CULTURE AND THE DYNAMICS OF MASS COMMUNICATION HOW CULTURE AFFECTS THE MOMENT IN MASS COMMUNICATION

Dynamics of mass communication offers a lively thorough and objective introduction for mass communication majors and non-majors alike. Dynamics of mass communication takes a comprehensive and balanced look at the changing world of mass media. Social media, apps and the new media Goliaths are new and major themes of the 12^th edition. Explore how the traditional mass media are dealing with shrinking audiences, evaporating advertising revenue and increased competition from the internet. The 12^th edition brings students up to date on the latest developments in the media world including cyber bullying new media business models, e-book readers’ effect on the traditional print publishing industry, online video site such as YouTube and Hulu.com the decoupling of advertising from media context and much more.

HOW CULTURE AFFECTS THE MOVEMENT OF

MASS COMMMUNICATION

Culture refers to the attributes such as lifestyle, habits and moral ethics that a population in specific place might adhere to as the way of life. It’s ever changing and is subject to influence, this is where the mass communication can have an effect on the cultural ethics of a society.

Communication on a mass level gives the sender of a message the power to alter certain things or introduce new things that might affect the cultural dynamics of a society and it can’t happen in isolation. Every individual part of that culture is subject to the ramification, for instance, coffee and coffee shops have never been part of the Indian culture but today to the idea been promoted in every medium of mass communication it has almost become part of it. This example demonstrates how culture is affected by mass communication and ultimately altered.

 

A.  MEDIA LITERACY

Media literacy refers to the act of creating a message in all the available media. It uses an inquiry based mode of process encouraging questions about what the target audience wants in terms of what they watch, see and read. Media literacy facilitates an understanding as to the strengths and limitations of each medium and to create new ones.

B.  MEDIA AS PLACE OF IDEAS

Media as a place of ideas is a metaphor to help think of ideas in a medium as products or services that are produced, imported and shared by community members. Ideas have value and cost which can be registered and protected in the form of patents, trademarks and copy rights. Ideas also have opportunity, distribution and production costs.

C.  MEDIA COVERAGE

Media coverage refers to many products coming together to form one in media convergence old and new merge in such a way that there is a balance of power between media producers and media consumers and ultimately results into a brand new scenario of operation.

D.  MEDIA CONSOLIDATION

Media consolidation refers to the majority of the media means owned by a few media conglomerates who view this as detrimental and characterized ownership structure of mass media. Media ownership may refer to monopoly in a given media. Times group in India is an example of a media conglomerate.

We are social beings and in world of advancing technology we must have a solid understanding of the effects these technologies have on us and be observant in how these technologies influence us as persons and intellectuals so we do not become consumed by these technologies.

Four theories of Media Culture to be considered

a.     No effect; media and culture are not related

b.    Determinist effect; media determines and shape our culture

c.      Mutual influence effect; our media and our culture shape each other

d.    Mirrored effect; media reflects our culture

These four theories give us a direction in forming our own opinions on advancing technologies when considering these four ideas we gain a better understanding of the topic and can form our opinions based on what theories we feel are better representation of the effects these technologies have on us.

Bayms uses four frames of thinking to make sense of how we look at new media and concepts to help us analyze and take a perspective on the topic, the four frames of thinking are as follows:

1.     Technology Determination: New technology changes us and their active forces that humans do not have the power to resist.

2.     Social construction of technology people are the source of change in society and in technology.

3.     Social shaping of technology; influence comes from both directing (technology) people and instructions all drive change.

4.     Domestication of technology: technology is taken for granted and no longer influences changes.

I believe that or media and our culture shape each other based on our current economics I believe that in order for media to shape our culture it must reflect our culture and in turn both have equal effect on each other. Media has to appeal to its audience in order to get into the audience head to sell and promote images and products. The social shaping of technologies is prevalent in today’s society.

The influence of mass media has grown as the number of media outlets and communication channels has increased. Traditionally, news and information was delivered in newspapers, radio and TV, but technological advancements, such as the internet and mobile technology, have impacted the way people access the mass media. As a result, people are exposed to the opinion of the mass media on a daily basis, which affects their values and norms over time. Studies have found that the mass media does not change people’s opinions on issues for which they already have a strong opinion, but it does have an effect on the extent to which people believe in new ideas or options. People use the media to learn about current events and historical facts because the media presents itself as a credible authority. Media companies that own major television and radio broadcasting stations control the messages across all media outlets and use imagery to influence the people’s decisions through advertising.

Media influence is the actual force exerted by a media message, resulting in either a change or reinforcement in audience or individual beliefs. Media effects are measurable effects that result from media influence, or a media message. Whether that media message has an effect on any of its audience members is contingent on many factors including audience of demographics and psychological characteristics. These effects can be positive or negative, abrupt or gradual, short-term or long-lasting. Not all effects result in change: some media messages reinforce an existing belief. Researchers examine an audience after media exposure for changes in cognition, belief systems, and attitudes, as well as emotional, physiological and behavioral effects.

There are several scholarly definitions of media effects. Bryant and Zilmann defined media effects as “the social, cultural, and psychological impact of communicating via the mass media. Perse stated that media effects researchers study “how to control, enhance, or mitigate the impact of the mass media on individuals and society.” Lang stated media effects researchers study “what types of content, in what type of medium, affect which people, in what situations.

The explosive changes at the global level from the last century, either of an economic nature or at the information level have created the proper field for mass-media to develop, the emergence of internet and implicitly the massive changes at the level.

The involvements of the individuals in the modifications that take place imply a change in the traditional education and the shift to a permanent education which can integrate the formal, informal and non-formal education.

Mass media (media of mass communication) represents the totality of mass information (radio, television, press, internet etc.)

Even though mass had information as a principal function, and especially as the society got more computerized, significant changes in the behavioral manifestations have appeared in the individual experiences regarding the gain of knowledge, the same influences of mass-media refused by some can be accepted with ease by others.

If the consumer has the control upon the information, the overwhelming impact of media does not affect him/her in a negative