7 Myths of Media & Money
1.
Media’s primary role in a democracy is to serve
as a “watchdog” to the government in order to protect from corruption
o
Media Wants:
§
Corporations dependant on government policies.
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Tax, interest rates, expansion, censorship
rulings
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Government Wants:
·
Money
§
Media is not looking out for our best interests
2.
Media must be made up of thousands of
independently competing businesses.
3.
Media is concerned with their public
o
All decisions are driven by $. Media only concerned with profit
o
Public well being is irrelevant
4.
Media operates to give viewers entertainment
5.
New stations are created to give viewers more
choices
o
Creation of new media outlets organizes
consumers into buying clusters.
6.
TV is free.
Tolerating commercials is the “small” price we pay for entertainment.
7.
Media is not influenced by advertisers. Media is responsible for protecting us from
corporate corruption and abuse.
Agenda-Setting Theory
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Media does not give us reality as it is
o
Media news creates Pseudo Reality
§
Too much info, too little time
·
Agenda
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A prioritized list of important issues
·
McCombs and Shaw’s Research
o
Media cant tell us what to think, but can tell
us what to think about. As a
result-media news plays God.
§
What’s important. What to be concerned with.
What not to think.
Cultivation Theory
·
Heavy viewers (opposed to light viewers) believe
the world is more like the one portrayed on TV.
·
Mean World Syndrome: High Viewers
o
More fearful at night
o
More cynical about people
o
Overestimate chance of being victimized
o
Less optimistic about future
o
Believe neighborhoods unsafe
o
Believe crime is a serious problem
o
Assume increase in crime
o
Invest in security- Guns, locks, watchdogs for
homes
Advertisements
·
Show “who’s in charge”- men
·
Every ad tells a story of power if you look
close
·
Women
o
Be very thin
o
Perfect beauty is common and expected in all
women
o
Always remain young
·
Media supplies men with narrow definition of
masculinity
7 Lessons for Males and Females about
relationships
·
Women need men & sex
·
Women are reduced to sex objects. Not taken seriously
·
Women live to be objects. Not only want to be watched, they invite
·
Women willing to be with other women for his
pleasure
·
Young girls are most desirable
·
Women are dehumanized as objects for male
fantasy
·
Women love to be treated roughly
Bandura – Social Learning Theory
·
We learn by observing/imitating others
·
We spend great deal of time watching TV
·
What we see others do on TV is often violent
·
Do we imitate violence we see in TV?
o
BoBo Doll Study-
3 groups of children
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Kids who saw reward most aggressive to doll.
1. Viewing the media through “social learning”
lends, TV’s major lesion is one of conflict
resolution
·
Violence is only acceptable way to solve
problems
2. Violence in cartoons, video games and sports
also increase aggression
3. Violence not always bad
·
Punishment/consequence are shown
4. Many behaviors have been learned/copied
through the media.
·
Good actions:
Dating, school, kissing, dancing, how to dress
·
Bad actions: How to shoot a gun, fighting,
insult & ridicule
5. Violent content of the media has expanded our
“violent repertoire”
·
We have all become violent/crime experts thanks
to TV
o
CSI, Law & Order, Dexter
·
The unthinkable no longer is.
TV Restructure of Relationships
·
Children vs Adults
o
Exposes kids to hidden life of adults
·
Males vs Females
o
Females could see male struggles
o
Males become more aware of feelings for both
themselves and for women
·
Leaders vs Followers
o
No private vs public separation
·
Rich vs Poor
o
Media informs the poor of their place in the
economic structure of America
·
People vs Money/Savings
o
Excess money is to be spent
o
Spending has no consequences
o
Not to spend = low class
o
Celebration is a material event
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