MMC 2000 Exam

What are the 8 media literacy characteristics?

1. critical thinking 2. an understanding of the process of mass communication 3. awareness of the impact of media on society 4. strategies for analyzing and discussing media messages 5. understanding of media content as insight into our culture 6. ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate media content 7. development of effective and responsible production skills 8. an understanding of the ethical and moral obligations of media practitioners

What are the 2 roles of the VOA today?

1. dissemination of western propaganda 2. providing objective info -125 million listeners a day tune in to VOA broadcasts in 45 languages -Another 20 million people in 23 developing countries listen to surrogate operations

How do media create culture?

By serving as cultural storytellers and cultural forums -Media is only one source of culture

Authoritarianism/ Communism

CHINA and TEDX 1. Call for the subjugation of media for the purpose of serving the gov. 2. To maintain strict control over media and audiences

Indigenous Stations

Clandestine broadcast operations functioning from inside the regions to which they transmit

Exogenous Stations

Clandestine broadcast operations functioning from outside the regions to which they ca transmit

Interpersonal Communication

Communication between two or a few people

First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceafully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Convergence (Internet)

Fear that newspapers will fail to successfully combat print's failing business model, as younger readers turn to free tabloids & electronic media. The internet has proven to be most financially damaging on newspapers' advertising business. The internet empowers readers to control & interact w/ news; which led to the traditional newspaper reinventing itself by converging w/ technology

What is an advantage of POD?

Financially- POD books require no warehouse for storage, there is no remainders to eat into profits

Commuter Papers

Free dailies designed for commuters- this is becoming a commonplace in America's biggest cities. the target is young readers

Western Concept

GREAT BRITAIN 1. There is no completely free media system 2. Meaningful gov. oversight of mass communication to ensure the media professionals are responsible -The BBC was originally built on the premise that broadcasting was a public trust

Development Concept

HONDURAS Here gov. and media work in partnership to ensure that media assist in the planned, beneficial development of the country -Media systems of many third world or developing countries show this concept: Africa, Asia, South America

Joseph Pulitzer

He adopted a populist approach and an activist style of coverage after buying the New York World -Ad revenues and circulation figures exploded!

Shortwave Radio

High frequencies reflect off the ionosphere, producing sky waves that can travel vast distances -In the 1920's shortwave radio was used by the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Germany to connect with their various colonies including Africa, Asia, and the middle east

Surrogate Services

International broadcasting, an operation established by one country to substitute for another's own domestic service -communist nations targeted by these services attempted to jam the U.S. signals by broadcasting on the same frequencies at higher powers

The Modern Newspaper Emerges

-1948: 6 NY papers decided to pool efforts & share expenses -other domestic wire services followed: Associated Press, United Press, and International News Service

How much time does the US adult spend on media?

-60% of waking time using media -More money on media than clothes & healthcare combined -About 11 hours and 33 minutes using media each day w/ a smartphone or social media sites

***Advertising Space***

-65% of space is given to advertising, 35% is NOT filled with advertising -Newspapers rely on advertising

Newspapers today

-Almost 46 million newspapers are sold daily in the U.S. -104 million people report reading a paper every day -The number of daily newspaper continues to fall & many dailies have closed shops or reduced publishing to fewer days a week -Over 9,800 newspapers operate in the U.S.: 15% are dailies, 77% are weeklies, & 8% are semiweeklies

What are advantages of E-Books?

-Anyone with a computer and a novel to sell can bypass the traditional book publishers -E-Books can be published instantly -Financially, authors who distribute through e-publishers usually get royalties of 40%-70%

What was the history of books?

-By 1900's/20th century, mandatory education had come to most states -*By 1861, the U.S. had the highest literacy rate of any country in the world* -By 1891, 9 out of every 10 U.S. citizens could read -There was an increased number of readers & demand for books

Stamp Act

-Designed by England to recover money it spent waging the French and Indian War -Mandated that all printing be done on paper stamped with the government's seal -Used to control and limit expression in the colonies

Cultural Forum (meeting ground)

-Establishes important topics & shapes the way we discuss them (ex. Donald Trump) -Gives us a place to debate them (ex. on Twitter) -Mass communication has become a primary forum for the debate about our culture -The most powerful voices in the forum have the most power to shape our definitions & understandings

History of the Printing Press cont.

-Handwritten or hand-copied materials were expensive to produce & the cost of an education made reading an expensive luxury -The ability to read became less of a luxury and more of a necessity; eventually literacy & education spread -Printing had given ordinary people a powerful voice

Benjamin Day

-He filled the Sun's pages with police and court reports, crime stories, entertainment news, and human interest stories -His goal was to sell his paper so inexpensively that it would attract a large readership, which could then be sold to advertisers

Gutenberg Printing Press

-Influenced political, constitutional, economical, sociological, philosophical & literary movements -The arrival of print is the key to our modern consciousness, b/c literacy was reserved to the elite at the time

Why was the Linotype machine beneficial?

-It cut costs for printing -Was a catalyst for wide spread literacy -Aided in the production of novels

What were important implications about the modern newspaper emerging?

-It greatly expanded the scope of coverage a newspaper could offer its readers -The U.S. was a nation of immigrants and news from people's homelands drew more readers -The nature of reporting began to change -Newspapers were able to reduce expenses b/c they no longer needed to have their own reporters in all locations

What are some changes in the newspaper industry?

-Loss of competition within the industry -Hypercommercialism -Convergence (Internet) All of these changes are not only altering the nature of the medium, but its readership with its audiences

How do these changes impact the book industry?

-More than any other medium, the book industry was dominated by relatively small operations -Today, more than 81,000 businesses call themselves book publishers -Dominated by a handful of publishing houses that control more than 80% of all U.S. book sales

Alternative/Dissident Press

-Most commonly a weekly and available at no cost b/c they make $ on advertisements -An offspring of the underground press -Succeeded by attracting upwardly mobile young people & young professionals -It downplayed politics and emphasized event listings and local arts

How much change has there been in media consumerism due to technology alone? (A LOT OF CHANGE)

-Movie attendance is flat -Album sales decreased -Major TV networks possess only 55% of viewing audience -Sales of DVDs have leveled off -Video game sales declined by 8% between 2010 &2011 -Daily & Sunday newspaper circulation has dropped every year since 1998 -American consumer magazine circulation & revenue growth has been flat since 2002 -Listenership for commercial radio continues to decline

What was the reason printing lacked variety?

-Permission to print was granted by colonial governors only -All the governors were loyal to King George II -Secular printing and criticism of the British Crown or local authorities was never authorized- it was punishable -*Printers went into open revolt against official control in March 1765 after the passage of the Stamp Act*

History of the Printing Press

-Printing & the printing press existed long before Gutenberg -The Chinese were using wooden block presses as early as 600 c.e. & had movable clay type by 1000 c.e. -A simple movable metal type was used in Korea in the 13th century

Yellow Journalism

-Sensational, sex, crime, & disaster news, giant headlines, heavy use of illustrations, and reliance on cartoons and color -Drew its name from a popular cartoon character the Yellow Kid

What are comparative analysis' of foreign media systems that differ from our own?

-Spanish gov. bans airing commercials for beauty products and services before 10pm. - Spanish gov. bans advertising on its noncommercial channels. - Sweden's supreme court ruled inserting commercial breaks into TV movies during dramatic moments "violates the integrity and value of the film." -British gov. is considering a ban on photoshopped models in publications aimed at people younger than 16. - British law still bans product placement on TV from children's programming. - São Paulo, Brazil, places a total ban on outdoor business signage of any kind. No billboards, no logos, no posters on bus stops. None. More than 70% of its citizens say the law is "beneficial." - Mexico, Bolivia, and France make free newspapers available to young readers.

What is the scope and structure of the newspaper industry?

-Suburban and small-town dailies -weeklies and semiweeklies -ethnic press -alternative/dissident press -commuter papers

Development of Newspapers

-The year between the era of yellow journalism and the coming of TV was a time of remarkable growth in the development of newspapers -Between 1910 and WWII, daily newspaper subscriptions doubled and ad revenues tripled

*The U.S. as an International Broadcaster*

-WWII brought the U.S. into the business of international broadcasting -The Cold War with the Soviets moved the U.S. into the forefront of international broadcasting

Examples of Clandestine Stations

-WWII stations operating from Britain encouraged German soldiers & sailors to sabotage their vehicles and vessels rather than be killed in battle -Allied stations intentionally broadcasted misleading reports. Posing as two of the many official stations operated by the German army, they frequently transmitted false reports to confuse the enemy

National daily newspapers

-Wall Street Journal has a 1.5 million circulation -USA Today has a 1.4 million circulation

Why did early settlers bring few books with them?

-b/c they were poor, uneducated and largely illiterate -reading books was a luxury -books were regarded as a symbol of wealth -books were heavy, too heavy to travel with

What are the categories of books?

-book club editions -el-hi (elementary & high schools) -higher education (college) -mail-order books -mass market paperbacks -professional books (doctors, lawyers) -religious books -standardized tests -subscription reference books (encyclopedia) -trade books ("how to...") -University press books (scholarly books)

What changes have media industries made?

-concentration of ownership and conglomeration -rapid globalization -fragmented audiences -convergence -hypercommercialism

What are the benefits of comparative analysis?

-it offers us a glimpse of other countries' media systems -it helps us understand our own -we tend to think that the characteristics of our own media systems are "natured" the way it is

Bookselling industry

-the bookselling system favors brand name authors & a bestseller-driven system of high royalty advances -the industry is overwhelmed with a blockbuster mentality -the industry does not always consider literary merit, but rather biggest selling authors & titles Example: the Situation made a book about fist pumping

What are the 2 classifications for the few clandestine operations functioning today?

1. Indigenous 2. Exogenous

What are some problems with Laswell's model?

1. It makes it seem like we are giving away info 2. It does not account for any interferences with the communication process 3. It does not include or explain non-verbal communication (ex. head nod) 4. It suggests that the receiver passively accepts the source's message 5. If a response is "huh?" this is a form of feedback--the receiver is now a source sending a message to the source who is now a receiver (this is also not include in the model)

The Ability to Think Critically About Media Messages, No Matter How Credible Their Sources Are

It is difficult to arrive at the proper balance between wanting to believe and accepting what we see and hear unquestionably. Don't believe everything you hear or that is reported. Think critically. Example: Some news anchors say "reporting live from the scene" when they are really in the studio

An Understanding of and Respect for the Power of Media Messages

It is easy to dismiss media content as beneath serious consideration or too simple to have any influence. We disregard media's power through the third person effect

When did media literacy start?

Literacy started with the Gutenberg Printing Press in 1440

Why did it take books until the 18th century to become a major mass medium in North America?

Mainly due to social, cultural, and economic conditions at the time. (Became popular 3 centuries after the Gutenberg Printing Press)

Harper Brothers and John Wiley and Sons

Major U.S. book publishers published The Scarlett Letter, Moby Dick and Huckleberry Finn

Awareness of the Impact of Media on Society

Mass media changes the world BUT we need to be the leaders of change---we should not consume media without analyzing the change

Ability to Enjoy, Understand, and Appreciate Media Content

Media literacy does not mean living like a grump; not all media is bad. We control meaning from our own enjoyment and appreciation. This includes the ability to use multiple points of access.

Media Literacy Skills

Media-literate consumption requires a number of specific skills

How does the communication process change over the continuum? (from the scale left to right)

Messages: more general; less personal Audience: more remote; less involved; more diverse Channel: more tech driven; more costly

*Placement of Stories in Newspapers*

Most important stories go on the earliest pages. Important stories are "above the fold" and toward the left of the page. Relative story placement is factored in agenda setting.

Newspaper Chains

Multiple newspapers in various cities are owned by the same person or business -In response to the competition from radio and magazines for ads, newspapers began consolidating into newspaper chains

History of Newspaper

Newspapers are not dead, they are undergoing a disruptive transition

Newspaper in 17th Century Europe

Newspapers have their roots in the 17th century Europe -Corantos: one page news sheets -were printed in English in Holland -Imported to England by British booksellers

Does a fish know it is wet?

No

If the source speaks a technical language far beyond the receivers level of skill, is this communication?

No because there must be a SHARING OF MEANING for communication to take place.

Decode

Once received, the message is decoded: interpreting signs or symbols Example: listening, reading, watching

Penny Press

One cent newspapers for everyone -Benjamin Day's issue of The New York Sun was the first penny paper -The cheap price was to allow many people to afford the newspapers -19th century: NY provided ingredients necessary for a new kind of newspaper & journalism -the penny press is the medium associated w/ newspapers becoming advertising driven

Contemporary Global Media Scene

One traditional way to understand the workings of the contemporary global media scene is to examine the individual media systems of the different countries around the world. We become familiar with how different folks in different places use media and better evaluate the workings of our own system

What is the fear for the future of books?

Only the most promotable books will be published- books likely to get published are becoming those that are likely to be a movie

Development of Effective and Responsible Production Skills

Our definition of literacy calls for effective and efficient comprehension of content & its effective and efficient use. Media-literate individuals should develop production skills that enable them to create useful media messages. Example: tweeting is a form of communication

Globalization

Ownership of media companies by multinational corporations

Globalization

Ownership of media companies by multinational corporations -the potential impact of globalization on the mass communication process speaks to the issue of diversity of expression -there is a lack of diversity of expression -respecting local values & customs is shorthanded for pursuing profits at all costs

Concentration of Ownership

Ownership of media companies is increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands -Through mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, & hostile takeovers, a very small number of large conglomerates own more and more of the world's media outlets Example: now there is just 5 media corps. with dominant power to society: Comcast, Fox, NewsCorp, Disney & Time Warner

Schramm uses Osgood's ideas

Schramm recreated a general model to help visualize the aspects of the mass communication process

Media Multitasking

Simultaneously consuming many different kinds of media

Broadsides

Single sheet announcements or accounts of events imported from England -these were the early forerunners of newspapers in Colonial America

What is a convenient way to describe the act of communication?

Source --> Message --> Receiver --> Channel A source sends a message through a medium to a receiver producing some effect. *Media=Communication*

Communication

The (reciprocal & ongoing) process of creating shared meaning. It is the transmission of a message from a source to a receiver.

VOA special division

The 3 surrogate services promoted President Ronald Reagan to establish a special division of the VOA

Rome's Newspaper

The Acta Diurnal: actions of the day -Circulation was one-way b/c there was no reliable way of knowing how many people read the tablet -This shows people wanted to know what was happening & others helped them to do so

How is convergence changing the nature of the book industry?

The Internet is changing the way books are distributed & sold through e-Publishing

Voice of America (VOA)

The U.S. established the (VOA) to counter enemy propaganda and disseminate info about America

Literacy

The ability to effectively and efficiently comprehend and utilize a given form of communication. -Media literacy is a skill that MUST be improved

Media Literacy

The ability to effectively and efficiently comprehend and utilize mass communication.

Aliteracy

The ability to read, but uninterested in doing so

Production Values

The choice of lighting, editing, special effects, music, camera angle, location on the page, size and placement of the headline...etc.

Third-Person Effect

The common attitude that others are influenced by media messages but that we are not

What do different countries' mass media systems reflect?

The diversity of their levels of development and prosperity, values, and political systems

Cambridge Press

The first printing press that arrived in North America in *1638* was operated by a company called Cambridge Press. -*printing was limited to religious & gov. documents*

Culture

The learned behavior of members of a social group. It is the lens through which we make the world meaningful. -Communication produces, maintains, repairs, and transforms culture

Platform

The means of delivering a specific piece of media content

Chicago Defender

The most influential African American newspaper after the Civil War and the first black paper to be a commercial success

Growth of Small Presses

The overcommercialization of the book industry is mitigated by the rise in the number of smaller publishing houses -today there are over 81,000 publishing houses -they rely on specialization of topics -they only account for a smaller proportion of books sold -Amazon is boosting the fortunes of smaller houses

What was the response to the Stamp Act?

The printers revolted using their presses to run accounts of anti-tax protests, demonstrations, riots, sermons, boycotts, and other anti-authority activities -In Nov. 1765, when the tax was to take effect, the authorities were overwhelmed by the reaction of the colonies so they were unwilling to enforce it

Mass Communication

The process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audiences

e-Publishing

The publication of books initially or exclusively online

The Newspaper as an Advertising Medium

The reason advertisers find newspapers attractive is b/c of their reach with audiences -Biggest advertisers include retailers and telecommunications, auto, computer, & entertainment brands -Nearly 70% of Americans read a newspaper- this is equal to 4 out of 10 every day or a daily Super Bowl cast -Newspapers account for 17.9% of all advertising spending in the U.S.

Comparative Analysis or Comparative Studies

The study of different countries' mass media systems

A Knowledge of Genre Conventions and the Ability to Recognize When They Are Being Mixed

The term genre refers to the categories of expression within different media, such as: evening news, documentary, horror movie, entertainment magazine Example: How do we distinguish Anchorman from CBS News?

Diurnals

The true forerunners of our daily newspapers were called diurnals, but in the 1600's the word newspapers had entered the English language

Changes in Media

There is a seismic shift going on in mass media & mass communication. Encouraged by the internet, digitization, & mobility, new producers are having to find new ways to deliver new content to increasingly fragmented audiences Example: Netflix

Linotype Machine

There were increased technological advancements, specifically the Linotype machine. Offset lithography made it possible to print from photographic plates

How do book publishers fight back against censorship?

They argue that free speech should be protected & encouraged and that the power of ideas is worth fighting for, not silencing.

Censors

They ban and burn books because books are repositories of ideas- ideas that can be read & considered without supervision

How do media industries have to do business differently?

They must understand news ways to deliver content, decide how much to charge, and to choose which platform to deliver the content

Irwin and Erastus Beadle

They noticed the growing popularity of books, so they concentrated on Frontier and Adventures stories & made a profit by selling novels for 10 cents- known as DIME NOVELS

How did printers survive financially?

They operated as booksellers and book publishers. -During this time the U.S. newspaper industry grew rapidly, but books were slower to develop

Beadle & Company

They produced over 4 million volumes of dime novels - referred to as PULP NOVELS. It was the Beadles who democratized books and turned them into a mass medium in 1839

What did the pirate broadcasters do?

They were powerful and well subsidized by advertisers and record companies. They broadcast 24/7 and offered listeners an alternative to the controlled and low-key programming of the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) stations

De Graff's Pocket Books

They were small, inexpensive reissues of books that had already become successful as hardcovers. They were sold in newsstands, bookstores, train stations, shipping terminals, and drug dept. stores -Today, more than 60% of all physical books sold in the U.S. are paperbacks

*John Peter Zenger Trial* p. 74

This case became a symbol of colonial newspaper independence from the Crown. Hamilton defended him and he was found innocent.

Loss of Competition

This has been taken in two forms: loss of competing papers and concentration of ownership -very few cities could support more than one paper

A Knowledge of the Internal Language of Various Media and the Ability to Understand its Effects, No Matter How Complex

This language is expressed in production values. It is important to understand the language of media text.

What are the two goals of the commuter papers?

1. Young readers who get free media from alternative press & the internet represent a valuable demographic for local advertisers 2. Big dailies hope these young readers will develop the daily newspaper reading habit and become regular newspaper readers

*What is the cultural value of books?*

1. agents of social and cultural change: free of generating mass circulation for advertisers; offbeat, controversial, & revolutionary ideas can reach the public 2. important cultural repository: books can be turned to for certainty & truth about the world we live in & the ones we want to know about 3. windows on the past 4. important sources of personal development: one of the obvious forms of self-help and improvement

Multiple Points of Access

To approach media content from a variety of directions and derive many levels of meaning.

Large Metropolitan dailies

To be a daily, a paper must be published at least 5 X a week -dailies continue to lose circulation at a rate of 10% a year

What are the media industries having to ask now?

Will the audiences pay for movie downloads? How much? What will they pay for on-demand tv programs? Will they be willing to view the commercials if they could pay a bit less per show?

VOA present goals

With the threat of communist domination now nonexistent, it attempts to meet the far less contradictory goals of spreading American culture and disseminating health & social information. The VOA's focus on transmitting health & other practical info is seen in the increased efforts it devotes to programs aimed at Third World nations on AIDS prevention, nutrition, & vaccination

Alien & Sedition Acts

Writing, publishing, or printing was made illegal if there was "any false scandalous and malicious writing" about the president, John Adams

Schramm's model of mass communication (look at chart)

(From personal to mass) intrapersonal/interpersonal--> small group-->large audience--> newsletters--> specialized mags/books-->local news/mags--> local radio/TV--> national news/mags-->general books/music--> films-->national radio--> national/global TV

After the War of Independence, printing became even more central to:

*Political, intellectual, and cultural life in major cities*

E-Books

Books downloaded in electronic form from the Internet to computers -Christmas 2009: Amazon sold more E-Books than hard copy volumes in a single day -E-Books are now one-quarter of the U.S. book sales

John Campbell

Boston postmaster -Boston News Letter survived the revolution partly b/c gov. subsidies -It was dull and expensive -It established the newspaper in the colonies

Bill of Rights

After the revolution, the new U.S. gov. had to determine just how free a press it was willing to tolerate. This was determined when the nation's founders adopted the first 10 amendments to the Constitution

Narrowcasting

Aiming broadcast programming at smaller, more demographically homogenous audiences Example: ESPN- people who like sports

Niche Marketing

Aiming consumer products at small, more demographically homogenous audiences Example: Wired magazine is for technology

What were the 4 concepts that William Hachten offered to guide the world's media?

1. Western 2. Development 3. Revolutionary 4. Authoritarianism/ Communism

What 3 surrogate services did the U.S. establish to counter the efforts of the Soviet Union's external service Radio Moscow?

1. Radio in the American Sector (RIAS): broadcasting in German, served people inside East Berlin & East Germany 2. Radio Free Europe (RFE) broadcast to all of the other Communist-bloc Eastern European countries in their native languages 3. Radio Liberty (RL) was aimed at listeners in the Soviet Union itself

Why was the Gutenberg Printing Press a significant leap forward?

1. The movable metal type was durable enough to print page after page & letters could be arranged and rearranged to make any message possible 2. Gutenberg was able to produce virtually identical copies ***Gutenberg's invention was world-changing b/c it opened literacy to all- allowing mass communication

What are the 7 media literacy skills?

1. the ability & willingness to make an effort to understand content, to pay attention, and to filter out noise 2. an understanding of and respect for the power of media messages 3. the ability to distinguish emotional from reasoned reactions when responding to content and to act accordingly 4. development of heightened expectations of media content 5. a knowledge of genre conventions and the ability to recognize when they are being mixed 6. the ability to think critically about media messages, no matter how credible their sources are 7. a knowledge of the internal language of various media and the ability to understand its effects, no matter how complex

What were the two reasons early colonists came to America?

1. to escape religious persecution 2. to find economic opportunities -most of the books they carried were RELIGIOUSLY oriented

Censorship

A book is censored when someone in authority limits publication or access to it. -B/c of their influence as cultural repositories & agents of social change, books have been targeted for censorship

Cultural Storyteller

A culture's values and beliefs reside in the stories it tells. It is the idea that mass communication can change the way we think about things in our culture. Example: How many heroes are fat? How many heroes dress in black?

Oligopoly

A media system whose operation is dominated by a few large companies Example: 4 wireless providers dominate 89% of the cellphone service market: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, & Sprint

Encode

A message is first encoded: transforming ideas into an understandable sign or symbol Example: speaking, writing, filming, printing

New York Tribune

A notable penny paper established by Horace Greeley. Its non-sensationalistic, issues oriented, and humanitarian reporting established the mass newspaper as a powerful medium of social action

Why is all of this change in media positive?

All of the change has created an unfamiliar, new entertainment landscape, in which the old rules of media consumption no longer apply. The rules of media consumption may have changed, but media consumption is at an all-time high

Noise

Anything that interferes with successful communication Example: screaming or a missing page from a book

The Ability & Willingness to Make an Effort to Understand Content, to Pay Attention, and to Filter Out Noise

Anything that interferes with successful communication is called noise. Much of the noise in the mass communication process results from our own consumption behavior Can you drive without looking at your phone? Can you read a book with missing pages?

Hypercommercialization

As in other media, concentration of ownership has led to increased pressure on newspapers to turn a profit. More ads means more papers are abandoning their journalistic mission

Audience Fragmentation

Audiences for specific media content are becoming more narrowly defined; the audience itself is less of a mass audience

Why are Authoritarianism and Communism a single concept?

B/c only 3 communist nations remain & the actual operation of the media in these systems and other authoritarian systems is similar, we can discuss authoritarianism and communism as a single concept

Books

Books are the least "mass" of our mass media in audience reach. Books are the least dependent on advertiser support.

What is the cultural value of the book?

Books are: -good sources of entertainment, escape, and personal reflection -more individual & personal than consuming advertiser-supported media -mirrors of culture

Wilbur Schramm (look at chart)

Created a better model of communication. Encoder/Interpreter/Decoder-->Message--> Encoder/Interpreter/Decoder-->Message-->

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking allows us to develop independent judgments about media content. We need to be careful not to let media control us. Thinking critically about the content we consume is the very essence of media literacy. Why do we watch what we watch? Read what we read? Listen to what we listen to?

Why are there concerns about concentration of ownership & oligopolies?

Critics have accused the larger companies of dominating media, especially news & refusing to publicize or deem "newsworthy" info that would be harmful to their interests. They control the content that receivers listen to, read, and watch. They control the media channels from which receivers get the info & entertainment, too

Why is media literacy important?

Culture and communication are inseparable & mass communication is a powerful, pervasive, and complex form of communication -Our level of skill in the mass communication process is important

e-Reader

Digital books with the appearance of traditional books but content that is digitally stored & accessed -In 2011, nearly 1 in 3 Americans owned at least one e-reader

Paperback Books

Dime novels were considered paperback books b/c they were produced with paper covers -Allen Lane invented the paperback book in London -Robert de Graff introduced the idea to the U.S.

What strategies did clandestine stations use?

During the Cold War unauthorized clandestine opposition stations usually operated outside the nations or regions they broadcast to avoid discovery, capture, and imprisonment of death.

Medium

Encoded messages are carried by a medium. A medium is a vehicle by which messages are conveyed Example: a phone carries our voice to a friends across town

An Understanding of the Process of Mass Communication

If we know the process of mass communication, then we can form expectations of how they can serve us and how we should be receiving it How do various media industries operate? What are their obligations to the audience? How do different media limit/enhance messages? Which forms of feedback are most effective & why?

Strategies for Analyzing and Discussing Media Messages

If we make meaning, we must possess the tools with which to make it. We need a foundation for understanding media & making media meaningful. We should be analyzing media messages for our own benefits as well.

Clandestine Stations (anti-government/anti-regime radio)

Illegal or unlicensed broadcast operations frequently operated by revolutionary groups or intelligence agencies for political purposes. -these stations emerged from the darkest shadows of political conflict

Book of Psalms

In 1644, this was the first book that appeared in the colonies

Benjamin Franklin

In Philly, he established a print shop and took over a failing newspaper called the Pennsylvania Gazette -he started publishing news that he thought was important -he was not afraid to criticize authority -he began developing advertising support, which helped shield his newspaper from gov. control -he demonstrated that financial independence could lead to editorial independence

Inferential Feedback

In the mass communication process, feedback is typically indirect rather than direct Example: TV executives must wait to discover the ratings for a particular program. They can only infer what to change to improve programming.

Hypercommercialism

Increasing the amount of advertising and mixing commercial and noncommercial media content -this helps with costs involved in acquiring large media outlets and reaching an increasingly fragmented audience

What is Harold Laswell's ONE-WAY model of communication? (look at chart)

Who? Says what? Through which channel? To whom? With what effect? Communicator --> Message --> Medium --> Receiver --> Effect

POD (print on demand)

POD publishers work digitally- once a book is ordered it can be instantly printed, bound, and sent

Revolutionary Concept

POLAND The 4 aims of the revolutionary media: 1. Ending the gov. monopoly over info 2. Facilitating the organization of opposition to the incumbent powers 3. Destroying a legitimacy of standing gov. 4. Bringing down a standing gov. *No country officially embraces this concept as a normative theory

Ethnic Press

Papers, often in a foreign language, aimed at minority, immigrant, and non-English readers -dailies aim for a fragmented audience to be successful -more than 18% of the population is Hispanic/Latino (largest growing minority)

Mass Newspaper

People excluded from the social, cultural, and political mainstream quickly saw the value of the mass newspaper

How is the opinion divided on the benefit of corporate ownership?

Positive view: the rich parent company can infuse the publishing house with necessary capital enabling it to attract better authors Negative view: as publishing houses become just one in the parent company's long list of enterprises, product quality suffers to maximize profits

Benjamin Harris

Printed his own broadside called Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick -1 day stint -he was critical of local and European dignitaries -he failed to get a license

Radio

Radio signals were broadcasted internationally

What mass media do we regularly use?

Radio, TV, books, magazines, newspapers, movies, sound recordings, cell phones and computer networks

The Ability to Distinguish Emotional from Reasoned Reactions When Responding to Content and to Act Accordingly

Reacting emotionally is appropriate and proper. We can use our feelings as a point of departure for meaning making. Example: Pursuit of Happiness- he is offered a job as a broker and he is so happy that he cries after hearing the news. Why does this clip make us so emotional? Maybe we like to see the good guy win.

Pass-along Readership

Readers who did not originally buy the newspaper -Overall print circulation is falling despite a growing population

An Understanding of the Ethical and Moral Obligations of Media Practitioners

To make informed judgments about the performance of the media, we must be aware of the competing pressures on practitioners as they do their jobs. We must understand the media's official & unofficial rules of operation. Example: Tim scores a job as a producer for Taco Bell. Taco Bell tells Tim to target young audiences. This could be an issue for Tim b/c he knows that Taco Bell is not the healthiest meal option, especially for kids who are still growing and obesity-prone.

Pirate Broadcasters

Unlicensed or otherwise illegally operated broadcast stations -this was another type of broadcast operation transmitting from outside its audience's geographic location that was a bit more benign than war and revolution -the most notable were called Radio Caroline, which reached a daily audience of a million listeners

Development of Heightened Expectations of Media Content

We all use media to tune out, waste time, and provide background noise. When we expect little from the content before us, we tend to give little effort and attention to meaning

Our involvement with culture

We are the people involved in mass media industries and the people who compose their audiences. Together we allow mass communication to occur and contribute to the creation & maintenance of culture.

Understanding of Media Content as Insight into our Culture

We know a culture and its people, attitudes, values, concerns & myths through communication. In our culture, media messages dominate communication, shaping our understanding of culture. Example: Does playing video games cause or increase aggression?

Mass Medium

When the medium is a technology that carries messages to a large number of people. We use media and mass media interchangeably. Example: radio carries the sound of music and news

Convergence

When two or more separate technologies/media merge into one that offers both -Convergence killed the video store (Blockbuster) Example: smartphones or Netflix (online tv)