THEORY OF MEDIA AND SOCIETY

VARYING PERSPECTIVES OF MEDIA THEORY

• Progressive versus conservative• Progressive or leftist• Criticize power of media

• Conservative or Right• Criticize damage to traditional values

• Critical versus Applied • Critical• Expose underlying problems

• Applied• Provide understanding of communication processes

DIMENSIONS AND TYPES OF MEDIA THEORY

Media-Centric

Culturalist Materialist

Society-Centric

Media-Culturalist Media-Materialist

Social-Culturalist Social-Materialist

MEDIA-SOCIETY THEORY I

• The Mass Society• Concept began in 1800s with industrialization,

urbanization and modernization• Theory emphasizes interdependence and media as a

causal factor• Media content• Works in favor of those who hold social power• Provides content that maintains status quo with dependent

society

• Modern day implications• Nostalgia for more communitarian perspective• Political indifference

MASS SOCIETY THEORY II

• Political Economy Theory• Revision of Marxist Theory • 20th Century• Focuses on:• Media activity as economic process that leads to commodity• Other view: Media delivers audience attention to advertisers• Mass Media part of economic system

• Main Strength• Empirical testing• Centers on media activity as economic process

MASS SOCIETY THEORY II

• Political Economy theory and the Internet• Key = commodification of users • Relevance of political economy theory enhanced by

trends• Increased media concentration worldwide• Growing global information economy• Decline in direct public control• Growing digital divide

MEDIA SOCIETY THEORY III

• Functionalist theory• Primary tenets:• Explains social practices• Describes society• Media benefits

• Depicts media as:• Self-directing and self-correcting• Apolitical• Conservative bias

• Earlier versions discarded but survives with new forms

MEDIA SOCIETY THEORY III

• Functionalist Theory• Primary social functions of media:• Information• Provides information• Indicates power relations• Facilitates innovation

• Correlation• Explains and interprets meaning• Supports norms• Social and consensus

PRIMARY SOCIAL FUNCTIONS CONT.

• Continuity• Expresses dominant culture

• Entertainment• Amusement

• Mobilization• Used to campaign for societal objectives

MEDIA-SOCIETY THEORY IV

• Social constructionism• Society is constructed and open to change• Emphasizes action and choice• And the media: • News reality • Impact of mass media• Media is subjective view of social reality

MASS SOCIETY THEORY V

• Communication and Technology Determinism• Toronto School• Theorist H.M. Innis• After WW II• Attributed characteristics of society to prevailing

communication • Organizing principle:• Communication = monopolization

MASS SOCIETY THEORY V CONT.

• Primary Tenets of Media Technology Determinism• Communication technology is fundamental• Technology bias• Impact of communication inventions• Communication revolutions and social impact

• Modern implications of Media Technology Determinism• No single factor explanation• Development shaped by social and cultural context

MEDIA SOCIETY THEORY VI

• The Information Society Theory• More ideology than theory• Beginning• Post-industrial society• Decreased cost of technology

• Impact• No major transformations noted• Increased interconnectedness and globalization• Increased dependency• Increased awareness of risks

• Concept as theory• Not universally accepted

MEDIA-CULTURAL THEORY

THEMES OF MEDIA-CULTURAL THEORY

• Quality of mass culture• Nature of popular culture• Impact of technology• Political economy and culture• Globalization• Identity• Gender• Ideology

FRANKFURT SCHOOL AND CRITICAL CULTURAL THEORY

• Frankfurt School• Mid-19th century• Concerns regarding Marxist theory

• Critical Cultural theory• Studies ideology in media culture• Concerned with significance of media culture for specific

groups• Evaluates media interpretation