Over the past decade, the symbols and messages contained in the mass media have become increasingly popular research topics in both the academic sector and the private sector. These five purposes illustrates some ways in which this technique can be applied.

1. 
 Over the past decade, the symbols and messages
contained in the mass media have become
increasingly popular research topics in both the
academic sector and the private sector.
 These five purposes illustrates some ways in which
this technique can be applied.
10/14/2022
USES OF CONTENT ANALYSIS
Muhammad Awais
(facebook.com/awwaiis)

2. 
 Several recent studies have cataloged the characteristics of
a given body of communication content at one or more
points in time. These studies demonstrate content analysis
used in the traditional, descriptive manner: to identify
what exists.
 One of the advantages of content analysis is its potential
to identify developments over long time periods. These
descriptive studies also can be used to study societal
change.
 Measuring media professionals in terms of their gender.
 Portrayal of Muslim Characters in Bollywood: A case
Study of Munna Bhai MBBS.
10/14/2022
Describing Communication Content
Muhammad Awais
(facebook.com/awwaiis)

3. 
 A number of analyses attempt to relate certain characteristics of
the source of a given body of message content to the
characteristics of the messages that are produced. As Holsti
(1969) points out, this category of content analysis has been
used in many studies that test hypotheses of form: “If the
source has characteristic A, then messages containing elements
x and y will be produced; if the source has characteristic B, then
messages with elements w and z will be produced.”
 Rap music videos were more likely to contain violence than any
other music genre.
 Journalists covering a particular social protest in 1999 relied on
official sources more than journalists who covered an anti-war
protest in 1967.
10/14/2022
Testing Hypotheses of Message
Characteristics
Muhammad Awais
(facebook.com/awwaiis)

4. 
 Many content analyses are reality checks in which
the portrayal of a certain group, phenomenon, trait,
or characteristic is assessed against a standard taken
from real life.
 It is found that crime coverage in Colorado
newspapers bore no relationship to changes in state
crime rates.
 The National Commission on the Causes and
Prevention of Violence used content analysis data
collected by Gerbner (1969) to compare the world of
television violence with real-life violence.
10/14/2022
Comparing Media Content to the
“Real World”
Muhammad Awais
(facebook.com/awwaiis)

5. 
 Ever-growing numbers of content analyses have focused
on exploring the media images of certain minority or
otherwise notable groups.
 In many instances, these studies are conducted to assess
changes in media policy toward these groups, to make
inferences about the media’s responsiveness to demands
for better coverage, or to document social trends.
 The depiction of African American and Latino characters
on television.
 Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans were
rarely seen in local television newscasts.
10/14/2022
Assessing the Image of Particular Groups in
Society
Muhammad Awais
(facebook.com/awwaiis)

6. 
 The use of content analysis as a starting point for
subsequent studies is relatively new.
 Cultivation Theory discovered that heavy viewers of
television tend to be more fearful of the world
around them.
 In other words, television content—in this case, large
doses of crime and violence—may cultivate attitudes
more consistent with its messages than with reality.
 The way occupations were portrayed on television.
10/14/2022
Establishing a Starting Point for Studies
of Media Effects
Muhammad Awais
(facebook.com/awwaiis)

7. 
 Content analysis is also used in studies of agenda
setting. An analysis of relevant media content is
necessary to determine the importance of news
topics. Subsequent audience research looks at the
correspondence between the media’s agenda and the
audience’s agenda.
 A local newspaper’s prominent coverage of certain
issues increased the importance of this issue among
readers.
10/14/2022
Muhammad Awais
(facebook.com/awwaiis)