t205 final exam 05 01 2013 Media Literacy Multitasking Reduces productivity Multi tasking in class reduces memory of lecture content Automaticity Determined not by conscious intentions but by mental processes Exposed to rude words were more likely to interrupt Exposed to words related to elderly walked slowly out of experiment Lack of media literacy Means our choices are nonconscious Attention is not goal driven 7 skills analysis evaluation grouping induction deduction synthesis abstratcing Dimensions stages Cognitive Emotional Aesthetic Moral o Media literacy is a continuum not a category Benefits of media literacy Maintain better control over media Increased appetite for media variety Audiences Information processing tasks Filtering o Ignore or attend to message Meaning matching o Relies on existing knowledge Meaning construction o Relies on existing abilities On a continuum Exposure attention Physical exposure o Proximity Perceptual exposure o Subliminal v subconscious Subliminal not processing something at all Psychological exposure o Leaves a residue Exposure states Automatic Attentional Transported Self reflexive Mass audience Homogenous Anonymous No interaction among members No social context Niche audiences Geographic Demographic Social class Geodemographic Psychographic Strategies for building niches Appeal to existing needs o Cornerstone of digital marketing Cross media promotion Conditioning audiences o Audience flow through o Lead in lead out programming Child Audiences Advertising Unrealistic goals and expectations Deception Special audience Average child spends 6 5 hours with the media Piaget s theory of cognitive development Sensorimotor 0 2 Preoperational 2 7 Concrete operational 7 12 Formal operational 12 Kohlberg s stages of moral development Preconvential 2 8 others tell us what is right Conventional 8 13 grow a conscience Postconventional 13 more complicated Telecommunications Act of 1996 All televisions must include a v chip Advertising regulations Limit advertising time Initiate bumpers Prohibit host selling Mediation vs co viewing Restructure mediation o Limiting amount of type of programming Co viewing o Simply watching together Active mediation o Discussing in real time Media Industry History Growth Stages in media development Innovation o Marketing o Technological Penetration o Appeals to large heterogeneous population o Can generate new or increase existing needs Peak o Commands most attention o Generates most revenue Decline o Replaced by more popular media Adaption o Redefines position in the marketplace Magazine Always a bridesmaid never a bride Specialization key for survival Radio Have always emphasized localism Peaked 30s 40s Lost advertisers to tv in 50s Adaptation focus on mobility Newspapers have historically been political 1830s shift to maximize profits less political 1900 93 of homes subscribed to a newspaper Media Industry Economics Players in the economic game Consumers Advertisers Companies Employers o Below the line vs above the line employee o people who have a talent and aren t easily replaced Above audience draw is more important than talent Indirect v direct support Watching advertising vs fees subscriptions Economies of scale v scope Scale o Producing an extra unit decreases as scale of output expands Scope o Multiproduction of a product 3 basic economic strategies maximize profits by increasing revenue and decreasing expenses construct niche audiences and keep conditioning o keep reinforcing their interest in your product reduce risks using marketing concept Content Reality Expressive writing 15 min day improves health people go to doctor less take fewer advil reported fewer symptoms storytelling stories make things easier dimensions of reality magic window o social utility o identity additional dimensions o factuality o plausibility o typicality o emotional involvement o narrative consistency o perceptual persuasiveness next step reality a little more than everyday reality o everything is more beautiful available fun appeal o Some realism in necessary o Total realism is not attractive Why turn to media o Some experiences in real life are impossible or the costs are too great Reality tv Cheap to make Watch for o Experience o Voyeurism o Information seeking How real is it o The joys of editing Uncanny valley When things start looking so human that it is creepy News Agenda setting News shapes perceptions of the importance of social issues o Press tells people what to think about Cultivation hypothesis Heavy viewers assume the tv world the real world Framing The angle of a story influences public s reaction Commercialism the marketing Journalists must attract audiences not offend Sometimes stories audience Inform v entertain Select market identify wants satisfy The news perspective Cultivation of journalism Shift from significance proximity timeliness to conflict appeal to emotions visualization Entertainment the story formula includes archetypes centuries old are common across cultures embedded in ALL stories fairy tales to news man v man self environment classic dramatic structure exposition rising action climax falling action denouement 3 major genres drama o tragedy bad good characters good characters fatal flaw of bad luck identify w characters why Feel better about your own life o mystery something missing puzzle solving o action horror good vs evil major conflict we know very early who the villain is lots of violence action comedy o minor conflict o resolved verbally with wit o conflict resolved at end o main characters are mostly happy romance o very popular highly formulaic constraints on TV harder to convey a story must be very compelling o catchy o prevent channel changing o high point before break must be simple stereotypes why do we stereotype humans o We are cognitive misers o The powerful want to maintain power Media o It makes stories easier to understand Dimensions of bigotry Individual Conscious bias Group Unconscious bias Stereotype threat Being at risk of confirming as self characteristic a negative stereotype about one s group 4 stages of minority portrayal nonrecognition ridicule regulation respect token minority member included in dominant group to give perception of inclusiveness intersectionality approach to understanding effects of having multiple minority identities o entirely different experience than having on female and latina old and poor mental illness 1 3 of adults of children advertising