, white washing would help boost the media institutions such as film studios financially however with audiences being less engaged with movies that exclude multicultural roles, studios are now being influenced to produce more multicultural films such as ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Crazy Rich Asians ‘ and as a such displays a way audiences influence the media.
Give an example of one way the media has had influence over an audience
One way the media have had an influence over an audience is through online movie rating sites and how they alter the audiences perception of movies watch ability.
Online media institutions such as rotten tomatoes and metacritic are known for influencing audiences in watching particular movies through their aggregated score, which are made up of different online reviews.
Audiences are thus more influenced in going to see a film that has received a rating that is above 75% or ‘Certified fresh’ without properly assessing what critics are saying about it.
This goes in line with the agenda setting theory where audiences are still passive however the media can tell you what to think about through the process of omission or framing. The framing in this context are review scores.
Government agencies will often use media products to attempt to enact control over specific audiences.
Describe one way a government has used the media and how effective they were. (PART 1)
Governments used the media to share ideas of dominant ideology. The Aus government for example would use media to spread messages of government decisions that affected the population.
One of their primary roles was and is to protect citizens of the nation and, as such, the media is a powerful tool to tell as many of those citizens as possible about decisions that affected their lives.
The Traffic accident commission (TAC) advertisements are funded by the government and exist to protect the population from traffic accidents.
Government agencies will often use media products to attempt to enact control over specific audiences.
Describe one way a government has used the media and how effective they were. (PART 2)
These government ads proved effective, as they would purposely make the ads terrifying for audiences.
By advocating fear in the audience, they would then essentially set an agenda and thus be responsible for supporting the agenda setting theory, as most active audiences would take the government’s media message to heart.
It is in the interests of the Aus government to protect its population using media messages and, in turn, to control their actions.
Using examples, describe how the relationship between audiences and the media has changed over time.
Consider factors such as the production, distribution and/or consumption and reception of media.
(PART 1)
The relationship between the audience and the older model of broadcast media, which involved limited agency, had diminished however since the arrival of the Internet.
Smaller feedback loops allowed Internet users to have a direct relationship that not only interacted with the Internet but helped create it.
The opportunity of great agency suddenly distorted the distinction between who was and was not the media. With the advent of websites that relied on content created by the user such as Youtube, Twitter and Facebook, sourcing information and entertainment came from the web.
Using examples, describe how the relationship between audiences and the media has changed over time.
Consider factors such as the production, distribution and/or consumption and reception of media.
(PART 2)
Due to the limitations of technology at the time, audiences relied on these messages to connect with the outside world. Traditional media institutions of time relied heavily on the revenue created by audiences and, as such would work to serve these needs.
The need for political , social and economic control over populations led to the media playing a role in guiding the thoughts and actions of individuals.
In Australia, like other developed nations, the descendants of those individuals now have the capacity to create, record, upload and distribute content that can challenge these institutions
Using examples, describe how the relationship between audiences and the media has changed over time.
Consider factors such as the production, distribution and/or consumption and reception of media.
(PART 3)
The relationship between the audience and the older model of broadcast media, which involved limited agency, had diminished however since the arrival of the Internet. Smaller feedback loops allowed Internet users to have a direct relationship that not only interacted with the Internet but helped create it.
The opportunity of great agency suddenly distorted the distinction between who was and was not the media. With the advent of websites that relied on content created by the user such as Youtube, Twitter and Facebook, sourcing information and entertainment came from the web.
Describe one way that the relationship between audiences and the media is regulated, and explain the challenges with this type of regulation
(PART 1)
While there are efforts to control and exert agency between government, institutions and individuals, the role in protecting vulnerable audiences links to how we regulate certain media.
The reason that the regulation of the media exists lies deeply within a understanding of media effects theories. The regulation of media is Aus is based on the following principles that some people in society need to be protected from harmful material, the media is powerful and Media Organisations are large and profitable and as a result have both rights and responsibilities.
One way that the relationship between audiences and the media is regulated is through self regulation.
Describe one way that the relationship between audiences and the media is regulated, and explain the challenges with this type of regulation
(PART 2)
Self- regulation refers to the belief that media organisations are mature enough to regulate them and only produce that sits within the notion of community standards. Many news organisations have codes of conduct for their journalists that aim to protect editorial independence.
The Herald has a code of conduct which states that their journalists must report news impartially and accurately, and only engage in secret activities when a story genuinely important and in the public interest.
The difficulty with these codes is that journalists are only accountable to their employers and not any third party. There are many news organisations that do not have such standards and often engage in questionable behaviour when reporting on and publishing stories.
Newer technologies have given power to audiences to easily produce and distribute their own media products. Provide two examples of these technologies, and explore the ethical or legal issues that may arise from the new production or distribution opportunities they afford
(PART 1)
New media technologies such as the Internet has allowed audience members to create and distribute their own media products however there ethical and legal issues arise due to the easiness of downloading pirated movies.
Downloading movies online for free is a violation of intellectual property rights, or “piracy”, however audiences of the Internet question whether or not if it’s ethically bad. Some view that piracy unfairly restricts access to ideas and expression.
Newer technologies have given power to audiences to easily produce and distribute their own media products. Provide two examples of these technologies, and explore the ethical or legal issues that may arise from the new production or distribution opportunities they afford
(PART 2)
According to fundamentalist protectors, owners of intellectual property deserve just as much protection and means for redress as those who have had their handbags or televisions stolen.
It can however be cumbersome on audiences to try to respect intellectual property due to costs and unaccesiablity of certain media products. In Australia for example, watching the new Game of thrones season requires a costly subscription to foxtel.
This limits people’s access to the show unless they pay high rates to watch a show they love. As a different and more accessible option however is to watch it on pirated shows.
Newer technologies have given power to audiences to easily produce and distribute their own media products. Provide two examples of these technologies, and explore the ethical or legal issues that may arise from the new production or distribution opportunities they afford
(PART 3)
Other technologies such as drone videography has opened up both ethical and legal issues. Individuals wishing to use this new tech to produce media content should ensure that they are familiar with the rules applying to their use, both specific drone regulations and laws such as privacy legislation.
With the increasing popularity of aerial drones being used to create content has sparked some issues with the Australian community some think that they could be used to facilitate stalking, harassment and unlawful surveillance.
Newer technologies have given power to audiences to easily produce and distribute their own media products. Provide two examples of these technologies, and explore the ethical or legal issues that may arise from the new production or distribution opportunities they afford
(PART 4)
Drones for example can be spotted hovering over groups of female sunbathers at well-known beaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Despite a 2014 inquiry into drones and privacy, gaps still exist in the law.
The Commonwealth Privacy Act, designed to protect personal information, does not apply to the actions of individuals using drones and does not regulate the use of surveillance drones by individuals.
