MACS 110 | Introduction to Mass Communication Theory
Week 2 -back to MACS 110 weekly- translate
Some Key Theories
- hypodermic syringe model: This is also known as - magic bullet theory, direct effects theory - is associated with propaganda and Nazi Germany. The Frankfurt School is also associated with this theory because it saw the media 'injecting' attitudes and beliefs directly into the minds of the masses. Frankfurt School academics fled Germany for the United States in the 1930s in order to escape the Nazi regime. Do you feel this theory is still relevant in today's mass mediated culture ?
- cultural imperialism theory: The focus is upon elite manipulation of media and culture. Is there an attempt by American media companies to Americanize global media markets ? Consider Cultural Hegemony, and Glocalization.
- social responsibility model: This has been the predominant theory since 1940s. What examples of media propaganda and persuasion serve the public interest in British Columbia, or Canada in general ?
- marketplace of ideas theory: This view places faith in people's abilities to differentiate between right and wrong in a free marketplace of ideas, i.e. it doesn't view the masses as 'cultural dupes'. Along with libertarianism, it has a laissez faire attitude toward propaganda and believes in the 'self righting principle'. It sees unrestricted public debate as a natural (democratic) way of improving society. Do you have faith in the self righting principle ? Why ?
- uses and gratifications: The consumer is seen as controlling media use as opposed to vice versa. Emphasis is placed upon selective perception and consumer sovereignty. In what ways do you feel you have personal control over media ?
- cultivation theory: Media effects are viewed as gradual and cumulative. Propaganda works by degrees towards 'mainstreaming'. Consider the continuous smuggling of American style South Korean soap operas into North Korea and their effects over time. See also 'Cold War and Communication'.
- two-step flow model: Most people aren't influenced directly by the media so much as they are by opinion leaders who interpret news or propaganda for them. These opinion leaders may, for example, be teachers, respected friends, family members, colleagues, or community leaders. Messages travel from media to opinion leaders to opinion followers.
- spiral of silence theory: This is associated with fear of speaking out against the views of the majority. What issues might people be afraid of speaking out against because their views go against the grain of the dominant culture ? How might one design an effective communications strategy to further oppositional viewpoints ?
- media dependence theory The position here is that we are more or less dependent on media and because of this there's been a decline in participatory democracy. Are the mass media a liability or an asset for participatory democracy ?
- critical theory: includes the influence of the Frankfurt School which sees popular culture as corporate culture. Concepts include false consciousness. Political economy theory also focuses on corporate influence dominating culture industries but recognizes more independence on the part of the audience. Three types of readings people adopt in response to propaganda and persuasion are: dominant - where the central meaning of the text is emphasized, negotiated - where there might be slight disagreement but main idea of the text is accepted, and oppositional - where a contrary view (anti-hegemonic) reading is adopted. The latter is critical in that it involves reading against the grain, or against the dominant ideology of the message. What does the Frankfurt School mean by the "Culture Industry." To what extent do you agree with the position that popular culture is nothing more than corporate culture ?
Some Key Thinkers
- John Dewey believed that given the right education, people would be able to tell for themselves what is true and what is not through their reasoning abilities. Do you believe Dewey was romantic is this belief ?
- Laswell believed the vast majority of people were weak-minded and malleable. He called for elite control of the media.
- Walter Lipmann thought along the same lines as Laswell and believed technocrats should handle decision making regarding media messages. What would Dewey and Laswell make of our mass mediated culture and the role of propaganda today ?
- Paul Lazersfeld a social scientist applied the scientific method to measuring media effects and concluded they were limited and no two audiences were alike. In contrast to the hypodermic syringe model, there are a number of limited effects theories. These theories argue that mass media rarely have powerful direct effects and most messages are either quickly forgotten or ignored. Indeed, there'll always be some people who are more vulnerable to propaganda and other types of persuasive messages than others. Consider the War of the Worlds in 1938. Not everyone who heard the broadcast went running down the street like a maniac.
Source: Stanley J. Baran & Dennis K. Davis, Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment, and Future (5th ed.). (Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2006).
Mass communication theory can be challenging due to its abstract nature and jargon. Select theories you find either illuminating or confusing and explain why.
Some Key Concepts:
- agenda setting - it's not that we're told what to think, as much as it's we're told what to think about - priming.
- ideological state apparatus (Althusser)
- cultural hegemony (Gramsci)
- consciousness industry (Enzensberger)
- culture industry (Frankfurt School)
- ideology: Provide examples of ideologies. Which are most dependent on propaganda ? Why ?
- selective perception
Further information