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Prior to the 1800s
-Most people inhabited rural communities -Homogenous communities (little diversity) -Often knew everyone within community -Limited opportunities to learn about the outside world 
Enter the Industrial Revolution
-1760-1840 -Transition from hand production to machinery production -Mass migration from rural to urban areas -Rise of the factory system -Heterogeneous communities (much diversity) -Often knew few within community -Learned about the world through mass media sources 
The Direct Effects Model: Media message->audience consumption->public opinion, values, actions
Claims mass media consumption has a direct (often negative) effect on audiences. Audiences are passive and cannot prevent the mass media influences. Messages shape the public's opinions, values, and actions. Reflects the consumed messages After WWI, many feared media messages would h…
4 Primary Message Effects
Attitudinal Effects Behavioral Effects Cognitive Effects Psychological Effects 
Cognitive Effects
Short-term learning of information Most common & observable message effect People learn more from media content: Desire for informed, interpersonal conversations Like or can relate to the message sender Personal interests in message content/topic 
Attitudinal Effects
Examines media messages shape people's feelings about: Products Celebrities/Public Figures Ideas Trends Easier to shape new opinions than to change existing opinions 
Behavioral Effects
Examines how media messages affect our actions and behaviors such as: Purchasing a new product Following new fashions Voting for a candidate Difficult to achieve because people are often reluctant to change their behaviors Ex: TRUTH Anti-smoking Ads vs. Study Results 
Psychological Effects
Examines the feelings generated by media content Arousal is a major psychological effect of media content. Especially in violent or erotic content Increased heart rate, adrenaline, or sexual response Mean World Syndrome: Perception that the world is more dangerous than it really …
Other Types of Media Effects
Medium Effects Ownership Effects Active Audience Effects 
Active Audience Effects
Divide audiences based on: Geographics (i.e. where people live) Demographics (e.g. age, education, income, race, & sex) Psychographics (e.g. lifestyle choices & product use) 
Ownership Effects
Media Owners decide which ideas will be produced and distributed. Reinforces the ruling class (Habermas, 1984). 
Medium Effects
The medium is the message" (McLuhan, 1964). Ex: TV's emotional appeals - visual & audio Surround sound Enhanced Experience 
Media's 3 Major Social Functions (Harold Lasswell (1948)
Surveillance of the Environment Correlation of Societal Elements Cultural Transmission between Generations 
Surveillance of the Environment
Media help open our eyes to the world around us Status Conferral - media coverage of an individual gives him/her more public attention 
Correlation of Societal Elements
Gives structure to the news through selecting, evaluating, and interpreting events 
Cultural Transmission between Generations
Media as a form of socialization Often through entertainment Shares values, social norms, and knowledge 
Theories of Mass Communication Effects
Agenda-Setting Uses & Gratifications Social Learning Symbolic Interactionism Spiral of Silence Media Logic Cultivation Analysis 
Agenda-Setting
The media does not tell the public what to think, but does tell them what to think about. Media coverage sets public discourse. Examples: Popular Issues in Political Elections Islamic Terrorism Donald Trump v. GOP candidates High-profile court cases (e.g. Casey Anthony) 
Uses & Gratifications
Examines the reasons why audiences consume mass media (e.g. the wants and needs) and if those reasons are fulfilled. Audiences are viewed as active and logical consumers, NOT passive or mindless consumers. Conscious of their media consumption choices Gives the audience some agency …
Social Learning
Claims individuals learn through observation of others' behaviors. Learning through social interaction Observe the pros and cons of behaviors Social Norms Extract key information Integrate observations to create rules Regulate our own behavior by practicing these rules How is …
Symbolic Interactionism
Claims individuals produce meaning through interaction based on socially agreed-upon symbols. Learning through social interaction How we develop meaning What are some examples? Reality v. Perception of Reality: "If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences"…
Spiral of Silence
Claims that people want to view themselves as having a majority opinion. If opinion is perceived to be in the minority, people tend to remain silent. Maintains social approval Often makes the minority opinion seem less popular than it really is This leads to a "death spiral" of di…
Media Logic
Claims the forms used through mass media in presenting the world become the forms we use to perceive the world Across various types of content Use format cues to understand the media programming Media defines dominant cultural forms Become the lens through which we view our everyday…
Cultivation Analysis
Claims that watching high amounts of television changes the way an individual views the world around them More TV consumption ≠ reality of the world Very deceptive Mean World Syndrome Modern Mass Comm. scholars are applying this view to other mediums as well. Ex: Objectification…
Benefits of Social Research
Understand human behavior Improve overall quality of life Why is social research often difficult? People are different and public opinion is ever-changing Always outliers 
4 Goals of Social Science Research
Describe Explain Predict Control 
Solomon Asch Experiment (1951)
Investigated how social pressure from a group can cause a person to conform 1 actual participant and multiple confederates Asked to identify the lines which had identical lengths Confederates would purposefully give wrong answers on occasion 
The Milgram Experiment (1961)
Studied the willingness of participants to obey authority in situations of stress and harm Every time the "student" gave a wrong answer, the "teacher" was instructed to shock them. The shocks increased in voltage for each wrong answer. No one was ever shocked. Student and teacher we…
The Doll Test (1939)
Investigated racial perceptions and the effects of school segregation on children Presented a Black doll and a White doll to schoolchildren Asked which doll was the pretty, smart, nice, happy, and clean doll Asked which doll was the ugly, dumb, mean, sad, and dirty doll The findings f…
The Horns Effect
same as halo effect, but in a negative direction Views of Germans after WWII Views of Muslims after 9/11 
The Halo Effect (1920)
Investigated confirmation biases based on a few (and often trivial) attributes Effects of attractiveness (e.g. looks, education, branding, gender, culture, nationality, and race) on one's views of another 
The Bystander Effect (1968)
Studied the likelihood of people helping an individual when others are present Person in distress and in need of help (often lying down, appearing unconscious) Found that people are more likely to stop and help the person in distress IF others are trying to help 
The Tearoom Trade (1970)
Humphreys investigated stigma & sexual acts in men's public restrooms. Wanted to better understand the backgrounds of the men who participated in these encounters Heavily criticized for methodological and ethical purposes. Many scholars view this study as unethical and harmful because:…
5 Comm. Departments at UA
1) Advertising What does the customer/audience/consumer want? 2) Journalism What stories do people read? 3) Public Relations What does the public think about any given individual, group, or organization? 4) Telecommunication & Film What shows or films are popular? 5) Communicati…
Mass Comm. Research
Emerged over the last half century Resulted from the increased popularity of mass media Draws upon many concepts and methods from the humanities and the social sciences Examines the ever-changing relationship between mass media and society 
Primary Research
Information gathered through interaction with other people. Data is collected through meetings, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Institutional Review Board (IRB) Quantitative Observation Experiments Content Analyses Surveys Questionnaires Interviews Qualita…
Secondary Research
Information gathered through literature, publications, broadcast media, and other non-human sources. Generally much easier to gather than primary data. Less time consuming Less Expensive Using data that other researchers have already collected Internal Information Trade/Industry …
Two Types of Research
Primary, and Secondary 
Two Types of Research Designs
Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research 
Qualitative Research
Seeks in-depth, open-ended responses, NOT simple "yes" or "no" answers. The researcher tries to get people to share their thoughts and opinions on a topic. Often takes longer to collect than quantitative data Typically does not have large sample sizes Exploratory in nature Elicits in…
Quantitative Research
Seeks structured responses that can be summarized in numbers, like percentages, averages or other statistics. Often uses "yes" and "no" answers Often includes larger samples of the population Formal, objective, and systematic in nature Translate responses to numerical form (i.e. codi…
Projective Techniques
Use of stimuli to allow participants to provide subjective beliefs onto other people or objects. Word association Construction Completion Brand obituaries 
2 Types of Interviews
In-Depth Interviews One-on-One Reduces response influences from other interviewees Dyadic (or Joint) Interviews More than 1 interviewee at a time More intimate than focus groups Ex: User/non-user Male/female For/against 
Focus Groups
8-12 participants Often randomly recruited Incentives for participation Detailed & structured agenda General to specific Open-ended questions Moderator Comfortable & convenient setting Often filmed and/or audio recorded Ex: Severe Weather Focus Groups Problems/Challenges with…
Observations
Can be qualitative (i.e. casual) or quantitative Ethnography - the scientific first-hand observations of individuals, groups, and/or cultures Experiencing the consumers' (or research subjects') life first hand Ex: White Nationalists (Hughey, 2012) Pro-Life Clinics (Kelly, 2009) 
Content Analyses
Can be qualitative of quantitative Study of media coverage of a topic or issue: Print and broadcast news stories (via transcripts) Opinion columns, editorials and letters to editor Visual images (pictures or cartoons) Mentions on Web sites or blogs Ex: Ethan's research for the De…
Experiments
Can be formative or evaluative Structured situations to test one product against another Independent v. Dependent Variables Pre-testing & Post-testing Experimental Group Control Group Ex: Athletes' image repair & race (Brown, 2015) Fictional news stories & athletes Evaluated r…
Surveys
Survey Types: Personal Interview Telephone Mail Location Intercept (e.g. Shopping Malls) Online Survey Sample Types: Random Quota Convenience ("Snowball") Common Issues for Surveys: Accessibility Cooperation Generalizability to Larger Population 
Surveys Questionarres
Especially important to get demographic information for surveys Age, Education Level, Race, Sex, etc. Why is this information important? Likert Scales Approach to rating responses from high to low Most common in surveys Surveys are most often quantitative Draws conclusions abou…
Popular Culture
aka "Pop" culture, includes attitudes, ideas, imagery, perspectives, etc. that forms the mainstream culture of a society. Heavy focus on Western culture Most often generated through mass media consumption Most often is geared toward younger generations Originally, the term came abo…
Most common Pop Culture categories
Entertainment (i.e. movies, music, etc.) Sports News (i.e. public figures, celebrities, etc.) Politics Fashion Technology Linguistics (e.g. slang) Entertainment has the most influence on shaping a society's pop culture. Pop culture is not confined. Global influences of pop cul…
Technology/Luddites
In the early 1800s, many people (mostly textile artisans) in England realized that their world was changing because of new technologies from the Industrial Revolution (i.e. textile machines) 
Called themselves "Luddites"
Went around England burning and destroying textile mills (1811-1812). This was during the Revolutionary War. In 1813, many Luddites were caught and hanged Many more were sent to Australia (then a penal colony) 
Neil Postman-Does pop culture make us smarter?
Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985) Primarily focused on Television Claimed TV turns our brains into mush (Zombify) Decrease in critical-thinking 
Steven Johnson-Does pop culture make us smarter?
Everything Bad Is Good for You (2005) Broadened scope to other mediums Claimed entertainment has become more complex Increase in critical-thinking 
The Sleeper Effect (or Curve)
notion that there are delayed (and positive) effects of mass media on consumers. (Pop Culture > Traditional Culture) 
America's Mass Media Consumption
#1 Form of Entertainment = Music Roughly 230 million Americans saw at least one movie in theaters last year. Roughly 155 million Americans play video games weekly. 4 out of 5 households own a gaming device The average social media user, spends 2 hours per day on social media sites. …
Top 5 Uses of the Internet:
Email (92%) Search Engine (89%) Maps/Directions (86%) Hobbies/Interests (83%) Research a Product (81%) 
Pornography Stats for Internet
Generates $10-12 billion per year One of the few professions in which, on average, women earn more than men: Females = $50,000 per year Males = $30,000 per year Earn between $150-$1,500 per scene Gay & Lesbian scenes pay more On average, $500 more per scene Over 40 million Amer…
1984 (George Orwell, 1949)
Government Surveillance & Strict Control "Big Brother" Public Manipulation Oppression of the Masses Orwell feared those who would ban books. 
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, 1932)
No need for a "Big Brother" People accept their Oppression Addicted to materialistic things & technologies Huxley feared no one would want to read them. 
The First Amendment
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." 
5 Main Freedoms
Press Speech Religion Assembly Petition 
Roots of Free Speech in US In the Colonial days
British government had to approve of the colonial newspapers published "Published by Authority" at top of each edition Punished any publishing without that approval 
Roots of Free Speech in US Revolutionary War ends in 1783
Bill of Rights were ratified in 1791 First 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Alien and Sedition Acts passed in 1798 
Alien and Sedition Acts
laws that punished anyone who published "false, scandalous, or malicious writings against the government of the United States" Made it a crime to criticize the U.S. government Large monetary fines, jail time, or deportation 
Core Political Speech
Expressive & Functional in a Republic Ex: political rallies, protests, public debates, etc. 
Commercial Speech
Economic (i.e. given to make profit) Ex: advertising, marketing, sales pitches, etc. 
Symbolic Speech
Often Nonverbal forms of communication Ex: public rhetoric, flag burning, body language, etc. 
Why Protect Speech/Press?
Social Value Promotes democracy Facilitates peaceful change Acts as a check on government Serves in search for truth Individual Value Self-fulfillment Self-realization 
Speech can be limited/restricted if..
Incites violence Sparks rioting What about violent video games? Obscene Graphic imagery Child pornography Time, Place, & Manner Restrictions Content neutral Narrow scope Serve government interests Have alternative channels of communication Ex: Free Speech Zones 
Free Speech Post-9/11
USA PATRIOT Act "Uniting & Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism" Signed on October 26, 2001 Nearly 90% of congressional support Increased wire-tapping & domestic surveillance Most objections came under the 4th Amendment Un…
2 Legal Issues Affecting Media
Mainly Affects Journalists & Larger Scope of Affects 
Larger Scope of Affects
Obscenity Government Regulatory Bodies Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Copyright and Trademarks Regulating Fairness Equal Time Provision Fairness Doctrine Net Neutrality 
Mainly Affects Journalists
Libel and Slander Privilege Actual Malice Privacy Intrusion Embarrassment False Light Misappropriation Prior Restraint Shield Laws 
4 Legal Actions affecting journalists
Defamation, Libel, Slander, Privilege, Actual Malice 
Libel
is a written statement of defamation. Defamation, identification, & publication 
Slander
is an oral statement of defamation. 
Privilege
a legal defense against libel Statements made in courts, gov. meetings, or gov. documents cannot be used for a libel lawsuit Protects journalists covering legal hearings Give a fair & accurate report of any testimony without fear of being sued 
Actual Malice
a reckless disregard for the truth or publishing falsified claims/facts. All about intent Actual Malice ≠ Negligence 
4 Types of Privacy Invasions:
Intrusion,Embarrassment,False Light,Misappropriation 
Misappropriation
using one's name or image for commercial purposes without their consent Ex: Paparazzi selling pictures of celebrities 
False Light
similar to libel, but often invades one's privacy Publish untrue statements altering one's public image beyond their control. 
Embarrassment
publishing humiliating stories of another's private life Ex: 1961 case in Alabama County Fair Fun House Published photo of woman's exposed underwear 
Intrusion
physical trespassing One's personal space and/or property 
Prior Restraint
judicial order preventing a media organization from publishing a certain story or image Near v. Minnesota (1931) The Saturday Press = Anti-Semitic newspaper The Pentagon Papers (1971) Extensive reports on administrative decisions regarding the Vietnam War 
Shield Laws
laws that protect journalists from having to testify in court about their stories and sources Federal Shield Law of 2009 Only covers professional, paid journalists NOT citizen journalists, student journalists, and/or bloggers (Josh Wolf) 
Obscenity
primarily refers to legally prohibiting sexually explicit materials Difficult to define "obscene" materials 
Roth v. United States (1957)
Samuel Roth sold sexually explicit materials (i.e. books, photos, magazines, etc.) Convicted of mailing obscenities through the U.S. Postal Service Supreme Court upheld the conviction Set standards for determining what is obscene 
Miller v. California (1973)
Refined the standards for determining what is obscene Held that materials with "literary, artistic, political, or scientific value" cannot be banned. Pamphlets on safe-sex, birth control, etc. 
Steubenville Rape Case
Steubenville High School Rape Steubenville, Ohio (August 11, 2012) High school girl Incapacitated by alcohol Vomited & Lost Consciousness Publicly and repeatedly sexually assaulted Two 16 year-olds Dozens of observers/bystanders Several filmed, photographed, and documented on soc…
Government Regulatory Bodies
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Promotes consumer protection, and attempts to prevent monopolies and unethical business practices Minimizes deceptive advertising Advertising practices that are likely to mislead consumers 
Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
Annual reports, timely disclosure, & insider trading Expanded regulations for all U.S. public company boards, management, and public accounting firms 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Regulates interstate communications (e.g. radio, television, wire, satellite, cable, etc.) Competition, the media, public safety, and homeland security 
Copyright laws
prevent others from appropriating media products from its creators Recognizes the owner's rights Duration: Owner's life PLUS 70 years 
Trademarks
are symbols or words which are legally registered by use as representing a company or product. Company Logos & Imagery More organizational focus than individual focus 
Regulating Fairness
Net Neutrality Fairness Doctrine equal Time Provision 
Net Neutrality
Require Internet service providers to give equal access to all online content providers Ex: Company could provide its own online video services and slow down access to YouTube 
Fairness Doctrine
Require TV stations to "afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance." If covering issues of racism, the KKK would get equal time to give its point of view. 
Equal Time Provision
FCC policy Require broadcast stations to allow equal access of time available to all candidates running for public office Designed to prevent political biases 
PRSA's Statement of Professional Values
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Advocacy Serve public interest; responsible advocates; more informed public Honesty High standards of accuracy and truth Expertise Use specialized knowledge/experience; advancing the profession Independence Provide objective counsel for r…
Morals
individual's code of behavior based on religious or philosophical principles Define right and wrong Can be rational or irrational Often very subjective 
Ethics
rational way of deciding what is good for individuals or society Provides a way to decide which moral principles are correct or more appropriate Not a clear-cut right or wrong answer 
Golden Mean (Aristotle)
Happiness is achieved when there is a balance "between excess and defect." To behave ethically, individuals must: Know what they are doing Select their action with moral reason Act out of good character Ex: Having courage (balance between cowardice/inaction & recklessness) 
Categorical Imperative (Immanuel Kant)
Claims we should act in a manner in which we would want everyone else to act. A.K.A. Principle of Universality or The Golden Rule Concerned with the act NOT the outcome of the act 
Principle of Utility (John Stuart Mill)
"The good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one." Claims ethical behavior comes from actions that provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people Ex: Sacrificing oneself for others Christ's crucifixion Mahatma Gandhi's fasts/hunger strikes Bruce Willis in …
Veil of Ignorance (John Rawls)
Stems from Mill's Principle of Utility Claims justice comes from making decisions without considering the social status of people involved AND our personal social status Wealth, Race, Sex, Age, Education Status, etc. In this view, Everyone is Equal 
The Hutchins Commission
Commission on Social Responsibility Ethics (1947) Growing concerns about ethical press behavior Chaired by Robert M. Hutchins (educational scholar) Commission founded by Henry Luce (Time magazine) Concluded the 1st Amendment does not guarantee protection of the public's free speech …
5 Requirements for a Responsible Press
The media should: Provide truthful, comprehensive, and intelligent news in a context that gives them meaning Serve as a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism (i.e. present full range of thought/criticism) Project a representative picture of the constituent groups within socie…
Bok's Model for Ethical Decision-Making
Sissela Bok (modern philosopher & ethicist) 3 Step Model in analyzing an Ethical Situation: 1) Consult Your Conscience How do you feel about the action? What does your conscience tell you is right? 2) Seek Alternatives Is there an alternative way to achieve the same goal without …
Ethical Issues reporters face daily
Truthfulness Conflicts of Interest Sensationalism Authenticity & Photographic Appropriateness 
Fabrication 
the action or process of manufacturing or inventing something. In other words, lying. Ex: NBC News Anchor, Brian Williams False accounts of his 2003 coverage in the Iraq War Reporters lying about who they are Damages individual and news source's credibility Ex: Jose Vargas Former…
Truthfulness
Going undercover for factual stories on people who are breaking the law or are abusing public trust. Ex: 1990 Arizona Senator Jan Brewer Proposed bill requiring labels for sexually explicit records Selling these records to minors would result in jail time David Koen goes undercover. …
Conflicts of Interest
Conflict with values of balance and fairness Corporate Conflicts of Interest Beyond just suppressing stories Actively promoting company interests Giving more coverage (or more favorable coverage) to: Companies/groups in which one agrees with or favors Friends and close colleagues …
Sensationalism
News coverage that panders to audiences with lurid and highly emotional accounts of crime, sex, violence, or celebrity missteps Chris Matthews' "Water Cooler Principle" Defense of sensationalistic news coverage Can you think of any sensationalistic stories? 
Tabloidization
A.K.A. "Tabloid Laundering" When respectable media report on what the tabloids are reporting A way of covering sensationalistic stories that they might otherwise not cover Michael Jackson's death Tiger Woods' infidelity 
Authenticity & Photographic Appropriateness
Sensitive events/issues Photo manipulation of images/videos Adobe Photoshop Video Editing 
Ombudsman
A.K.A. "reader's representative" or "audience advocate" A representative of a publication's readers who takes the point of view of their audience Connects audience views with news outlets 
Society of Professional Journalists: 3 Main Principles of Ethics:
Seek truth and report it as fully as possible Act independently Minimize harm 
Major Ethical Issues in Advertising
Major area of concern during WWII (Why?) Truthfulness How important is it that advertisements are truthful? Keeping Public Trust Financial Profitability Taste Is it appropriate for ads to gain attention by shocking its audiences? Where is the line drawn? Media Control Do advertis…
Julian /assange
"James bond villian" austrialian born hacker and founder of wikileaks. 
Sergey Brin
Google Co founder

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