McQuails Mass Communication Theory 4th Edition Denis McQuail Page 4: On the significance of Mass Media In respect of culture,

the mass media: Constitute a primary source of definitions and images of social reality and the most ubiquitous expression of shared identity; Are the largest focus of leisure time interest, providing the shared cultural environment for most people and more so than any other single institution. The conduct of democratic (or undemocratic) politics, nationally, depends, more and more on mass media, and there are few significant social issues which are addressed without some consideration of the role of the mass media, whether for good or ill. As will appear, the most fundamental questions of society those concerning the distributions and exercise of power, the management of problems and the processes of integration and change all turn on communication. This is especially true of the messages carried by the public means of communication, whether in the form of information, opinion, stories, or entertainment. Page 5 Media and theory of society The media constitute a separate social institution within society, with its own rules and practices, but subject to definition and limitation by the wider society. Thus, the media are ultimately dependent on society, although they have some scope for independent influence and they may be gaining in autonomy as their range of activity, economic significance and informal powers grow. Page 6 Basic differences of approach Critical theory seeks to expose underlying problems and faults of media practice and to relate them in a comprehensive way to social issues, guided by certain values. Media centric theory sees mass media as primary movers in social change, driven forward by irresistible developments of communication technology. Humanistic versus scientific; qualitative versus quantitative; and subjective versus objective. Page 7 The four types of [media] perspectives can be briefly described as follows: 1. A media-culturalist perspective involves giving primary attention to content and to the subjective reception of media messages as influenced by the immediate personal environment. 2. A media-materialist approach emphasizes the structural and technological aspects of the media.

3. A social culturalist perspective emphasizes the influences of social factors on media production and reception and the functions of the media in social life. 4. A social-materialist perspective sees media and their contents mainly as a reflection of political-economic and material conditions of the society (e.g. class differences) as factors. Page 8 Operational Theory Refers to the practical ideas assembled and applied by media practitioners in the conduct of their own media work. In the case of the media it helps to organize experience on many questions such as how to select news, please audiences, design effective advertising, keep within the limits of what society permits, and relates effectively to sources and audiences. Everyday or common sense theory of media use, referring to the knowledge we all have from our own personal experience with media. This enables us to understand what is going on, how a medium fits into our daily lives, how different genres are intended to be read, as well as how we like to read it, what the differences are between different media and media genre, and much more. It supports the ability to make critical judgments. All this, in turn shapes what the media actually offer to their audiences and sets both directions and limits to media audiences. For instance, it enables us to distinguish between reality and fiction, to read between the lines or to see through the persuasive aims and techniques of advertising and other kinds of propaganda. Page 9 The audience member has a set of repertoires and understandings, loosely related to the way the media present themselves and picking up ideas widely current about the media, such as that they can be a window on the world or a forum for free speech. Page 11 In the past (and in some places still today) society-wide public networks were provided by the church or by political organizations, based on shared beliefs and usually based on a hierarchical chain of contact. This extended from the top to the base and employing diverse means of communication ranging from formal publications to personal contacts Intragroup (for instance, family) and interpersonal levels, attention has usually been given to forms of conversation and patters of interaction, influences, affiliation (degrees of attachment) and normative control. Intrapersonal level, communication research concentrates on the processing of information (for instance, attention, perception, comprehension, recall and learning)

the giving of meaning and possible effects (e.g. on knowledge, opinion, self identity and attitude). Page 13 Mass communications comprises the institutions and techniques by which specialized groups employ technological devices (press, radio, films, etc.) to disseminate symbolic content to large, heterogeneous and widely dispersed audiences. Page 14 The word communication is really equated with transmission, as viewed by the sender, rather than in the fuller meaning of the term, which includes the notions of response, sharing and interaction. Everyday experience with mass communication is extremely varied. It is also voluntary and usually shaped by culture and by the requirements of ones way of life and social environment. Page 15 The media institution is located in the public sphere, meaning especially that it is open in principle to all as receivers and senders. The media deal with public matters for public purposes especially with issues on which public opinion can be expected to form; they are answerable for their activities to the wider society (accountability takes place via laws, regulations and pressures from state and society). Although the media can exert influence and achieve effects, the media institution is formally powerless (there is logical relation between this absence of power and the large degree of freedom. Page 40 The most obvious feature of the mass media is that they are designed to reach the many. Page 424 Main kind of media induced change The media can; Cause intended change Cause unintended change Cause minor change (form or intensity) Facilitate change (intended or not) Reinforce what exists (no change) Prevent change Any of these changes may occur at the level of the individual society, in situation or culture.

Page 435 Contextual factors in the portrayal of violence The nature of the perpetrator The nature of the target The reason for violence The presence of weapons The extent and graphicness of the violence The degree of realism of the violence Whether the violence is rewarded or punished The consequence of the violence Whether humour is involved in the violence

Page 441 Typical elements and sequences of a panic campaign Collective source Socially approved goals several channels Many messages Variable reach of target group Filter conditions Variable information processing Effects achieved Page 41 The mass communication process Large scale distribution and reception One directional flow Asymmetrical relation Impersonal and anonymous Calculative or market relationship Standardized content Page 43 Mass culture Non traditional Non elite Mass produced Popular Commercial Homogenized

Page 61 Media, society and culture: connections and concepts For present purposes, the domain of society refers to the material base (economic and political resources and power), to social relationships (in national societies, communities, families, etc.) and to social roles and occupations that are socially regulated (formally or informally). The domain of culture refers primarily to other aspects of social life, especially to symbolic expression, meanings and practices (social customs, institutional ways of doing things and also personal habits). Society as the base and culture as superstructure. We (that is, all of us) can reflect on society only through ideas which have location (as defined above) in the sphere of culture. Society, as we experience it. Is constituted out of the meanings we give to material experience.