COM 203: Introduction to Communication Week 9, Day 2, 3/22 Agenda Quiz 2 (30 minutes) Discuss mass communication and perspectives on the effects of media Reminders: Paper 3 due on 4/10 Quiz 3 is on 4/12 Some questions…. Following questions….are they fiction or reality about the effects of mass media? Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media is only make believe…people know it is not real But… News is not make-believe (at least it’s not supposed to be) Most film and television dramas (Modern Family) are produced to seem real to viewers Much of contemporary television are “reality shows” Before they develop the capacity to know what is not real, children confront the world through television ~ what they see is real. We willingly suspend disbelief while consuming media in the name of entertainment. Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media is only entertainment But… News is not play or entertainment (at least it’s not supposed to be). Even if media content is only play, play is very important to the way we develop our knowledge of ourselves and our world (think about what we learn from “playing sports”) Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media is merely a mirror that is showing us the “norm” But…. If this is true then it is a very selective mirror. Some questions to think on: What does a “typical family” look like on TV? When there is a “bad person” on TV what do they look like? What race or ethnicity do “heros” tend to be? What sex? How are jobs represented on TV with regard to sex? Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media merely reinforces existing values…family, church, school, etc. have more impact But…. The traditional socializing agents (school, religion, family) have lost much of their power to influence in our complicated and fast-paced world. Moreover, reinforcement is not the same as having no effects. If media can reinforce the good in our culture, media can just as easily reinforce the bad. Mass Effects….Fiction or Reality? Media doesn’t impact important issues, only minor ones like fads and fashion But…. Fads and fashions are not unimportant to us. Think about how much time and effort is spent on selecting clothes, cars, phones, electronics, etc. Media helped make fads and fashions so central to our self-definition and happiness. Why are billions of dollars spent on media efforts to sway opinion about social issues such as universal health care, nuclear power, and global warming. Are these not important issues? MASS COMMUNICATION THEORIES Given the importance of mass communication and its many forms, there are quite a few well-developed theories regarding the meaning-making relationship between mass media and their audiences. Cultivation Theory Developed by George Gerbner in the 1970s. Deals with television effects and argues that television has long-term effects Effects are gradual but significant an increased belief that the world is a cruel place Mean World Syndrome ...