Download Media Exam Revision Seminar Unit

Media Exam Revision Seminar
Unit 3
Area of Study:
Media Influence
Focus: Analyse the nature and
extent of media influence.
Media influence
What you need to do
– Key skills
– Compare and contrast communication theories
and/or models;
– Identify and describe key viewpoints about the
nature and extent of media influence
– Analyse arguments and evaluate evidence about
the nature and extent of media influence;
– Discuss the relationship between audiences and a
range of media forms and texts;
– Analyse the rationale for, and effectiveness of,
measures designed to control media content;
– Discuss issues in assessing media influence
Media is communication
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Sender Product
T.V
Radio
Newspaper
Internet
Message Inform
Educate
Entertain
Receiver
Audience
Class
High class
Those who have
Low class
Those who don’t
Theories about Media
Communication
• Bullet
1920’s Mass audience Frankfurt schoolPassive
Text closed
• Agenda
1970’s Gate keepers UK Hall
Active
What to think about
• Post modern1980’s Text open
France Derrida Active
• Reinforcement
1960’sText reinforces
• User Gratification
1940’s Text used
USA Klapper
Active
USA Lazarfeld Active
Exam Criteria
•
Understanding of theories of media
influence.
•
Evaluation of the nature and extent of
media influence.
Media forms and texts
• You will be required to know about a range of
media forms
For example:
– TV, computer games, newspapers, feature films,
news broadcasts, advertising
• You will be required to know about a range of
media texts
For example:
– The Herald Sun, Andrew Denton, Big Brother,
Today Tonight, Dolly Magazine, TAC ads.
What are theories of media
influence?
• linear models
– which see meaning inherent within a text, waiting to be uncovered
– Audience is passive
– For example Bullet theory & Agenda Setting Function Theory
• semiotic constructivist models
– which see meaning as arising from the interaction of a text with a
reader
– Audience is both passive & active who read texts depending
on cultural norms
– For example Post modernism
What is the difference between
• A theory is a set of systematically related
generalisations suggesting new
observations for empirical testing.
• A model is a theoretical and simplified
representation of the real world, it is often
useful to illustrate a theory.
What does this mean?
• Linear theories and models are those
where communication happens in a line, from
the media to the audience or from the
audience to the media.
Early theories
Later theories
Later theories again
• Not many people think that linear theories are
very useful these days, media communication
is much more complex than 2 way messages.
What do I need to know about
communication theories?
• Several communication theories and/or models in
detail- choose both linear and semiotic models
• History
• How they are claimed to work
• Evidence claimed to demonstrate their adequacy for
explaining the communication process
• Research
• Criticisms and further developments of these theories
Arguments about influence
• What are the arguments?
• Which media forms and texts do these
arguments apply to?
• Who is claiming the influence?
• What is their authority?
• What do others think?
• What criticisms can be made of the argument
or those proposing it?
Evidence for claimed influence
• What types of evidence are there?
• What is the trustworthiness of these types of
evidence?
• What theories underpin each form of
evidence?
• Specific examples of evidence
• Application of these examples to individuals,
audiences and the community
• Strengths and weaknesses of these
examples
Media influence is
both
positive and negative!
• There are many individuals, organisations
and studies that seek to prove that the
media is a bad influence on individuals,
audiences and society
• It is fashionable to blame the media for
society’s ills
• The media can and does have a positive
influence on individuals and the community!
Theories of audience
• Understand and discuss the relationship
between audiences and a range of
media forms and texts
• Arguments and evidence that the media
is actively used by individuals,
audiences and society for different
purposes at different times.
Some audiences are claimed to
be more susceptible to media
influence than others
• Who is making these claims?
• How authoritative are they?
• What is their evidence?
• This is not about generalisation but
about evidence!!!
A note on children
• Are often claimed to be the most susceptible
audience
• This may be because of factors including:
– The quantity of media they consume
– The difficulty in researching the newly verbal
– Our cultural biases about the innocence,
understanding and role of children in society
– Ethics and other difficulties in research methods.
• Children are much more aware of the difference
between reality and media constructions much
earlier than we credit them for.
A case in point
Child obesity: Bracks targets junk-food ads
The Age September 18, 2005
VICTORIA is spearheading a push for tougher
guidelines restricting television junk-food advertising
aimed at children.
Premier Steve Bracks has written to Prime Minister
John Howard requesting stricter rules on
commercials shown during children's viewing times.
The letter, sent on Friday, said 25 per cent of
Australian children were overweight or obese and
recent research had shown children were exposed,
on average, to 77 television advertisements a week
for foods of low nutritional value, such as
confectionery and fast food.
Sample question
Politicians and community leaders often call for the
regulation of media content on the grounds of public
safety, community health or because they believe
that a media text may exert an undesirable influence
on its audience. What are the arguments and
evidence that might be used to evaluate the validity
of these claims? In your answer you should discuss
at least one issue in assessing media influence.
10 marks
Regulation and control of media
content
• Research more than one form of media
control
• Choose both government and industry based
codes of practices
For example:
Office of Film and Literature Classification
Advertising Standards Bureau
• Be able to discuss the rationale for and
effectiveness of forms of media content
control
Keys to success
• Don’t just memorise theories and research, engage with
the material
• Apply your knowledge to the debates you hear and read
about
• Contrast different theories and the media coverage of
issues in media influence
• Find examples of well documented media research that
mean something to you
For example:
• The Kylie Effect (Breast cancer screening)
• Positive impact of computer games (see OFLC website)
Traps for young players
• Read the questions carefully. Don’t let
accompanying illustrations or text mislead you.
• Get names right. (Bundoora and the Boo Boo
Dolls)
• Media practitioners don’t use theories, the
theories are used to explain how the relationship
between the media and its audience works
• Prepare before the exam and remember that
you know what the examiners are going to ask!
Some of this is difficult
• Don’t be put off by some of the material
you read, most of it is not written for
VCE students, skim through it!
• Don’t use anecdote, everyone knows
someone who claims to know some kid
who thought he was a superhero after
watching TV, most kids survive but the
rare odd one gets the most press
Use the language appropriate to
this area of study and the ways
we now think about it
• The relationship between the media and its
audience is rarely causal, the media does not
make us do things
• Use qualifying terms like:
Suggests, is claimed to, has been said by
some, could be interpreted, has raised
widespread comment, etc.
• Make finely honed analysis not blunt
accusations.
Do not freak out!!!
• Read questions carefully:
– What is the question asking?
– What are the ways I might answer?
– What evidence can I offer for my response?
• Use a highlighter pen to work out the question
• Plan your responses before you write
• Don’t be put off by illustrations, articles or other
material accompanying questions. Use them
as cues to possible answers.
Questions
•
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The Media communicates messages to an audience. There are some people, under some conditions who are at
some times influenced by Media messages.
In Germany and in America Media messages influenced people to respond in a particular manner.
Who were the authors of these Media messages?
When were these Media messages communicated?
What Media products were used to communicate these messages?
How did people respond to these Media massages?
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Government often regulates Media messages.
How does gate keeping relate to Media regulation?
How does blame shifting or the concept of the Media used as a scapegoat relate to Media communication?
What role does Media communication play when a new social topic is discussed?
What theory is used to explain how and why the Government can at times intervene with Media messages?
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Research has been conducted to explain the role of the Media communication in society.
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Who are the people involved in initiating this discussion?
What period of time and which country carried out this research?
What were the results of this research?
What two theories suggest that Media messages do not influence an audience?
Post-Modernism explains the relationship between public responses and Media messages .
Who was the author of this theory?
In what era and country did this theory arise?
How does audience knowledge about the difference between fantasy and reality relate to Media’s extent of
influence in society?
Sample question
Some media forms and texts
are claimed to be more
influential than others.
Some audiences are said to
be more easily influenced.
Discuss the idea of influential
media forms, texts and
audiences.
10 marks
• Semiotic constructivist models are
those where communication occurs
within the context of society
• These models see audiences making
(constructing) meaning of their media
• Meanings will be different for different
audiences.
A model of semiotic constructivist
communication theory
Society
Media ownership
The need to make and spend money
Government regulations
Social values of audience and media industry
Education of the audience
Taste and experience of the audience
Any other factors influencing the audience
including blah, Individual
blah, blah, blah, blah, etc
audience
member
It is easy to
overlook positive
media influence
but remember
when you
learned that
cooperation can
make it happen!
The most important thing about
audiences
• Audiences are active!!!
• There is no such thing as a passive
audience!!!
• Even when vegging in front of the TV
audiences are actively reading their
texts.