Class 4 - Media Impact

ANNOUNCEMENTS: We have 83 percent compliance on the blog assignment -- seven more to go. When everyone has a blog, we will have a cookie party. Thanks to all those who have posted!

 POWERPOINT: We reviewed key concepts from the textbook;

• Research methodology to measure media impacts (some borrowed from scientific research)
• Social science perspectives
• Flow theories
• How new innovations move through society.

QUIZ: Ch. 2 Media Impact

 HOMEWORK: Read and complete workbook activities for Chapter 3 (Books). Note: We will discuss workbook responses for Chapter 3 in class on Tuesday.

BLOG: After reading Chapter 2 on Media Impact, propose a media research project, based on what you learned in the chapter. You can research any aspect of how media impact people. E.g. Advertising, reality TV, movies, cartoons, magazine images, etc. Describe your project in 4-5 sentences, using some of the terminology from the textbooks’ margin notes. What are you researching? What methodology would you use? How would you test your hypothesis? What results do you predict?

Class 3 -- Chapter 1

DISCUSSION: "The audience is the arbiter of meaning." The senders may think they are sending one message, but ultimately it is the audience that determines what the message was.

VIDEO: "Sammy's Visit" from All in the Family , 1972, an example of the audience as final arbiter of meaning and technological and societal change.

VIDEO REVIEW: Discussion on the societal, cultural and technological differences between the early 70s and now, as seen in the video (media as a reflection of society).

HOMEWORK: Read textbook Ch 2, complete workbook Ch 2.

Mass Comm Introduction

DISCUSSION: Definitions of communication, mass communication, mediated communication.

LECTURETTE: Ways to categorize communication:

• Intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, organizational, public, mass
• Verbal and visual
• Mediated and non-mediated

POWERPOINT:  Basic model of communication (sender, message, channel, receiver, feedback, gatekeeper, noise) with discussion on feedback loop and types of environmental and psychological noise. Traditional mass media, converged mass media.

VIDEO: The Simpsons "Itchy Scratchy & Marge"  


DISCUSSION: Relevance of this video to our study of mass communication:

 - Does violence in the media affect or cause violence in society?

 - Marge catalogs violent actions in cartoon using "content analysis" -- a social sciences research method

 - Parents don't always have control over children's TV habits (can go to neighbors' houses and watch)

 - Talk show host does not provide equal time to both sides of the issue, despite having representation from both sides; TV news skims over important topics and doesn't go into depth; phony expert

 - The mass communication feedback process does not function as smoothly as the interpersonal communications feedback process, but there are options for it: boycotting products, picketing, going on talk shows, writing letters to management

- Cartoon writers: fun media job

 - First Amendment - freedom on speech - can you be for censorship of one type of freedom of speech, but not another?

- The model of communication

 
QUIZ: Practice quiz.

HOMEWORK: Read and complete worbook assignment for Chapter 1

BLOG ASSIGNMENT: Set up a blog in blogger.com and e-mail me the blog address. Post your first blog post.

BLOG 1: Media Autobiography

Write your short media autobiography. This should be a short essay (about 200-400 words) about you and your relationship with the eight types of mass media we are studying in this class: Books, Newspapers, Magazines, Movies, Recordings, Radio, Television and the Internet. Bullet points are OK.

  

Talk about your background with each of these media, your experiences (use/habits) with them, your likes and dislikes of them, and which ones are important to you now and when you were growing up. Tell if you have, had or would like a job or career in the media. If you have lived in another country, talk about the media there. Mention your major, if it is related to the media, and the name of the university you want to transfer to, if appropriate.

Do not write about other aspects of your life, unless they relate to the media. E-mail me your blog address!

Welcome to JOUR 2 at De Anza

Here's an illustration of the convergence of telephone, television, computer and music recording, leading to today's mobile devices.