Introduction to Mass Media

Aiden Yeh, PhDAsst ProfessorWenzao Ursuline College of Languages

What is Mass Media?

refers to every medium or source which is used to connect and communicate with a large number of people at once.

Image Source: http://www.deliberation.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mass-media.jpg

Mass Media

Mass media is communication—whether written, broadcast, or spoken—that reaches a large audience. This includes television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth.

Image Source: http://operadewa.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/mass-communication.jpg

What forms Media?

Image source: http://artofcyberdribble.blogspot.tw/2012/06/mass-medias-influence-on-our-social.html

Close to 40% of one’s day is taken up by consuming media

Image source: http://imo.thejakartapost.com/jaesarahman/files/2012/03/cartoonmediabrainwashdaviddees.jpg

“The mass media are becoming more and more pervasive and significant in terms of our social perceptions and interactions with our surroundings” (Lev, Emi 2006, p. 1). 

Give examples of Mass Media’s significance in peoples’ lives

Advantages vs Disadvantages Functions of Mass media Social impact / change

Functions

- Media help to correlate or co-ordinate various parts of the social system by gathering and disseminating valuable information

- Media acts as powerful agents of socialization by transmitting society’s cultural heritage and its basic system of norms and values; media msgs are primarily about reinforcing shared ideals such as justice, individualism, democracy and respect for the law; also provide advice – tele-advising

- Media function as social control agents; by gathering information, the media engage in surveillance of the social environment

- Media provide pleasure and entertainment – tension management process

Source: http://husky1.stmarys.ca/~evanderveen/wvdv/mass_media/theories.htm

Manifest Functions (intended consequences) - Selling a product - Making a profit - Maintain demand for goods and services e

ssential to the continued growth of the capitalist economy

- Something for everyone - Serve as collective memory of nation, sele

ctively remembering, forgetting and reconstructing the past

Hidden & Unintended Functions

- How do mass communication support the status quo? - What ideology, values and behaviours are reinforced – reinfor

ces those associated with materialism & consumerism - What groups are coopted and which are excluded – homogen

ized the culture, muting differences between regions and social classes

- How does mass media enhance or inhibit creativity? - How do conditions under which information and entertainment

are produced affect the product - Gatekeeping function or agenda setting – the topics that com

e to the forefront of public attention: media executives decide what to cover, for how long, and in what context, appreciates an active role of the consumer

Media Ethics

Image: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/05/15/Rebekah-Brooks-faces-phone-hacking-charges/UPI-23471337065200/

Image: http://mediamagazine.in/sites/default/files/journalismforSale.jpg

Pros and Cons of Mass Media

Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-mass-media.html

Cons

Image: https://usu.instructure.com/courses/23678/files/726809/preview

Social Impact of Mass Media

Image: http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0749379704000467-gr1.gif

Media Hype

Image: http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FpyJphhz14FXhrNy0cqjqQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://mit.zenfs.com/101/2012/02/linsanity-covers.jpg

Give other examples of media hypes in Taiwan

Source: http://www.chowrangi.com/pakistani-journalists-on-payroll-of-us-state-department.html

References

What is Mass Media? http://whatismassmedia.com/ The Role and Influence of Mass Media

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/The-Role-and-Influence-of-Mass-Media.topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26946.html

Mass media influence on our perceptions, http://artofcyberdribble.blogspot.tw/2012/06/mass-medias-influence-on-our-social.html

The Influence of the media, http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/category/lesson-plans/media-studies/the-influence-of-the-mass-media/

Media culture in Taiwan, http://asaa.asn.au/ASAA2010/reviewed_papers/Kao-Shi_Chi.pdf Pros and Cons of Mass Media, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-mass-media.html Theories of Mass Media, http://husky1.stmarys.ca/~evanderveen/wvdv/mass_media/theories.htm Taiwanese distrust media, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/10/26/2003333

435 Editorial: The media has lost the public trust, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/

2006/10/26/2003333468 TVBS Scandal, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/eastasia/view/267249/1/.html Media Linsanity Excessive, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2012/02/21/2003

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