J201 Intro to mass communication Media research Media effects Mass communication research is not all the same no single topic though often linked by medium no single method though often determined by discipline no single theory and often contradictory interpretations of same data What topics do mass comm researchers study the content of media messages and their meaning the effects of media messages on audiences and what mediates these effects if any the audiences for media messages and their agency in receiving those messages the institutions producing media messages and their place in the structure of society What methods do mass comm researchers use subjective vs objective qualitative vs quantitative descriptive vs normative contemporary vs historical local vs cross cultural What theories do mass comm researchers use internalist vs externalist conflict vs consensus critical vs administrative meta narrative vs grounded theory Topic effects of media messages on audiences Six main types of media effects theories zero effects theories mass society theories limited effects theories agenda setting theories hegemonic effects theories technological determinist theories zero effects theories People know that media content isn t real Media only reflect what is already in society Other social institutions like family school church and workplace have more influence than media Media have effects but only over trends fads and other trivialities a famous mass society example a famous mass society example 1938 Halloween Eve mass society theories hypodermic needle or magic bullet early 20th century mass urban industrial society new media radio film and magazines 1930s Payne Fund studies of motion pictures 1940s Nazi propaganda persuasion studies two limited effects examples limited effects theories 1940s 1960s first communciations researchers intervening variables mediation individual differences who you are social differences who you know limited effects theories continued selectivity in attention retention perception attitude formation theory not the whole audience but a particular subset audience fragmentation not conversion but reinforcement reinforcement theory not effects but modeling social cognitive theory agenda setting theories not what to think but what to think about especially relevant to political elections staged media events or pseudo events a hegemonic theory example Gerbner 1982 hegemonic theories hegemony power of dominant group accepted as both natural and legitimate by those who are dominated focus not on individual messages content but on ideological effect of lots of messages over time focus not on change but on thwarting of change narcotizing dysfunction hegemonic theories continued media help to socialize us to the status quo socialization theory media power grows as society grows more complex dependency theory media use contributes to gap between rich and poor knowledge gap theory people self censor unpopular opinions spiral of silence the more media people consume the more they take on the values portrayed in the media cultivation analysis
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