Secondary Sources - Media Content Analysis

Question 1

Quantitative content analysis

Answer 1

Content analysis can produce quantitative data. This involves the researcher developing a number of categories and then counting how frequently material fits in with these categories. By doing this content analysis can be used to detect hiss in the media

Question 2

Example of research using quantitative content analysis - Lobban

Answer 2

Lobban used content analysis. Lobban focused on 6 primary school reading schemes in the 1960s and 70s. She looked at games played and roles of females and males in these books. Males were twice more likely to be central character as opposed to females and females were depicted as engaging in domestic tasks like housework

Question 3

Qualitative content analysis

Answer 3

Content analysis can produce qualitative data. This involves the researcher describing what they think the media is showing in terms of words - the aim is to try to work out the underlying meaning. Semiotics or thematic analysis are key.

Question 4

Example of qualitative content analysis - photographs

Answer 4

A resercher may look at a photograph of a man and woman and try to interpret what it says about gender. They might do this by looking at the expressions, positions and how the people are dressed and try to interpret what this means.

Question 5

Evaluation of media content analysis

Answer 5

STRENGTHS
- cost and time efficient
- fewer ethical issues

WEAKNESSES
- problems of interpretation
- could be subjective
- tells us nothing about media efects