Media Studies Review
SMC219 -- Review for November 29th
What theorists say about their theory and how it relates to mass media – only 1 theorist
Biagi
Two basic elements in any mass communication
Channel is way by which message goes from sender to receiver
Noise interferes with the channel -- static out of range, interference etc.
This kind of communication is almost never one way
Feedback goes back to sender – positive or negative
Profit motivates all mass communication
Problem is:
Noise is more than static though – there is competition, resistant
Feedback isn’t really passive like she says
Can be adapted, ignored, changed, sabotage it, undermine it
McLuhan – how his theory explains mass media
Defines a medium in the broadest possible way
Something in the middle, connects one thing to another
It extends our senses
Ex writing on the board im extending my words to a visual thing
The message has an impact regardless, the message defines itself
Fundamental undermined thing is the way I present a message not what I say
Questionable
Structures imposed by the medium define the message
Way we send, receive, interact, creates the rules
Sometimes medium actually creates the content
Ex. cellphone to ask if mom wants milk, wouldn’t do that if we had to go to a payphone
Because medium extends our senses and controls whats being broadcasted, said or done – medium changes us b/c we have phones, we behave differently that those without telephones
DANGEROUS B/C we aren’t aware of the process we become subject to anything it does to us – we become pawns of technology
Unaware b/c we don’t see the process like McLuhan does
Even if we are aware of it, doesn’t mean we’ll react to it
Criticism
Instrumentalism – too much emphasis on one element
Says technology is the only thing that matters
Opacity – difficult to understand him
Berger
Totally different, practical and hands on theorist
He uses textual analysis to break down what is going on in the
What theorists say about their theory and how it relates to mass media – only 1 theorist
Biagi
Two basic elements in any mass communication
Channel is way by which message goes from sender to receiver
Noise interferes with the channel -- static out of range, interference etc.
This kind of communication is almost never one way
Feedback goes back to sender – positive or negative
Profit motivates all mass communication
Problem is:
Noise is more than static though – there is competition, resistant
Feedback isn’t really passive like she says
Can be adapted, ignored, changed, sabotage it, undermine it
McLuhan – how his theory explains mass media
Defines a medium in the broadest possible way
Something in the middle, connects one thing to another
It extends our senses
Ex writing on the board im extending my words to a visual thing
The message has an impact regardless, the message defines itself
Fundamental undermined thing is the way I present a message not what I say
Questionable
Structures imposed by the medium define the message
Way we send, receive, interact, creates the rules
Sometimes medium actually creates the content
Ex. cellphone to ask if mom wants milk, wouldn’t do that if we had to go to a payphone
Because medium extends our senses and controls whats being broadcasted, said or done – medium changes us b/c we have phones, we behave differently that those without telephones
DANGEROUS B/C we aren’t aware of the process we become subject to anything it does to us – we become pawns of technology
Unaware b/c we don’t see the process like McLuhan does
Even if we are aware of it, doesn’t mean we’ll react to it
Criticism
Instrumentalism – too much emphasis on one element
Says technology is the only thing that matters
Opacity – difficult to understand him
Berger
Totally different, practical and hands on theorist
He uses textual analysis to break down what is going on in the