BASICMASSSCOMMUNICATION
LectureNotes
Era'sofMassCommunication
Theirarefourera'sinon
TheEraofMassSociety
TheMassSocietyErawasanErathatappearedduringtheSecondhalfofthefirstcenturaycenturyThiswasanErais
whichthemediaseenasinfluentialbutnegative.retakliestalkiesurbeginningneuropeEuropeproffproof
TheEraoftheScientificPerspective
ThisisanerainwhichScientificmethodswhereusedtomentiontheeffectofmasscommunication,theseScientifi
cmethodshowsthatthemediathebeginningofthiseraisbelievedtohaveoccuredin1938ontheeveofHallowee
nwhen
Elitemediacriticsarguedthatthiseventwasproofofmasssocietytheory.ButAfurtherresearchusingsophisticat
edsurvey,pollingandotherscientificmethodsbyLazarsfeldandhiscolleaguesin1941arguedthemerespeculati
onabouttheimpactofthemediawasinsufficienttoexplainthecomplexinteractionsthatmasscommunicationc
omprised.instead,welldesigned,sophisticatedstudiesofmediaandaudiencewouldproducemorevaluablekn
owledge.thatistosayscientificstudieswerebetterthanguessing.theoriesthatemergedfromthiseraareLimite
deffecttheoryandthetwo-stepflowtheory.
TheEraoftheLimitedEffectstheory
TheLimitedeffectparadigmandseveraltheoriesitsupportedbecameentrenchedduringandaftertheiiworldw
ar,controllingresearchandthinkingaboutmediauntilwellintothe1960s.thewaritselfwasverycrucialtothedev
elopmentofMassCommunicationtheoriesduringthisera.Atthebegnningbeginningthiertheirfilmmarkersfil
mmakerscapraCapraseae
Amongthemostimportantattitudechangetheoriesaretherelatedideasofdissonanceandselectiveprocesses.
othertheoriesincludeAgendasettingtheory,Usesandgratificationtheory,Socialcognitivetheory.
TheEraofCulturaltheory
Theobviousandobservableimpactthattelevisionhasoncultureinclude;increasedsophisticationofthemediai
ndustriesandmediaconsumers,entrenchedsocialproblemssuchasracialstrife,theapparentcheapeningofth
epoliticalprocess,andtheemergenceofcallsforcontrolsonnewtechnologiessuchascable,satellites,andcomp
uternetworks.Theseareonlyafewofthemanyfactorsthatforcedmasscommunicationtheoriststorethinkthei
nfluenceofmedia—andtoattemptonceagaintounderstandthemedia-society.
Thetheoriesthathavegainedthemostsupportamongmediaresearchersandtheoristsarethosethatacceptthe
potentialforpowerfulmediaeffects,apotentialthatiseitherenhancedorthwartedbytheinvolvementofaudie
ncemembersinthemasscommunicationprocess.importantofthisperspectiveonaudiencemediainteractionaretheculturaltheories,whicharesymbolicinteraction,SocialConstructionofRealityandCul
tivationalanaylisisanaylisisexprienceexperiencecostructionconstructionsometingsomethingactvelyactivel
y
TheNexusorConnectionsbetweenthekindsa
ProfessorDenisMcQuailstatedfivekindsoftheoristheories
1.SocialScientifictheory
2.Normativetheory
3.Operationaltheory
4.Culturaltheory
5.CommonSenseorEverydaytheory
BaranandDavisstatedfourcategoriesoftheories,whichare:
1.Post-positivit
2.Normativetheory
3.Hermeneutictheory
4.Criticaltheory
ThefivekindsoftheoriesStatedbyDenisMcQuailaresimilartothefourcategoriesoftheoriesstatedbyBaranand
Davisintwoways.
ThefirstnexusbetweenthistwodescriptionsisthatwhatProfessorDenisMcQuailcallSocialscientificiswhatBar
anandDaviscallPost-Positivitist.
Anotherconnectionbetweenthekindsandcategoriesoftheoriesisthatbothkindsandcategoriesoftheoriesincl
udesortalksaboutthenormativetheory.
NormativeTheories
ThefournormativetheorieswerepropoundedbyPerersonPetersoniebert,charamm,conditions.Tbeliefttaria
a
Authoritariantheory
TheAuthoritariantheorywasd
developedinthe16thand17thcenturyinEurope(England)duringtheabsolutepoweroftheMonarch,hisgovern
mentorboth.thisisatheoryinwhichthepressasaninstitutionisbeingcontrolledinfunctionsandoperationbyan
organisedsocietythroughanotherinstitution,government.Authoritariantheorybasicallytalksaboutabsolute
censorshipinthemedia.theargumentofthistheoryissayingthatthepressisneverindependentbutcensoredors
ubordinatetothestate.Themediaisseenasaninstrumentofthegovernment.Themediawouldonlydowhatthe
governmentofficialssays,theycannotdowhatthegovernmentofficialsdoesnotwantForeg.isthegovernments
ay'sthatyoushouldwriteanarticlethatsay'sthatthisisthebestgovernmentthatiswhatyoushoulddo.theautho
ritariantheorydoes'ntallowoppositionviews.thistheorytendstoshowcasethepowersofthesociety.exponent
softhistheoryare:ThomasHobbes,GeorgeHegel,Plato,Machiavelli.
Libertariantheory
TheLibertariantheorywasdevelopedinEnglandinthe17thcenturyandspreadinAmericathistheorywaspropo
undedbyJohnMilton.thistheoryisbasicallysayingthatletanyindividualwhohavesomethingtopublishit.
Soviet-Communisttheory
TheSovietCommunisttheoryoriginatedinthe20thecenturyinUSSR.
SocialResponsibilitytheory
SocialResponsibilitytheorywasdevelopedinU.Sinthethe20thcentury.thisisatheorythatblendsthephilosoph
yofthethreeothertheories.
Effectdebate
TheeffectsofMassCommunicationissomethingthatisorhasbeginholstyhostlyweingofmasscommunication,
thepowerfullpowerful
TheAllPowerfulEffect
TheeffectofMassCommunicationstartedfromtheallPowerfuleffects.TheAllPowerfuleffectbasicallytalksab
outthedirectinfluencethemediahasonanaudiecce.Thiseffectarguesthatpeoplewereextremelyvanurableto
mediamessages.Themediawereconsideredtohavethepowertoprofoundlyshapepeople'sperceptionsofthe
socialworldandtomanipulatetheiractionsinahighlyeffectiveways.Mediamessageswerelinkedtoabulletrele
asedatanaudiencemember,whichhasimmediateanddirectimpactontheaudiencemembers,whenevermess
ageshititwillhaveitdesiredeffect.TheErathatfallsunderthiseffectistheMassSocietyEra.
TheLimitedeffect
TheLimitedeffectisaneffectthatexplainsorargueshowLimitedmediamessagescanbeinpeople'slives.Thisisb
elievedtohaveemergedin1938,whenanActor/DirectorOrsonWellespulledanHalloweenjokethatcreaturesf
romMarshadinvadedearth.thismadeabout1millionAmericanstofleetheirhome.Somescholarsthoughtthati
tisbecauseofthetheAllPowerfulmediatheory.butresearchconductedbyLazersfieldandhiscolleaguesshowth
atanotherfivemillionAmericansremainedundisturbed.thisclearlyshowsthattheeffectofthemediaislimited.
TheEraoftheScientificPerspectiveisanErathatfallsunderthiseffect.
TheModerateEffect
TheModerateeffectisaneffectthatshoesexplainstheminimaleffectthemediamesaageshadinpeople'slives.t
hiseffectexplainhowpeopledisagreewithmediamessagesbecauseoftheirselforientation.peopledon'tjustag
reewiththemediabyanymeans.TheLimitedeffectEraisanErathatfallsunderthiseffect.