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An understanding of An understanding of media content as a text media content as a text

that provides insight into that provides insight into our culture and our livesour culture and our lives

Critical TheoriesCritical Theories

The analysis of media The analysis of media messages to try to figure messages to try to figure out how they affect people out how they affect people and the societies in which and the societies in which they live.they live.

Here are some common Here are some common ones:ones:

SemioticsSemiotics

The science of signs and symbolsThe science of signs and symbols Looks at how people create and Looks at how people create and

understand signs and symbols in order understand signs and symbols in order to comprehend communicationto comprehend communication

examplesexamples

Semiotics can also be Semiotics can also be known as symbolic known as symbolic

interactionism by those interactionism by those who don’t like semioticswho don’t like semiotics

PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis

Examines how mass media messages Examines how mass media messages influence the audience’s social rules influence the audience’s social rules in order to suppress instinctive anti-in order to suppress instinctive anti-social impulsessocial impulses

Sociological AnalysisSociological Analysis

The most common type of analysis The most common type of analysis done by criticsdone by critics

Comes in many flavors that have Comes in many flavors that have evolved over the yearsevolved over the years

Direct Effects ModelDirect Effects Model

Often considered propagandaOften considered propaganda Based on the idea that people are Based on the idea that people are

passive targets of mass media messages passive targets of mass media messages that cannot help but be influencedthat cannot help but be influenced

Points at such messages as advertising Points at such messages as advertising and government propaganda that and government propaganda that people will follow like lemmingspeople will follow like lemmings

Denies that people are individualsDenies that people are individuals

Limited Effects or indirect Limited Effects or indirect effects Modeleffects Model

Found that people may take in the Found that people may take in the messages, but will turn to messages, but will turn to opinion opinion leadersleaders for how to interpret and for how to interpret and follow or not follow those messagesfollow or not follow those messages People with strong opinions are unlikely People with strong opinions are unlikely

to change themto change them People pay more attention to messages People pay more attention to messages

they already agree withthey already agree with The most persuadable don’t pay attentionThe most persuadable don’t pay attention

Critical Cultural ModelCritical Cultural Model

Rather than effect, it looks at how Rather than effect, it looks at how people use and construct messagespeople use and construct messages

The media control the flow of The media control the flow of information and what can be discussedinformation and what can be discussed

Those who control the media control Those who control the media control the messagethe message

Rooted in neo-Marxism – those who Rooted in neo-Marxism – those who can control the culture control the can control the culture control the media and thus societymedia and thus society

Agenda SettingAgenda Setting

The media don’t tell us what to The media don’t tell us what to think, they tell us what to think think, they tell us what to think aboutabout Examples:Examples:

Martin LutherMartin Luther Tom PaineTom Paine William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst Modern newsModern news

Book of the DeadBook of the Dead

Ramses II and the Battle of Ramses II and the Battle of KadeshKadesh

The TorahThe Torah

Uses and GratificationsUses and Gratifications

People actively seek and use those People actively seek and use those media messages that they personally feel media messages that they personally feel gives them somethinggives them something They use the media to get something they They use the media to get something they

wantwant They feel gratification when they get what They feel gratification when they get what

they wantthey want Such U&Gs can include to be amused, to Such U&Gs can include to be amused, to

find models to imitate, to see authority find models to imitate, to see authority figures inflated or deflatedfigures inflated or deflated

Social Learning TheorySocial Learning Theory

There’s no way a person can There’s no way a person can experience everythingexperience everything

The media provide information about The media provide information about the world and society that the the world and society that the individual can’t experience aloneindividual can’t experience alone

Can create a person’s reality: what Can create a person’s reality: what things are, how to think, how to things are, how to think, how to behave, how to interact with others, behave, how to interact with others, how to how to bebe in society in society

Cultivation AnalysisCultivation Analysis

Media messages tell people what the Media messages tell people what the world is like and how people respond to world is like and how people respond to what happens in the worldwhat happens in the world

An example is the An example is the mean world mean world syndromesyndrome: heavy users of the media : heavy users of the media think the world is a more violent, think the world is a more violent, dangerous place than it actually is dangerous place than it actually is because so many media messages because so many media messages contain violence (e.g., news, cop shows, contain violence (e.g., news, cop shows, dramas)dramas)

No one technique or theory No one technique or theory has all the answershas all the answers

All hypotheses start with assumptionsAll hypotheses start with assumptions Scientific hypotheses start with Scientific hypotheses start with

assumptions about the world that can be assumptions about the world that can be empirically checked and falsifiedempirically checked and falsified

Social science hypotheses start with Social science hypotheses start with assumptions about people that usually assumptions about people that usually can’t be empirically studied and are can’t be empirically studied and are taken as axiomatic (they’re true because taken as axiomatic (they’re true because I think they’re true and can’t prove it I think they’re true and can’t prove it one way or the other)one way or the other)

All are ways to examine All are ways to examine the media; none are the the media; none are the

final answerfinal answer