A-LEVELMEDIATHEORY

REVISION&SELF-STUDYBOOKLET1

MainMediaTheories

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Index(itemsinboldareessentialbasictheoriesforA-LevelMediaStudies)

Audiencecategorisation34,35BanduraOCR14BaudrillardOCR28Bechdel25Berger24BinaryOppositesOCR21Cohen-MoralPanicsTheory16CultivationTheory(GeorgeGerbner)12Dyer’sUtopianSolutions/PleasuresModel10Fiske35GenreTheory-NealeOCR18GerbnerOCR12Globalisation,MarshallMcLuhan:GlobalVillage22HypodermicNeedleTheory4Levi-Strauss:BinaryOppositesOCR21

Maslow’sHierarchyofNeeds8MeanWorldSyndrome(GeorgeGerbner)12MoralPanics(StanleyCohen)16Mulvey26Neale18Newsvalues-GatekeepingGaltung&Ruge,Chomsky30-34Postmodernism&BaudrillardOCR28Propp20TodorovOCR20Two-StepFlowTheory36UsesandGratificationsTheory6UtopianSolutionsModel10Y&R“4Cs”model34

THEORYBOOKLETONE–GENERALMEDIATHEORYTheitemsinboldarethemostimportantintermsofbackgroundtoMediaStudies

www.mediaattic.cothengotoTheoryZoneYoucanalsogodirectlytowww.themediastop.co.uk

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Someothersitesworthlookingat

Youtube:MrsFisherMediaGrantAbbitt(AbbittMedia)MediaInsiderTRCMedia

GOTOBOOKLETTWOFORTHE18THEORISTSREQUIREDSTUDYFORTHEOCREXAMINATION(indepthstudy:OCRcallstheory‘academicideas,argumentsanddebatesVanZoonenHooksButlerGauntlettHallx2GilroyBarthesJenkinsShirkyHesmondhalghCurran&SeatonLivingstone&Lunt

HYPODERMICNEEDLETHEORYHeadlinesummary:Mediainfluencesaudiences’behaviourandattitudes.

Thisviewimpliesthataudiencesarepassiveandbehaveinamass,conformistmanner.Itwasmorerelevantintheearlydaysofmediawhentherewaslesschoiceandaudiencescouldperhapsbemoreeasilyinfluenced.

Itappliestoadvertisingandpropaganda.Bothaimtopersuade,manipulateorseduceaudiences.Theaimofadvertisingistopersuadeustobuyproductsandtobeawareofcertainbrandsandwhatthesebrandsrepresent.(Producerscreateabrandimageorbrandidentity).

Propaganda(governmentcontrolledinformation)alsoaimstoshapeorinfluencethewayaudiencesthink.Ittriestoinfluenceourattitudesandopinions.

Itiseasytodismissthistheoryasold-fashionedorirrelevant.Butitisstillveryimportant,especiallyintermsofadvertising.

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HypodermicNeedleTheory

WarofTheWorlds1938RadioDramaGerbner’sCultivationtheory,MeanWorldSyndromeBandura’sMediaEffectsTheory

1)Thinkaboutagameyouhaveplayedorfilm/seriesyouhavewatchedrecently–coulditinfluencebehaviourorthewaypeoplethinkabouttheworld?2)GiveexamplesofhowyouthinktheHypodermicNeedleTheoryworkstoday.Isitstillrelevant?Thinkaboutadverts,socialmedia,governmentmessages.

TheoriginsofthismediaeffectsmodelarewiththeFrankfurtSchool,agroupofacademicswhosawthewaythemediawasusedforpropagandainNaziGermany.TheylatersawsimilaritieswiththeUSentertainmentindustriesandconcludedthatcapitalismalsousedthemediapersuadeaudiencestofollowtrends,toconformandtoconsume.Thetheoryisstronglylinkedtobehaviouristpsychology–theideathatpeoplecanbetriggeredintocertaintypesofbehaviourasaresultofgivingthemacertainstimulus.Linksalsototheideaofindoctrination–forcingpeopleintobelievingacertainideabyceaselessrepetitionoveraperiodoftime.TheothersidetothistheoryistheUsesandGratificationsTheory(Blumler&Katz)

https://youtu.be/a-toj0weAEM

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USES&GRATIFICATIONSTHEORY(UGT)Audiencesareactiveandchoosemediaproductstosuittheirownneedsandpleasures(gratifications).

DevelopedbyacademicsBlumler&Katzinthe1970s.Thistheorystatesthataudiencesactivelychoosemediaproductsfor4mainreasons:

Todefineourpersonalidentity“Iwatchthisshow,Ireadthatmagazine,listentothismusic,lookatthiswebsite.”Togetinformation(e.g.news,schoolwork,business,sportsresults,weather)Forentertainment&escapism(gaming,sport,celebritygossip,videoclips,streamingTVandmusic,lifestyle-health&fashiontips)Forsocialinteraction(socialmedia,postingcomments,texting,communicating)

ThesefourusescanberememberedbythewordPIES.Weusemediatosatisfycertainneedsandgratifications(=pleasures).

Someversionsofthetheorywillcalltheneedforinformation‘surveillance’.Thisisnotaveryhelpfulterm.Itseemstomeanthatweobservetheworldaroundusforinformationweneed.Entertainmentissometimesreferredtoas‘diversion’;thisisbecauseitalsocoversdistraction,escape,fantasy.Itdoesn’tneedtobefunnyorlight-hearted.

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Uses&GratificationsTheory

TheoppositetheorytothisoneistheHypodermicNeedleTheory(HNT)

UGTcanalsoberelatedto:Maslow’sHierarchyofNeedsDyer’sUtopianSolutionsModelFiske–variedaudiencesHall-3readings

Activities1) Thinkaboutthewayyouengagewithmedia–whatmediaproductshaveyou

usedorencounteredsofartoday?WhichofthePIESneedsorgratificationsdidtheymeet?

2) WhichofthetwotheoriesUGTorHNTdoyouthinkaremorerelevantintoday’smedialandscape?

https://youtu.be/Vn9_0mTfT3Y

MediaInsiderhttps://youtu.be/aopqPs7rb_Q

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MASLOW’SHIERARCHYOFNEEDSMainlyusedinPsychology,thismodelexplainshowhumanbehaviourismotivatedbycertainneeds,rangingfromthemostbasicatthebottomofthepyramidtothemorespiritualandabstractatthetop.Inmedia,wecanseehowcertainmediaproductsmaysatisfycertainneeds.

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Maslow’sHierarchyofNeedsrelatestoUses&GratificationsTheoryDyer’sUtopianPleasuresModel

1) Lookatcertainadvertsandnoticehowtheydon’tjustsellaproductorabrand.Theyalsopromiseacertainlifestyle,adream.Theyappealtoouraspiration–ourdesiretoachieveself-actualisation:astateoftruehappiness,unattainableperfection.Findexamplesofprintandmovingimageadvertsandhowtheycanberelatedtothismodel.e.g.M&S/JohnLewisxmasads

2) AccordingtotheFrankfurtSchoolacademics,advertisingandrepresentationsofcelebritylifestylescreateasenseoffalsehopes&needs.Whataretheeffectsofgeneratingthesefeelingsofunfulfilledaspirationamongaudiences?(Thinkaboutconsumerism,materialism-theworshipofmoneyandacquisitionofgoods.Anotherwordforthisprocessiscommodification–theideathateverythingcanbeturnedintoacommodity,i.e.somethingthatcanbeboughtandsold)

Maslow’sHierarchyofNeeds2

https://youtu.be/L0PKWTta7lU

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DYER’SUTOPIANSOLUTIONSMODEL

AlsocalledUtopianPleasuresModel.DevelopedbyRichardDyer.ThisisbasicallyanextensionofUses&GratificationsTheory.Itdevelopstheideaofmediaasaformofentertainmentandescape.

Utopia=aperfect,idealworldDystopia=anightmare,chaoticworld

Mediaoffers4basic‘utopiansolutions’tothe‘socialtensions’ofeverydaylife.

Everydaylifevsmedia’sutopiansolution:

ExhaustionisreplacedbyENERGYScarcityisreplacedbyABUNDANCEDreariness(dullboredom)isreplacedbyINTENSITYFragmentationisreplacedbyCOMMUNITY

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Mediaprovidesaudienceswithadiversion,distraction,escapefromthedullroutineandhardshipoftheireverydaylives.

Dyer’sUtopianSolutionsModel

1) Giveexamplesoffeelgood,excitingmediayouhavecomeacrossWhatformsofescapismordistractiontotheyprovide?

2)Doyouthinkpeoplerepresentthemselvesonsocialmediainatruewayordotheypresentamoreidealisedidentity?Explainyouranswerandgiveexamples.

3)WhatdoyouthinkaboutDYSTOPIANPLEASURES?Manymediaproductspresentadystopianviewoftheworld.Canyougivesomeexamplese.g.avideogame,aTVseries.Whateffecttothesedystopiantextshaveonaudiences?

RelatestoUses&GratificationsTheory

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GEORGEGERBNER’SMEANWORLDSYNDROME

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GEORGEGERBNER’SCULTIVATIONTHEORY

GabbittMediahttps://youtu.be/7hKaIeAi7OI

MrsFisherhttps://youtu.be/7JhbgHIVdnE

MrSinnMediahttps://youtu.be/07xlZDLQi9A

RelatestoothermediaeffectstheoriesliketheHypodermicNeedleTheoryBandura

1) Givesomeexamplesofhowmediacangraduallyaffectourattitudesovertime–MrSinnChannelvideoabovewillhelpyou.

2) Whydoyouthinksomesectionsofthemediawantustohaveanegativeviewoftheworld?ArethereconnectionswithStanleyCohen’sMoralPanics

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BANDURA&MEDIAEFFECTSTHEORY

Bandurawasapsychologistwho,inthe1960sand70s,carriedoutexperimentsontheeffectsofmediaonchildren.Childrenwereshownadoll(calledBobo)beingtreatedviolentlyandwerethenobservedtreatingthedollinasimilarway.Supposedlythisshowedalinkbetweenobservedviolenceandaudiences'imitativebehaviour.

Intermsofmediaeffects,theresultsoftheBoboDollexperimentsarenotconclusive.Thechildrenmaysimplyhavebeenbehavinginawaywhichtheythoughttheywereexpectedtobehave.Theymayalsohavejustneededto'letoffsteam'.

However,therehavebeenanumberofincidentswherethemediahasbeenblamedforinfluencingextremebehaviourinyoungpeople.‘Copy-cat’crimesor‘imitative’behaviourareaconcernandtheBBFCwhoclassifyUKfilmsisawareofpossibleconnections.

‘BoboDoll’

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Peopleoftenimitatebehaviourstheyseeinmedia.

BanduraandMediaEffectsTheory

1) WhatreasonsdoesMrsFisher’svideogivefordistrustingBandura’sBoboDollconclusions?Doyouthinkviolentcomputergamescaninfluencethebehaviourandattitudesofyoungeraudiences?

2) Whatdoyouthinkaboutthedesensitisingeffectsofconstantexposuretoviolenceandabusivebehaviourtowardswomen.Wheredosexistattitudescomefrom?Howfaristhemediaresponsible?(Violenceandpornography)

3) Whyistherecontroversyovershowslike’13ReasonsWhy’.Whatdoyouthink?4) WhatistheMediaInsider’sconclusionaboutmediaeffects?

MrsFisherhttps://youtu.be/_YBK4LoGBJQ

MediaInsiderhttps://youtu.be/TBy1-Fkiqk0

Gerbner’sCultivationTheory

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STANLEYCOHEN’SMORALPANICSTHEORY

Stage1Popularmediasuchastabloidnewspapersstirup‘moralpanic’-feelingsofpanic,resentmentandhysteria,creatingtheimpressionthatsocietyisinastateofmoraldecline(increasedcrime,pollution,pressureonpublicservicessuchasschoolsandhospitals,pressureonhousing,violentcomputergames,sexualexcessetc).Stage2Thesesectionsofthemediablamecertainsocialgroupsforthissituation.Theycreatescapegoats–‘folkdevils’whotheysayaretoblameforthisdecline.Targetsareoftenminorityorvulnerablegroupse.g.immigrants,muslims,Jews,foreigners,refugees,youngpeople,LGBT,unemployedpeople,singlemothers.Stage3Dividingsocietydistractsaudiencesfromtherealcausesofsocialproblemssuchaspoverty,socialinjustice,greedybosseswhoexploitthosewhoareatthebottomofthesocialladder.Thisalsostrengthensandprotectsthepositionofthosewhoalreadyhavepowerandwealth(elites,the‘establishment’,the‘rulingclasses’).Insecurity,angerandresentmentbecomesdirectedatthe‘wrong’targets.Sometimesmoralpanicsleadtotheauthoritiesclampingdownondissentandopposition.Thisalsohelpstoprotectthestatusquo(=keepingthings‘thewaytheyare’):Thosewhohavepowerkeepthatpower.

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Somemediaproducersstirupresentmentandangeragainstcertaingroups.Thiscaninfluencepublicopinionanddeflectblameawayfromothercausesofsocialproblems.

Moralpanics

1) DiscussthemeaningoftheKarlMarxquotationwithfriends/family.Howdoesitrelatetomedia?Thinkaboutwhoownsthemediaandwhosevoicesinfluenceustoday.Whoweretheinfluentialvoicesinthepast?Hassocialmediamadeadifference?

2) HavealookforexamplesofscapegoatingintabloidnewssitesliketheSunortheMailOnline.Whichgroupsaretargeted?Howaretherepresentationsconstructed?–itmaybequitehardtospotnegativitybutlookcarefullyatimages,headlinesandmodeofaddress(textualcodes–thewordsused).

3) Thinkofavulnerable,minorityorunderrepresentedgroup(e.g.teenagers)inmainstreammedia.Lookforexamplesofhowthesegroupsarerepresentedinmediayouhaveencountered.

RelatestotheoriesofmediaownershipsuchasDavidHesmondhalgh.Thenewsmediaareoftenownedbylargeconglomeratesandtheyhavenewsagendaswhichreflecttheirpoliticalaffiliationsandsocialloyalties.ConnectstoconceptssuchHegemony(domination,usuallyofapowerfuleliteoveramassmajority.)

KarlMarx(1818-1883)

“Ineveryage,theideasoftherulingclassesaretherulingideas.”

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GENRETHEORY:STEVENEALE,NICKLACEY

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ForSteveNeale,moderngenreis‘instancesofrepetitionanddifference’.Theword‘instances’heremeans‘examples’.Inotherwords,mediaproductsobeycertaingenericconventionsbutalsoaddvariationtoensurethattheyremainfresh,modernandappealingtonewaudiences.Mixedgenresarealsocalledhybridgenre.

NickLaceycallsthegenericfeaturesthathelpustoquicklyidentifyaparticulargenrea‘repertoireofelements’.–basicallyalistofcommontechniques,objects(codesandconventions)associatedwithaparticulargenre.Forexamplehorrorfilmstypicallyincludevisualsignifierssuchas

• Alargeisolatedoldhouse• Creakingdoors• Cobwebs,blood,masks,knives• Darkdimlylitcorridors• Agraveyard• Perhapsavulnerableyounggirloratraveller• Astrangesinisteroldoccupant(typicallyaservantormaid)

Themiseenscenewouldbedark,perhapswithstorms,wind,rainraginginthebackground.Themusicwouldconsistoflowrumblingchords,perhapsplayedonstringsororgan.

Wecancalltheseobjectspartoftheiconographyofthehorrorgenre.

GenreTheory

1) Chooseagenreapartfromhorrorandlistthecommonsignifiers,techniquesandconventionsthatarecommonlyassociatedwiththatgenree.g.romcom,Bondmovies,SpiderMan/superheromovies.Youcouldalsothinkaboutsub-genreslikezombiefilms,zom-coms(zombiecomedies),vampiremovies,ghoststories,crimeinvestigation,murdermystery

2) Howdomodernmediaproductsreinventgenrebyaddingnewhybridelements?–thinkaboutNetflix,BBCorITVproductionslikeStrangerThings,Sherlock,

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Thehybridity(diversity)ofmoderngenreisoftenlinkedtopostmodernaspectssuchasimitation,parody(makingfunofcertainstyles).

MrsFisherhttps://youtu.be/hNaDStRuPdI

MediaInsiderhttps://youtu.be/7uiNqtfWvGw

NARRATIVETHEORY

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Propp,TodorovandLevi-StraussVladimirProppanalysedtraditionalfolk(‘fairy’)talesandidentified8maincharactertypes:

ThinkofaDisneyfilmyousawasachild.Howwelldoesthismodelfit?-somerolesmayoverlap.Whataboutmorerecentfilms/series?

Todorovidentifiedthattraditionalnarrativestructureismadeupof3stages:EQUILIBRIUM‘thecalmbeforethestorm’DISRUPTIONconflict,drama,disturbance,argument,instabilityThemostinterestingandmajorpartofastory.RESOLUTIONalsocalled‘restoredequilibrium’.Returntostability.Inmodernstorylines,thereisoftenaquestionmarkhangingoverthis.Thisopensthewayforthenextepisodeorseries.

TODOROV

NarrativeTheory

a) ThinkofaDisneyfilmyousawasachild.Howwelldothese3narrativemodelsfit?-Whataboutmorerecentfilms/series-dothesemodelsstillapply?

b) Canyouapplythesemodelstoafilmposter,newspaper/magazinecover?c) Whatarethemainbinaryoppositionsinafilmorseriesyouhavewatchedrecently? 21

GabbittMediahttps://youtu.be/YYGZgPuIyGwMediaInsider(Todorov)https://youtu.be/f7AfnJd55PIMrsFisher(Todorov)https://youtu.be/CuEdncp5XfMMrsFisher(BinaryOpps)https://youtu.be/xJJRyPIsD9QTRCMedia(moredetailthanyouneed)https://youtu.be/MC7x9ECK2-QBinaryOppshttps://youtu.be/KQV5e8FM31E

Narrativeandgenrearecloselyconnectedinmediaanalysis.Itisagoodideatolookatthetwotogether.

‘GLOBALVILLAGE’–GLOBALISATION

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Mediaisbecomingincreasinglyglobal.Thisprocessofglobalisationcouldbeassociatedwiththedominanceofwesternvalues.“THEWESTvsTHEREST”Inotherwords,Americanculture,industries,products,brands,films,TVseriesarefoundallovertheworld.Thismeansthat,inaninterconnectedworld,Westernvalues,beliefsandattitudes(‘ideologies’)havebecometheacceptednormalstandard:capitalism&consumerismarethedominantideologies.

“THEWESTvsTHEREST”

COCA-COLONIZATIONAtermwhichrepresentstheglobalisationofAmericanculture.Anothertermforthisprocessis

CULTURALHEGEMONY

HEGEMONY=power,dominance;oftenofaprivilegedgroupoverapoorermajority

1) WhatpopularUSmediaproductsdoyouenjoy?(Simpsons,SouthPark,Friends,StrangerThings).CanyouaccesstheminothercountriesapartformtheUS&UK?HowpositivelydoesyourfavouriteUSculturalproductrepresenttheUS,itspeopleanditsvalues?

2) Doyouthinktherehasbeenabacklash(areactionagainst)USculturaldominance?3) Istheculturalexchangeaone-wayflowfromWesttoEastordoesitalsoflowtheother

way?–seethequestionbelowforsomeideas.4) DoyouthinkUSandUKmediaisdominantorisitjustpartofthewidermedialandscape

ofothercountries’products?Areyouawareforexample,ofManga,Anime,Pokemon,BruceLee;Japanese/Korean/Israeli/French/Scandinavian/Germancinema/TV.

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‘GlobalVillage’–Globalisation1)Thisareaofmediahasstronglinkstopost-colonialism,anexaminationoftheroleplayedbylargecolonialpowersliketheUK,Russia,Spain,FranceandtheUSintheiroccupationofsmallercountries.2)Anydiscussionofmediaindustriesandaudiencesshouldalsoreflecttheglobalnatureoftoday’smediaownersandtheiraudiences.3)ItalsolinkstoHegemony–ifyoucontrolthemediayoucontroltheflowofideas,opinionsandattitudes.Thismeansyoucaninfluenceorshapethewaypeoplethink.

https://youtu.be/uIc0KcVEX7ghttps://youtu.be/amzcVwKE3Oc

GAZETHEORY(Berger,Mulvey)

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ArtcriticJohnBergerdiscussedsimilarideastoLAURAMULVEYinhis1972book‘WaysofSeeing’.

In art ….. “men act, women appear.”

“A woman must continually watch herself. She is almost continually accompanied by her own image of herself.”

“Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.”

Bergeralsostatesthatapieceofartisbasicallyanobject.Itisapossession,acommoditythatcanbeboughtandsold;ithascommercialvalueandreflectsthestatusoftheproducer/owner.Imagesoftenshowunequalpowerrelationsbetweenmenandwomen.

THEBECHDELTEST

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Note:thisdoessay‘named’andnot‘naked’

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Thetermthe‘malegaze’isusuallyattributedtofilmcriticLauraMulveywhowaswritinginthe1970s.Themalegazeistheactofdepictingwomen,fromamasculineperspectivethatrepresentswomenassexualobjectsforthepleasureofthemaleviewer.

Traditionalmediarepresentationsofwomenshowtheminanobjectified,glamorisedway,reflectingthegazeofmaleobserver.Often,infilmandprintmedia,thecamerashowsthepointofviewofamalespectator.THECAMERAISASSOCIATEDWITHAMALEOBSERVER.Theclosesexualisedscrutinyofafemaleiscalledvoyeurism.

LAURAMULVEY–MALEGAZE

JohnBerger,LauraMulvey

1) Doyouthinkthe‘male’gaze’isstillrelevantintoday’smedia?Giveexamplestosupportyourviewfromanyareaofmedia.

2) Whataboutthe‘femalegaze’-Aremenobjectifiedbymediarepresentations?Isthereevidenceofstereotyping,showingthecool,brave,strongmale.Oristhemalerepresentationmoreplayful,more‘nuanced’(subtle,complex,lessobvious).Videogames?Comics?Actionmovies?–anythingaimedatayoungermaleaudience.

3) Doyouthinkoursocietyisstilldominatedbypatriarchalvalues–theideathatmenaresuperior?Whyisfemalesexualobjectificationamoreseriousissuethanmaleobjectification?Acluetoansweringthiswouldbetoconsiderwhohasthemostpowerintoday’ssociety,malesorfemales?Dominationbymalesiscalledpatriarchy.

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-Discussionof‘gazetheory’ispartofthedebateaboutfeminismandpost-feminism.LinkstotheBechdeltest+theoristslikeJudithButler,LisbetVanZoonenandbellhooks.-ThinkaboutGerbner’scultivationtheory:longtermeffectsofcertainmediadepictions.Youcouldalsoconsidertabloidnewspapers,onlinewebsitesandtheroleofmediacorporationsinattractingaudiencesandadvertisers.

MediaInsider(malegaze)https://youtu.be/yl2Eh8swrEsMediaInsider(femalegaze)https://youtu.be/lapZQysjAMI

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POSTMODERNISM&JEANBAUDRILLARD

Postmodernismrecognisesthatnothingisoriginal.Creativeoriginalityisimpossiblebecauseithasallbeendonebefore.So,everyartistic,culturalandmediacreationinvolvessomeformofimitation,simulation,fake,replicaorreinvention.

JeffKoons–BalloonDogSculpture

Baudrillardtakestheextremeviewthatthereisnosuchthingasrealityasourviewoftheworldisshapedbyscreen-based,artificial,second-handmediaormediated(filtered)images.Ourperceptionofrealityisactuallybasedonhyperreality–theartificialrealityoftechnology.Everythingisfake,replica,simulation.Thepretendrealitythatweexperienceismorerealthanactualauthenticreality.

INTERTEXTUALITYisoneareawhereBaudrillard’sideascouldapply.Intertextualityiswhereonemediaproductreferstoanother,earlierproduct,ofteninateasing,playfulorflatteringway.Theintertextualassociationisoftenatributeorhomagetoanearlierwork.Notallaudienceswillspottheintertextualassociation.Butwhenwedogetthe‘in’joke,itaddstoourgratification.

Postmodernism&JeanBaudrillard

1) InwhatwaysistheJeffKoonsBalloonDogimageanexampleofpostmodernism?2) Describeanyintertextualreferencesinamediaproductyouhaveencountered.

‘StrangerThings’forexampleisfullofreferencesto1980sfilms.Manyadvertsrefertofilmsoreventootheradverts.

3) Manymusicvideosarealsopostmodern.Theyarehighlyplayful,intertextuallyreferentialorassociative–referringtothemselvesasanartificialcreation(self-referencing=“thisisamusicvideoperformance”)ortootherfilmsandvideos.GiveexamplesofPostmodernisminmusicvideos.

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7elementsofpostmodernism:(if2or3ofthesearepresent,thentheproductispostmodern)1) Lackoforiginality2) Playfulness,pasticheorparody(mixingstylesormakingfunofacertainstyle)3) Hybridity(mixingstylesandgenres)&bricolage(stickingrandombitstogether)4) Mixinghighandlowculturee.g.asongthatmixesoperaandhip-hop5) Intertextuality(referringtoothercreativeproducts)6) Formovercontent(‘packaging’,style,aestheticsaremoreimportantthanactualcontents)7) Self-reflective,self-awareness(aworkthatstatesitsownidentityasaworkofcreatione.g.

musicvideosthatshowlotsofstudioequipment,camerasandphotolights)

TRCMediaStudieshttps://youtu.be/ay4IzlXLXBEMrsFisherpart1https://youtu.be/1glttxEEVuIMrsFisherpart2https://youtu.be/KNd-qSF698A

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NEWS,NEWSAGENDAS&NEWSVALUES1

Newsisnotjustwhatabouthappensinacertainplace,itisaboutselectingandrepresentingeventsinacertainwaytoreflectcertainmessagesandvaluesinordertoattractaudiences.Mostmediaorganisationsareprivatelyowned,commercial.Theyarefinancedmainlythroughadvertisingrevenue.Thisinfluencesthewaytheyselectnewsandconstructtheirnewsstories.Differentorganisationswillhighlightdifferenttypesofnews–theyhavedifferentnewsprioritiesorNEWSAGENDAS.Ontheotherhand,theBBCisa(PSB)PublicServiceBroadcaster-anindependent,non-commercialorganisation.Ithasadutytobeimpartial(=nottakesides,beobjective,factual,unbiased.)Intheoryitsreportingwillbefactual,reliableandindependent.Thismeansitisfreeoftheinfluenceofgovernment,ownersandcommercialinterestssuchasadvertisers.TheBBCisoneofthelargestandmostrespectedmediaorganisationsintheworld.Arguablyitistoolargeandhasanunfairadvantageovercommercialrivalsasitreceivesmuchofitsincomeasadirectgrantfromgeneralpublic’spaymentofalicencefee.

Whenwelookatexamplesofmedianews,itbecomesclearthattheselectionofnewseventsdependsona)theorganisationthatispublishing/broadcastingthenewsreportsandb)theorganisation’sintendedtargetaudience.

ThisappliestoTV,radio,print&onlinenewspapersaswellassocialmedia.

News,newsagendasandnewsvalues2

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Representationofnewsevents,likeeveryotherareaofmedia,involvesacarefulprocessselectionandconstructioninordertocommunicatemessages,attitudesandbrandvaluesaimedatparticularaudiences.Thewaynewsisrepresented,shapesinfluencesandmanipulatesourviewofevents.

Galtung&Rugedevelopedatraditionalmodelofnewsvaluesin1965.Accordingtotheseresearchers,thefollowingcriteriacanbeappliedtodecideifaneventisnewsworthy:

1) Inyourstudiesofonlinenewsandnewspapers,findevidenceofnewsstoriesthatillustratethesenewsvalues.

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NEWS,NEWSAGENDAS&NEWSVALUES3Amorerecentandmorecontroversialmodelofthefactorsthatinfluencenewsagendaswasdevelopedin1988bylinguistandcriticNoamChomsky.Thisisverymuchbasedontheideaofnewsbeingcontrolledbylargepowerfulmediacorporations.Themodelissometimescalled‘ThePropagandaModel’.ChomskyseespropagandaasstillbeingverymuchaliveinWesterncapitalistsociety.Thisviewbelongstothepoliticaleconomymodelwhichlooksatsocietyfromthepointofviewofcapitalistcorporatehegemonywhereeverythingisaimedatmakingprofit.Chomskysawhowthemediaindustrysecuredthe‘consent’ofmajoritiesallowingthemtobedistractedfromtheexploitationandinjusticethatharmstheirwellbeing.

NOAMCHOMSKY’S5NEWSFILTERS

News,newsagendasandnewsvalues4

2) WatchMrSinn’svideoaboveandexplainthemeaningof‘framing’.HowdoesitlinktoGerbner’scultivationtheory?Canyoufindotherexamplesofhowmediaframesissuestoaffectourattitudes.

3) MrSinn’svideo-Whatismeantbygatekeeping?Whoaretoday’sgatekeepers?Whoweretheyinthepast?Howhasgatekeepingchangedinanageofsocialmedia?

4) Inyourstudiesofonlinenewsandnewspapers,canyoufindevidenceofthevariousnewsvaluesoutlinedonthesepages. 33

TheideaofconsentislinkedtoGramsci’sneo-Marxistconceptofculturalhegemony.Thisistheideathatthemassescanbemadecompliant(=subservient,accepting)notthroughviolentmilitary-styleoppressionbutbywinningthemoverthroughcultural,mediaandentertainmentproducts.Chomsky’snewsfilterscanbelinkedtotheideasofDavidHesmondhalghaboutcorporatedominationofthemediaindustries.

AlsoconnectedtosimilartheoriesoutlinedbyCurranandSeaton.StanleyCohen’smoralpanicstheorycanalsobeassociatedwiththeseconcepts.

Chomskyhttps://youtu.be/34LGPIXvU5MignorethedistractinggraphicsChomskyhttps://youtu.be/rG7zODQRKZw(Worthalookbutwarning:thecontentisfromAlJazeera;sothinkaboutorigin-alsoknownas‘provenance’+bias&intention)Newsvalueshttps://youtu.be/wiGAXiWgILQMrSinn:agenda-setting&mediamanipulationhttps://youtu.be/12xwHhCntHA

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AUDIENCECATEGORIZATIONMODELS

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AudienceCategorisationModels

AudiencescanbedividedaccordingtotheacronymGEARS:GENDER–male/female/gay/straightETHNICITY–race,religionAGE–older,youngerREGION–nationality,locationSOCIO-ECONOMIC-class

Here’sanothercommonwaytocategoriseUkdemographics

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TWO-STEPFLOWTHEORY

DevelopedbyLazersfeldandKatz.Thistheorystatesthatthereisatwo-stepflowofinformationfrommediaproducerstoaudiencesviainfluencersknownas‘opinionleaders’

Opinionleadersinfluenceourattitudes,ideasandalsoourbehaviourandbuyingpatterns.Theyactasintermediariesorfiltersbetweenmediaproducersandaudiences.

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TwoStepFlowTheory

1) IntheBrettLambvideoabove,whatarethelimitationsofthistheory?2) Whoarethemostinfluentialpeopleforyouintermsofyourvaluesandbeliefs?

Doesthischangeasyougetolder?3) Giveexamplesofhowcelebritiesareusedbythemediatopromoteproducts

andideas.4) Howfardoyouagreewiththisstatement:“Withsocialmedia,opinionleaders

areincreasinglytheproducersthemselvesofmediamessages,sothereisnointermediaryorgatekeeper“

5) Howinfluentialareordinaryaudiencesnowadaysininfluencingtheopinionsofothers?

DevelopstheHypodermicNeedleTheorybutalsoacknowledgesthataudiencesareactiveandcanmakechoicesindecidingwhoseideastofollow.

BrettLambhttps://youtu.be/csGHExeP3uAGrantAbbitthttps://youtu.be/hFpBLeOHfxs