MASSMEDI

A
Obj
ect
ives

 Whati
smassmedi
a

 Ef
fectofmassmedi
a

 Medi
acont
rolandowner
shi
p

 Soci
ologi
calappr
oacht
omassmedi
a

DEFI
NITI
ONS

̶ Massmedi
aref
erst
oadi
ver
sear
rayofmedi
atechnol
ogi
est
hatr
eachal
arge
audi
encev
iamasscommuni
cat
ion.

̶ amedi
um ofcommuni
cat
ion(
suchasnewspaper
s,r
adi
o,ort
elev
isi
on)t
hati
s
desi
gnedt
oreacht
hemassoft
hepeopl
e

̶ Massmedi
aist
hepr
imar
ymeansofcommuni
cat
ionusedt
oreacht
hev
ast
maj
ori
tyoft
hegener
alpubl
i
c

̶ MassMedi
aisav
ehi
cleormeansofcommuni
cat
iont
hatdi
ssemi
nat
esi
nfor
mat
ionf
rom
t
hesour
cet
othet
argetpubl
i
cmost
lyl
argeraudi
ence

SOCI
OLOGI
CALAPPROACH TOMASSMEDI
A

Funct
ional
i
sm
̶ Seesmedi
aasani
nst
rumentofsoci
ety

̶ Medi
aisbenef
ici
alt
osoci
etyasawhol
e

̶ Therol
eofmedi
aist
otr
ansmi
tthenor
msandv
aluesofsoci
etyt
olar
ge
audi
ence

̶ Personsbel
ievesthatt
hei
nsti
tuti
onsofsoci
etyf
unct
iont
omeett
hebasi
c
needsofsocietysuchascul
ture

̶ Ther
efor
ewoul
dseemassmediaast
ransmit
ti
ngt henor
msandv
aluesof
soci
etywhi
chpr
ovi
desthegui
del
i
nesforbehavi
or

MrTChi
hot
a
0718786253
̶ Forexampl
e,inZimbabwe, t
heNat
ionalt
elev
isi
onisusedtotransmi
tthe
cul
tureofsociet
yt hroughMaiChisambashows(t
eachesbasi
caspectsof
unhusuchaslanguage,thewaywecommuni cat
ewithparent
s

̶ Funct
ional
i
sm alsobel
i
evesthatmedi
aoffer
svi
deos,pi
ctur
es ofpeopl
ebei
ng
puni
shedf orv
iol
ati
ngthenor
msandv al
uesofsoci
ety

̶ Forexample,pr
ogr
amsl i
kecri
mewatchandanot
herchanceshowt
henegat
ive
consequencesofbreaki
ngthenor
msandval
ues

̶ Thepr i
sonandpoli
ceof f
icer
sareshownurgi
ngmember softhepubli
cto
respectsociet
all
awstoav oi
dbeingar
rest
ed.Ther
efor
et hi
sclear
lyshowst
hat
mediat ransmi
ttheval
uesofsociet
y

̶ Also,
mediaisseenasmai nt
aini
ngorderbyuniti
ngpeopl
e,peopl
ear
eunit
ed
andbroughttogetherwatchi
ngt el
evi
sion.Thewhol
efami
l
ycanbeUnitedby
thedesi
retowat chcurr
entNews

̶ Medi
acanbeal
sousedf
orgr
ati
fi
cat
ionpur
posesandent
ert
ainment
.

̶ I
tisaf
orm ofrel
i
effr
om t
hest
ressesi nsoci
ety.Thi
sther
efor
eshowsthat
t
hecontentofmassmediai
sinfluencedbyt hepubli
c(Soci
etyasawhol
e)

Cr
it
ics

̶ Bagdi
ki
an(
2004)beli
evst
hatmedi
adoesnotbenef
itsoci
etyasawhol
ebut
onl
ypower
fulgroups

̶ Thi
sisal
sosuppor
tedbyMar
xist
s

̶ Femi
nistbel
i
evet
hati
tper
pet
uat
esgenderi
nequal
i
ty

Mar
xistt
heor
y
̶ TheMar
xistt
heor
ycont
radi
ctswi
thf
unct
ional
i
sm

̶ Theybel
i
evet
hatmedi
aiscont
rol
l
edandownedbyt
hest
ate

MrTChi
hot
a
0718786253
̶ Medi
aisapar
tofsuper
str
uct
uret
hati
sdet
ermi
nedbyi
nfr
ast
ruct
ure

̶ Ther
oleofmedi
aist
ojust
if
yinequal
i
tyandr
uli
ngcl
assposi
ti
on

̶ Engelsandmar
x(1970)bel
i
evet
hatmedi
aisusedt
otr
ansmi
tcapi
tal
i
st
i
deologies

̶ Medi
aisai
medt
oconv
incepeopl
ethatcapi
tal
i
sm andexpl
oit
ati
oni
sfai
rand
j
ust

̶ Wor
kingcl
assar
eul
ti
mat
elyseenassuf
fer
ingf
rom f
alsecl
assconsci
ousness

̶ Mil
i
band(1973)arguet
hatt
her
oleofmedi
aist
oshapehowpeopl
ethi
nkabout
t
heworl
dt heyli
ve

̶ Massmedi
adoesnotencour
agepeopl
etobecr
it
icalbuti
tencour
agepeopl
e
t
ofol
lowpol
it
ici
ans

̶ Marxi
star
guethatt
hemedi
aishappyt
ot r
ansmitr
uli
ngclassideologi
es
t
hroughnewspaper
sandt
elev
isi
onbecausetheownersarepartofrul
i
ngcl
ass

̶ Rul
i
ngcl
asshast
hepowert
ocont
rolv
oti
ngt
urnout

̶ Medi
aisusedasamouthpi
eceofrul
ingcl
assdesignedt
ospreadpr
opaganda
t
hussuggest
ingt
hatmediaisownedandcont
roll
edbystat
e

Cr
it
ics

̶ Tunstal
landPal
mer(1991)suggestt
hatgov
ernment
sar
enol
ongeri
nter
est
edi
n
contr
oll
ingtheact
ivi
ti
esofmediaowners
̶ Plur
ali
stbel
iev
et hatmedi
aisobj
ect
iveandbal
ancedwi
thnosi
ngl
eindi
vi
dual
contr
oll
ingmedia
̶ Postmoder
nistpoweri
snotconcent
rat
edi
nthehandsofr
uli
ngcl
assonl
y,i
t
ci
rcul
atesi
naf l
uidway

Pl
ural
i
sm
̶ Fr
om apl
ural
i
stv
iewpoi
nt,
medi
aisacomponentofDemocr
ati
cideal

̶ Medi
aser
vest
hei
nter
estofal
lgr
oups

̶ Ev
ery
onei
sgi
venapl
atf
ormt
oexpr
esshi
svi
ews

MrTChi
hot
a
0718786253
̶ Whal
e(1977)bel
i
evest
hatmedi
aiscont
rol
l
edbymar
ket(
publ
i
c)

̶ Medi
aowner
scompet
eforcust
omer
s

̶ Cust
omer
sexer
ciset
her
ightt
obuyornot

̶ I
fthecust omers(members)oft
hepubli
csuspectthatt
hismedi
aout
letis
bi
ased,theyrespondbynotbuyingtheproductandt
hecompanywillgooutof
busi
ness.

̶ I
nordertoat
tractscust
omers,t
hecompanypr oduceswhatt
hemarketwant
s
r
athert
hanwhatt heowner
sdecidehencesuggest
ingthatmedi
acontenti
s
i
nfl
uencedbyt hepubl
icnoti
ndivi
dual
s

̶ Forexample,
TheBr
it
ish,
Broadcast
ingcooper
ati
on(
BBC)i
sseenasobj
ect
ive
notbiased

Thepost
moder
nism
̶ Bel
i
evet
hatmedi
aiscont
rol
l
edbysoci
ety

̶ Poweri
snotconcent
rat
edi
nfewhands

̶ Lev
ene(
2007)ar
guest
hatpubl
i
copi
nionsucceedi
ncont
rol
l
ingmedi
a

̶ Soci
almedial
i
keFacebook,
What
sAppet
cal
l
owsi
ndi
vi
dual
stoexpr
esst
hei
r
ownv i
ews

Femi
nism
̶ Medi
aispat
ri
archali
nnat
ure

̶ I
tiscont
rol
l
edbyman

̶ Ser
vest
hei
nter
estofman

̶ Medi
aper
pet
uat
esgenderi
nequal
i
ty

̶ Mandomi
nat
eev
ery
thi
ngi
nmedi
a(Mar
ti
nson,
2012)

Thepor
tray
alofwomeni
nmassmedi
a

Negat
ive

MrTChi
hot
a
0718786253
̶ Tuchmanetal
(1978)bel
i
evest
hatwomenar
epor
tray
ednegat
ivel
yinmedi
a

̶ Thepresentat
ionandpor
trayal
ofwomeni
sbi
asedbczi
tpor
tray
swomenas
domesticserv
ants

̶ Womenar
epor
tray
edt
aki
ngdomest
icdut
ies

̶ Thissocial
izest
hewholesocietythatt
heroleofwomeni st
obehousewives
onlyf orexample,
MaiChisambaisportray
edadv er
ti
singFluf
fyri
cethus
social
i
zingwoment oacceptthei
rposi
tionashousewives(zi
m cont
ext
)

̶ Womenar
ealsoseenassexy obj
ect
s(nude)
,provi
dingemot
ionalsuppor
tto
ment
husshowingthatt
herol
eofwomeni spleasemenonearth

̶ Womenar
epor
tray
edasi
ndi
vi
dual
swhoar
enoti
ntel
l
igentandr
esour
cef
ul

̶ Womenar
epor
tray
edasv
ict
imsofv
iol
encewhocannotf
ightf
ort
hemsel
ves

̶ Womenar
epor
tray
edaswi
tchesi
nmedi
a(gi
veexampl
eofl
ocaldr
ama)

Cr
it
ics
̶ Cr
it
icsar
guet
hatt
hesi
tuat
ionhaschangedi
nrecenty
ear
s

̶ Womenar
enowr
epr
esent
edaspeopl
ewhoar
eint
ell
i
gent

̶ Anumberoff
il
msnow r
epr
esentwomenassuper
iort
omene.
gNi
ki
tamov
ies

̶ Womennowpor t
ray
edleadi
ngMene.
gMai chisamba,
Moni
camut
svangwat
he
deput
ymini
sterofi
nfor
mati
onandpubl
i
cit
yi nzim

̶ Medi
ait
sel
fisnowdomi
nat
edbywomene.
gZTVi
nzi
m

MODELSOFMEDI
A

Thehy
poder
micsy
ringemodel
̶ Medi
aisl
i
keadr
ug

̶ Audiencearebei
nginj
ect
edwithmedi
amessages,
imagesandbehav
ioras
theyarebei
ngdir
ect
edtothem

̶ Audi
ancearepassi
vet
her
efor
etheydonotquest
ionmedi
amessagest
hey
j
ustaccept

MrTChi
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a
0718786253
̶ Medi
aisseenasampli
fyi
ngdevi
ancebehav
iori
nsoci
ety,
forexampl
e,
wat
chi
ngav iol
entmovi
ecanencour
ageonetogooutandatt
acksomeone

̶ Examplesci
tedinr
ecenty
earsaretheCol
umbi
neHighschoolmassacr
eand
theki
l
li
ngoft heLi
ver
poolt
ooddl
erJamesBul
gerbyt
woy oungboys

̶ I
nApr i
l1999t
wost
udent
stookgunsandbombsi
ntot
hei
rschoolandki
l
led
13peopl
e

̶ Thi
ssuggestt
hatmedi
acani
nfl
uencedev
iantbehav
ior

̶ TheBobodol
lexperi
mentbyBandur
aal
soshowst
hatmedi
aper
pet
uat
es
devi
antbehavi
or(wil
lexpl
ain)

̶ Li
nki
ngtozim cont
extfori
nstance,
theMont hl
ant
ecommissionconcl
udedthat
medi
apl ay
edinpartinAmpli
fyi
ngv i
olentbehavi
oraf
ter2018har
monised
el
ect
ionswhichlef
tlesst
hattenpeopledead

̶ Theviolencei
ssai
dt ohadbeeninf
li
ctedbymediaexaggerat
ionsmadebyt
he
opposit
ionpartconcerni
nghowelectionswer
erunasreport
edbythe
Monthlantecommission.Thi
sspar
kedr i
otsi
nZim,Harar
e

Cr
it
ics
̶ Sanger
(1971)f
oundt
hatt
her
eisnol
i
nkbet
weenscr
eenandr
eal
behav
iour
.

̶ I
ndi
vi
dual
smayi
gnor
emedi
amessagesbywei
ghi
ngconsequences

̶ Jockyoungarguesthatseei
ngtheeffect
sofvi
olenceandespeci
all
yt hepai
n
andsuffer
ingthati
tcausestovi
cti
m'smaymakeusmor eawareofi t
s
consequencesandsolessincl
i
nedt ocommitvi
olentact
s

Theagendaset
ti
ngmodel
̶ Not
est
hatmedi
aiscont
rol
l
edbyj
our
nal
i
sts(
gat
ekeeper
s)

̶ Thej
our
nal
i
stssetat
opi
c/agendaf
ort
hemember
soft
hepubl
i
c

̶ Whati
sseenbyt
hemember
soft
hepubl
i
ciswhatt
heydi
scuss

̶ Thi
sther
efor
eshowst hatt
hej
our
nal
i
stsetanagendaort
opi
cfort
he
memberstodiscuss

MrTChi
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a
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