PRAC EXAM SHIT Flashcards
Part 1 Question 2
With the advent of the internet, the ability of the media to exercise power has changed drastically.
-‘Broadcast era’, rich and powerful had the ability to create and distribute media messages. This limits audiences agency in consumption , created theories such as the hyperdermoic needle and cultivation theory.
Example of audiences influenced by the media was in 1938 where Orson Welles broadcasted HG Well’s novel ‘War of the world’s into a radio presentation (Explain)
Part 2 Question 2
As technology became more apparent in people’s lives however, theories like the hyperdermic were being debunkable as audiences increasingly gained agency and control, when consuming media messages.
More and more audiences were also able to become media makers themselves with the boom in pro-sumer cameras and independent filmmakers. Robert Rodreguiz for example spent only $7000 to produce his first feature length film ‘El mariachi’ in 1992 and it became a massive hit , which allowed more aspiring filmmakers to produce their own media without the major film companies being involved.
This would have been impossible to do a few decades ago as the 5 major studios including Warner Bro’s and Paramount maintained all control over the production and distribution of films. The development of more people being able to exert influence over the media boomed with the arrival of the internet as sites like youtube can allow anyone including audiences of certain media products create their own messages and thus generate their own influence.
This development of social and online networking however has seen many people having the responsibility to self regulate their content. Youtube for example has community guidelines to follow and if the user has not complied with those conditions, their content will be flagged and will be able to make revenue. This imposes some critical issues as the limitations imposed on the community guidelines such as excessive swearing, using music or talking about controversial subject matter has limited certain creators in expressing what they want to express.
This type of regulation may be more appropriate for industry bodies such as free to air television as they can only show certain programs during particular time periods as some audiences such as children might be watching. With self-regulation however, the ability of someone to self regulate should full under if what they are producing is legal and not if what they show is controversial. If certain media creators get put off from producing content due to their lack of ability to express themselves then things could potentially resort back to the older ways of higher institutions controlling the media.
one reason for media regulation.
Protect Vulnerable Audiences. Refers to audiences who are emotionally unstable to taken in certain media messages and use these messages for negative purposes.
Children are most vulnerable as their brain has not been developed enough to comprehend what they are viewing or listening to.
The government regulatory body of the classification board aims to protect those vulnerable audiences by categoring films, tvs and games into 6 classifications ; G, PG, M, MA 15+ and R18+, which are based on the level of content appropriate to certain ages.
An R18+ rating for example informs more emotionally intelligent and mature audiences to not show this to children as it may contain inappropriate content such as violence, sex or language
One reasons against regulation
The belief that it is a violation on free expression. The Classification board placing restrictions certain media products can be viewed as a violation of a human right considering that as a democratic country, people should be allowed to watch what they want and when they want.
The level of classification even can go to such extremes where if the content is deemed too inappropriate for the classification board, the product will be banned and thus unable to be sold in Australia.
This is what happened in 2003 with Larry Clark’s film ‘Ken Park’ where it was refused classifciation due to its depictions of underage sex. This in turn upset many people including film critics ; ‘Margaret Pomerant’ and ‘David Stratton’ as they believed it was a violation of their right to watch what they want and when they want.
Social media and advertising and ethical/ legal issues
advertising and social media working in tandem with each other
The idea of advertising and social media working in tandem with each other highlights the incrugunint and manufactured aspects of advertising. In this contempary media landscape where online sites such as Facebook, twitter and yotuube rain supreme, advertisors have been able to infiltrate these sites so that they can make a profit while also enticing content creators to be ‘advertising friendly’. This can be a major ethical issue as content creators on those platforms may not want to personally betray their own authenticity however they still want to make revenue and earn a livehood. This forces content creators in a little box where they have to either go against the advertisers and not make any money or be apart of the cog wheel that will continually work in tadem.
-Negative desires and how it never go away
The way Contempary media lanscape has challenged traditional theories
The contemporary media landscape has challenged traditional theories such as the two step flow theory. Created in 1948 by Paul F Laserfeild, this theory suggests that audiences are active however can be influenced by opinion leaders or a well known person that holds influence. While this theory is still relevant to todays contempoary landscape as opinion leaders such as donald trump still hold significant influence throughsocial media, audiences today however are provided with to be influences or even be able to influence others themselves. With the advent and easy accesiblity of the internet, audiences have as a result been able to be their own media creators where they can share their own influence. THis challenges the broadcast era as film studios and nazi etc ,
