COM 201 Midterm

Structures of Framing

Constructed from and embodied in the keywords, metaphors, concepts, symbols, and visual images emphasized in a news narrative. Even the size of titles or positioning of quotes can be used in framing techniques.

Horizontal Integration

Horizontal integration refers to the process by which one company buys different kinds of media, concentrating ownership across differing types of media rather than up and down through one industry.

Zero TV Household

Households that do not access television programs through the traditional avenues of over-the-air broadcasts, cable or satellite. Due to growth of internet based video streaming services.

Media Market Logic

If people desire a particular media content,competition will force media corporations to provide such content.

Copyright Laws

1790 Copyright Act protect the sale and distribution of print/media. Authors originally given rights to their work for 14 years and can be renewed if they were still alive. Intended to provide incentives for people to invest the time, effort and resources to produce new creations.

Mickey Mouse Copyright Term

1998, copyright now covers individual creators lifetime plus 70 years or in the case of corporate ownership 120 years after creation or 95 years after publication whichever is shorter.

Agency

Broad: Agency is intentional and undetermined human action. Human agency reproduces social structure. Collective agency has the potential to alter certain structures.

Structure

Broad: Social structure describes any recurring pattern of social behavior Media: Institutions outside the control of media personnel set certain legal and economic limits within which the media must operate. Structure affects individual agency.

Violence and Video Games

In 1994 the video game industry created a rating system in response to government pressure. The suggestion that stores should not sell violent video games to minors is an example of a more active approach to regulating media industry for moral content.

Internet Addiction Camps in China

In 2008, China declared internet addiction a disorder, therapy involves military drills. 6 plus hours on the internet a day leads to a disorder.

Chavez's dealings with large media companies in Venezuela

Influenced the media and had ties to large media companies without directly controlling them. Had a weekly TV show.

Business model of non-profit radios and their benefits

Non profit allows DJs to explore more and be different, they don't need to worry about ratings AS much. Less advertising/commercials

KEXP business model

Non-profit radio station, relies on donations and fundraising. Mixed genres to create an original product. Help aspiring independent artists.

Media Consolidation

On-going process in which more and more media companies fall into hands of fewer owners.

Super PACs and political influence

Political Action Committee Super PACs are independent political committees that support a candidate with unlimited, often anonymous, donations from companies, unions, or individuals. The groups can't contribute directly to a candidate, but they can run favorable ads about a candidate—or negative ones about their favored candidate's opponent.

Mass Society Theory

Post world war 2 The argument that then-contemporary society was characterized by growing homogenization of the population and a decline in interpersonal and group relations (caused by mass media). Theory suggested the decline of more traditional personal bonds.

Net-Neutrality

Preserving open access to the internet and a level playing field for all websites, whereby all content would be treated equally.

Putin's management of Russian media

Putin controls all major TV stations and newspapers. Allows people to see and consume only what the government wants them to.

Synergy

Refers to the dynamic where components of a company work together to produce benefits that would be impossible for a single, separately operated unit of the company.

1996 Telecommunications Act

Requires that every four years the FCC reviews all of its broadcast ownership rules with an eye towards eliminating or modifying any that are no longer in the public interest due to increased media competition. Tried to promote diversity, actually led to further relaxation and ownership rules and increased conglomeration.

KEXP's difference from commercial radio stations

Since they are a non-profit they do not rely on advertising for all their funding. They are restricted with advertising and who they allow to advertise on their station (because they are a non-profit).

Value of newspapers for citizens

Social changes are moving away from news consumption. Print newspaper is becoming increasingly less popular as the world becomes more technology oriented.

Spinning and Spin Doctors

Spin is the strategic manipulation of news media presentations of events and issues in an effort to shape public opinion and create public support. PR experts who employ such news management tactics are spin doctors.

Minimal Effects Model

Suggested that media messages acted to reinforce existing belief rather than change opinion.

Deregulation of media structures

Supporters of deregulation generally assert that the "free market" system is adequate for accommodating the needs of both media producers and media consumers. Consumers have the ultimate power to choose to consume media. Allows for conglomeration and large companies.

Oi-cree People and the Role of Technology

The oji cree people were originally a very primitive and technologically ignorant people. Then when technology was introduced, it grew at a much faster pace than already advanced societies like the US. Because of this, their reliance on rapid technology increased many health related problems like diabetes and obesity.

Binge Viewing

The practice of watching television for a long time span, usually of a single television show. Binge-watching as an observed cultural phenomenon has become popular with the rise of online media services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video with which the viewer can watch television shows and movies on-demand.

Socialization

The process whereby we learn and internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of our culture and developing a sense of self

Worries about future of journalism

There are worries that journalism is coming to an end. There has been a collapse of advertising revenue, and competition for attention. Print newspapers going out of business/shift to online news media.

George Gerbner's views on relationship between media exposure and violence

Viewing violence in media doesn't make us more violent, but afraid of violence being done to us.

Conversation without technologies and its value

"When two people are talking, the mere presence of a phone on a table between them or in the periphery of their vision changes both what they talk about and the degree of connection they feel. People keep the conversation of topics where they won't mind being interrupted. They don't feel as invested in each other. Even a silent phone disconnects us."

Marshall McLuhan/Medium is the message

"The medium is the message" is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived. He said that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but also by the characteristics of the medium itself. Not the content of media but the experience of media.

Digitization

1. Media can now be created/converged to digital form 2. Changed media production 3. Rise of the internet provided a global platform on which media content could be distributed and consumed 4. Enables greater interactivity among media users, allows consumers to also be producers 5. As technologies advanced computers became smaller and more mobile (easier to access media content and increased time spent connected to the media)

PRISM Program

A government surveillance effort run primarily by the National Security Agency. Program was exposed in 2013 by Edward Snowden, revealing the government had information on phone calls and social media use of Americans.

Mean-world Syndrome

A term coined by George Gerbner to describe a phenomenon whereby violence-related content of mass media makes viewers believe that the world is more dangerous than it actually is. Mean world syndrome is one of the main conclusions of cultivation theory.

Technological Determinism

An approach that identifies technology, or technological developments, as the central causal element in processes of social change.

Fairness Doctrine

Attempted to protect against potentially abusive media domination, promote serious news coverage of public issues and to ensure diversity by preventing any single viewpoint from dominating coverage. 1949-1987

Social media of government officials at Azerbaijan

Authoritarian regimes use the internet to track their people. They harass people in general, make fake accounts of people, and the government calls individual people out on social media. The gov posts memes, comics, articles, etc. to raise doubt about these individuals in the minds of most citizens. Activists who are loud on the internet get thrown in jail quickly for no reason/the government will make up a reason other than journalism.

CARA

Classification and Rating Administration The MPAA's rating system is administered by the Classification & Ratings Administration (CARA), an independent agency.

Anti-trust laws and large media companies

Economic and political powers cannot be separated because dominant corporations gain influence over how markets are maintained and enforced which furthers their economic power, one of the original goals of anti-trust was to prevent this. Antitrust laws are to protect the process of competition, keep prices down and quality up, and give strong incentives for businesses to operate efficiently.

Erdogan's dealings with large media companies in Turkey

Erdogan's government has devised an elaborate system of controlling the media. Since most Turkish media owners are also involved in other businesses such as banking and industry, they are under constant threat of having their assets confiscated, if they don't bow to Erdogan's orders. Monitoring what is published/broadcasted and fining companies/people when they go against the government.

Pirate Radio

FCC prohibits radio broadcasting without a license. Local Community Radio Act allowed for more local smaller radio stations to be granted licenses.

FCC

Federal Communications Commission Independent government agency established is 1934. FCC regulates US interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. Also responsible for issuing licenses, setting of some charges and enforcement of communication rituals.

Fin-Syn Rules

Financial interest and syndication rules The FCC sought to prevent the Big Three television networks from monopolizing the broadcast landscape by preventing them from owning any of the programming that they aired in prime time. Meant to encourage development and diversity of programs.

2007 Protect America Act and the FISA

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Enables continued surveillance and immunized private telecommunications and media companies that cooperated with government intelligence-gathering efforts.

Democratators and the way in which they control media organizations

Government leaders who win formal elections (sometimes rigged) and then use their power in authoritarian ways (through media influence). Ex: Turkish prime minister, Vladimir Putin, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela

State of local media in Seattle

Journalists are losing their jobs as print newspaper companies are struggling to support themselves. Shift to independent online publications/journalism. Rise in niche journalism and independent investigation.

Music Sampling

Layered sound fragments cut from other recordings into a new and unique composition. Breaks copyright laws unless original creator gives permission.

Newspapers as a watchdog

Like a dog that barks when it notices an intruder, a "watchdog" alters others when a problem like is detected. Common subjects are the government decision-making process, illegal activity, immorality, consumer protection issues, and environmental degradation. If journalism/news media go away these problems will not be investigated or reported.

Oligopolies and Media Markets

Media Markets are examples of corporate dominated oligopolistic markets ruled by a handful of firms. These dominant firms use their power to limit range of offerings, and free press is compromised (ish).

Integration

Media companies have become part of much larger corporations, which own a collection of other companies that may operate in highly diverse business areas.

The Hypodermic Needle Model

Media injecting a message directly into the "bloodstream" of the public. Suggests a direct and powerful influence on the public. Leaves out active agency of the individual.

Concentration of Ownership

Media is increasing concentration in fewer hands. Only five global firms dominated the media industry in the United States.

Cultural Imperialism

Media products of the West, especially the US, so dominated the rest of the world that they amounted to a form of cultural imperialism. Western media products introduced into other countries, especially "developing" countries, contributed to a decline in local traditional values and promoted instead, values associated with capitalism. Ownership and control over media were maintained in US hands and other nations became dependent on the US for cultural production.

Microtargeting

Microtargeting is the use by political parties and election campaigns of direct marketing datamining techniques that involve predictive market segmentation. Microtargeting's tactics rely on transmitting a tailored message to a subgroup of the electorate on the basis of unique information about that subgroup.

Role of Public Media

Most media are non-rivalrous public goods, consumption by one does not affect the consumption by others and can remain free.

Two-step Flow of Media

Most people form their opinions under the influence of opinion leaders, who in turn are influenced by the mass media. So according to this model, ideas flow from mass media to opinion leaders, and from them to a wider population.

MPAA

Motion Picture Association of America Film-rating system used in the United States and its territories to rate a film's suitability for certain audiences, based on its content.

Piracy and Challenges to Copyright

Music sharing and distribution of media over the internet illegally.

Postman/Amusing Ourselves to Death

Neil Postman argues that the rise of television was the central cause of the decline in the seriousness of public life. As a society infatuated with entertainment television we are no longer able to think seriously about social and political issues (aka amusing ourselves to death).

The 1% Rule of the Internet

The 1% rule is a rule of thumb pertaining to participation in an internet community, stating that only 1% of the users of a website actively create new content, while the other 99% of the participants only lurk. Variants include the 1-9-90 rule (1% create, 9% contribute, 90% lurk).

Cultural Protection Laws and Structures

The US has fewer regulations on media content than many of the nations around the world. Cultural protectionism against cultural imperialism.

Agenda-setting

The ability of the media to direct peoples attention towards certain issues. Highlighted the important role that journalists play in selecting and shaping news.

Homogenization

The absence of competition in the media industry will lead inevitably to homogeneous media products that serve the interests of the increasingly small number of owners.

First Amendment

The first amendment guarantees, among other things, freedom of the press. Suggests the government should take a hands-off approach towards the media.

Culture Shock

The idea that we are not equipped (not socialized) in the ways and norms of a particular culture

Hyperreality

The image of a person/situation has come to replace the "real" The public is often unable to distinguish between image and reality (ex: political figures/elections)

Information Super Highway

The internet. Potentially serving as a means to educate and engage citizens in a democratic society (did not happen).

Lobbying

The media and telecommunications industry promotes its interests through well organized and powerful political arm that along with other media corporations finances political candidates and lobbies elected officials. Efforts are aimed at promoting legislation in which the industry has an interest and at derailing efforts it deems threatening.

Electronic Surveillance

US government uses telecommunications and internet channels to monitor citizens and protect against terrorism. 2001 Patriot Act allowed for law enforcement agencies to search email and telephone communications to collect information on internet users.

Comparative state of US public media

US media is relatively unregulated compared to countries around the world. US domestically produces most TV/movies.

Vertical Integration

Vertical integration refers to the process by which one owner acquires all aspects of production and distribution of a single type of media product.