COMM 105 1nd Edition Lecture 11Outline of Last Lecture 1. Campaigns2. A few principles3. Public Health and Social Marketing4. Relative Effectiveness5. Social Marketing and Fear6. Narrowcasting7. Future of Campaigns8. SummaryOutline of Current LectureCurrent Lecture Chapter 13 – Uses and Effects of Digital EntertainmentCould violent entertainment media content have caused the tragedies in Aurora,Colorado and Sandy Hook, Connecticut?- Columbine - the public blames Marylin Manson- Movie theatre shooting in Colorado - the public blames Batman- Sandy Hook – the public blames video gamesA history of media effects research- The academic study of media effects (20th century) is predated by societal panicso Book burning reports as early as 300ADThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.o The Comstock Act of 1873 made it a federal crime to send “obscene” or “lewd” mailo Similar actions have been seen in modern society Mass burnings of Harry Potter for preaching witchcraftThree Schools of thought on Media Effects1. Magic Bullet a. Direct, Powerful, universalb. The thought that we can’t stop media’s influence on us2. Paper Tigera. Ferocious looking, but otherwise harmlessb. Not much of an impact3. Powerful but limited a. Media have an effect, but so do social and psychological factorsb. Can have a powerful influence, but there are a lot of conditions that also comeinto playMagic Bullet – 1900’s to 1940’s - The Industrial Revolution brought an increased reliance on media and technology, in order for citizens to stay in contact- In the absence of other factors, many were concerned that media could have a: o Directo Powerful (immediate)o Universal impact on impressionable audiences- Worried about the radio, then the TV- The Magic Bullet was the focus of many early media studies including:o Studies on the impact of film, especially children (Payne Fund)o Panic reactions to Oroson Wells, War of the Worlds broadcast, even though there was a disclaimer before the show. People though aliens were really attacking the US – it created a massive panic Showed that humans can be really influenced by media and believe that everything media says, is real The height of the Magic Bullet thought of media’s influence on usPaper Tiger – 1940’s to 1960’s- Results of studies from the Magic Bullet thought seemed dubious to many peopleo Payne Fund studies were interrupted – show more evidence of societal factors impacting film reactions than the film content itselfo Comic book studies were not scientific, but rather based largely on anecdotal evidenceo Fright reactions to War of the Worlds broadcast were greatly exaggerated in the popular press- The content of the mid-20 th century media changed greatly. The use of embedded journalists to cover the Korean and Vietnam War o For the first time, journalist went overseas to report on wars- Scholars shifted to understanding the creation and context of media content rather than understanding its effects on audiencesPowerful But Limited – 1960’s to Today- Of course it was inappropriate to dismiss the notion that media can impact audiences… rather the effects are more likely nuanced. o For example, some people did panic after War of the Worlds broadcast Those who were more fatalist - those who think they have absolute zero control over what happens to them in their life  Those who had a lack of education Each of these are examples of Moderating Variables - Conditions /characteristicsAnti-Social Effects- As a matter of practice, the brunt of media research focuses on anti-social effects: o Violenceo Sexual Contento Theories about how media can corrupt our view of society What video games and music did the Columbine Shooter like?- Mortal Combat was the video that started video game ratingso Main objective of Mortal Combat = fatalityAnti-Social Effects – Violence- Does interactivity make media violence effects stronger? (a moderating variable?)- PRO: Video games require individuals to actually enact aggression to solve in game challenges, which should reinforce violence lessons- CON: When gamers are playing video games they play them as a fantasy rather than as a representation of the real worldAnti-Social Effects – Sexual Content- What is obscene?o Official Supreme Court decision (Miller v. California, 1973)o Materials considered obscene if it passes these 3 prongs in the overall test Would the average person find that the work appeals to the prurient interest? Does the work depict sexual content in a particularly offensive way? Does the work lack serious artistic, political, literacy or scientific value?o Since the Comstock Act there has been a debate about the appropriateness of sex in mass media Children report learning about sex from pornography (because it’s thebiggest taboo in society and their parents don’t want to discuss sex with them) Sexual content is arousing, which can intensify media effects Mixing sexual content and violence has been found to encourage domestic violenceo Sexual content is hard to regulate/police in the digital age The FCC is able to block broadcast messages, but what about web pages? Many use Age Authentication, but they can be tricked 1996, the Communication Decency Act made electronic distribution ofobscene materials to minors illegal, but its effectiveness is unknown.Anti-Social Effects – Others- The Cultivation Theory asks us to consider the views that media users learn o The more we’re exposed to televised media the more we tend to think the “real world” resembles what we see on TV- Mean World Effect – heavy TV viewers believe the world to be a more dangerous place than statistics showo Based off their viewings on TVPro- Social Effects – Health- Edutainment has been a popular way t communicate health risks to large and interested audiences (campaigns)- Websites like WebMD are used by millions daily to communicate accurate health information in