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Communication (mass and otherwise…): 

Communication (mass and otherwise…) January 23, 2007

Media in our daily lives: 

Media in our daily lives

Let’s step back from media for a moment: 

Let’s step back from media for a moment What happens when we communicate?

The famed “transmission” model: 

Sometimes called the “conduit” model (why?) A linear model Let’s discuss! information source transmitter/ sender signal receiver destination message received signal noise source The famed “transmission” model

How Baran represents the model: 

How Baran represents the model

A competing model: “encoding/decoding”: 

(Stuart Hall, 1980) encoding programme as ‘meaningful discourse’ decoding frameworks of knowledge relations of production technical infrastructure frameworks of knowledge relations of production technical infrastructure A competing model: “encoding/decoding”

Reflecting Hall’s ideas…: 

Reflecting Hall’s ideas… Osgood and Schram Model of Communication

And another model: “relevance”: 

And another model: “relevance” Volunteers from the audience…?

What all comm models have in common: 

What all comm models have in common Core idea underlying communication: message

Some message-focused definitions of communication: 

Some message-focused definitions of communication Creating and using symbol systems that convey information and meaning through messages The process of human beings sharing messages, whether… for information, persuasion, or entertainment in verbal or visual form intentional or unintentional

Let’s focus on the “sharing” part: 

Let’s focus on the “sharing” part Communication doesn’t happen if I talk And you don’t listen Or if you don’t understand We communication only when meaning is shared as a result of the message-making (and “sending”) process

Multiple levels/modes of “communication”: 

Multiple levels/modes of “communication” Interpersonal Group Public Mass

Interpersonal communication: 

Interpersonal communication 1-to-1 Roles constantly in flux (speaker/hearer) 2-way communication! Interactive Constant feedback Limited impact (only on the participants) Message (usually) crafted with specific hearer in mind

Some traditional components of mass communication: 

Some traditional components of mass communication 1-to-many (often) 1-way! Operates on large scale Messages publicly transmitted Messages directed toward large, heterogeneous, anonymous audiences The “mass” part: a quantity or aggregate of considerable size

Elements of mass communication (ctd.): 

Elements of mass communication (ctd.) (often) message is received simultaneous to transmission But why/when might it not be? (often) message is received simultaneously by multiple (or all?) audience members But why/when might it not be?

Another crucial mass comm component: 

Another crucial mass comm component Gatekeepers! Producers of messages who determine what message is, who it’s intended for, how it will be delivered Examples, please?

Interpersonal vs. mass seems simple…: 

Interpersonal vs. mass seems simple… …but where do you put WWW? Instant messaging? Books with enclosed CDs? Talk radio shows taking listeners’ calls? A direct (“junk”) mail offer addressed to you personally?

Perhaps more useful…: 

Perhaps more useful… Degree of mediation (which appears to be inversely proportional to degree of interactivity)

A continuum: 

A continuum ESP/telepathy Face-to-face (1-on-1) conversation Telephone Answering machine (voice-mail) Writing a letter Text message E-mail from a friend E-mail from a listserv Radio Newspaper Magazine Television Movie Book CD

Is interactivity possible…? : 

Is interactivity possible…? At the “most mediated” end of the spectrum Is there interactivity? Baran talks about “inferential feedback” Producers of media texts get ratings, journalistic criticism, etc. But usually only after the transmission And in limited form

So what does medium (or mediation) mean?: 

So what does medium (or mediation) mean? Steaks Shirt sizes Séances Traffic islands These things are all BETWEEN other things: in the middle

Thus, media of communication…: 

Thus, media of communication… are not only technologies or systems or devices or channels or “carriers” of messages (means of sending information) are, crucially, between one thing and another an interposed device

Each medium is, indeed, between: 

Each medium is, indeed, between But between what and what? Consider a TV news broadcast What various mediations are at play?

What happens when something is between?: 

What happens when something is between? More pointedly, when the channel of communication is between source and recipient? Is a medium merely a window? Is it simply a mirror, reflecting us back to ourselves? Is it a shaper of message (and culture)? even a distorter? All of these? We must always bear this middle-ness in mind!

Back to our continuum: 

Back to our continuum ESP/telepathy Face-to-face (1-on-1) conversation Telephone Answering machine (voice-mail) Writing a letter Text message E-mail from a friend E-mail from a listserv Radio Newspaper Magazine Television Movie Book CD

So, now, rather than simply interpersonal vs. mass: 

So, now, rather than simply interpersonal vs. mass Non-mediated (or minimally) vs. mediated (or maximally) Under non-mediated: talk, ESP Under mediated Interpersonal (“mediated interpersonal”) Mass (“mediated mass”) Converged (“mediated converged”)

What’s an example of “mediated interpersonal”?: 

What’s an example of “mediated interpersonal”? Phone Conference call E-mail Instant messaging Text messaging

What’s an example of (mediated) mass?: 

What’s an example of (mediated) mass? TV Radio Newspaper Magazine Books, movies, sound recordings

“Media convergence”: 

“Media convergence” Media are rarely self-contained Each medium Incorporates aspects of others Is about others Works with others Usually refers to intersections of computer, telephone, and mass media technologies

Putting it all together: 

Putting it all together

But what are the media?: 

But what are the media? Forms/channels of communication? Businesses? Ways of knowing? Cultural mirrors and shapers?

What is “culture,” anyway?: 

What is “culture,” anyway? Learned behavior of members of a social group Socially acquired (not inborn) and transmitted patterns of meanings traditions, lifestyles, values, beliefs Ways in which people live and represent themselves in particular historical times

The argument media studies scholars make: 

The argument media studies scholars make In 21st-century Western society The media—as much as, or more than, any other influential institutions in our lives—construct, convey, reflect, and transmit our culture

Overriding objective of this course: 

Overriding objective of this course Increase our own media literacy ability to understand and make productive use of the media in our lives understanding of mass communication processes and industries awareness of influences on media and, in return, awareness of their influences on us individually and culturally

Another important focus of this course: 

Another important focus of this course The role of media in a democracy Government by the people . . . . . . in which the supreme power is vested in the people as the source of political authority

A healthy democracy…: 

A healthy democracy… Requires the active participation of interested citizens And before participation, awareness of what’s going on! How do most of us know what’s going on In Helena? In Washington DC? In Baghdad?

Part of our involvement…: 

Part of our involvement… Means watching over the role and impact of the mass media Something all of us can do Not just professional media critics!

But we can never forget: 

But we can never forget Media are businesses Usually for profit Beholden to shareholders as well as public(s) For each medium we look at, we’ll see patterns But here’s a quick overview

Business structures: 

Business structures Monopolies Oligopolies Limited competition

Monopoly: 

Monopoly ONE firm dominates or exclusively controls production and distribution True of phone businesses until 1980s True of cable here?

Oligopoly: 

Oligopoly a FEW firms dominate an industry Little competition from independents True of just about every medium we’ll look at

Limited competition: 

Limited competition a/k/a “monopolistic competition” Many producers or sellers, but few differentiable products Independents offer same stuff as big boys Pizza sellers in Grand Avenue

Let’s look at the “big boys” of media: 

Let’s look at the “big boys” of media

Time-Warner: 

TELEVISION Networks WB Network HBO Cinemax Time Warner Sports Comedy Central CNN TBS TNT Cartoon Network Turner Classic Movies Court TV Production New Line Television Turner Original Productions Warner Bros. Television Looney Tunes Hanna-Barbera Cable Systems Time Warner Cable PUBLISHING Books Time Life Books Book-of-the-Month Club Little, Brown & Co. Bulfinch Press Back Bay Books Warner Books Oxmoor House Magazines Time Life Fortune Sports Illustrated People Entertainment Weekly In Style Ski Travel & Leisure Popular Science DC Comics Mad Magazine MUSIC The Atlantic Group Rhino Records Elektra Entertainment Grp. London-Sire Records Warner Bros. Records Warner Music International Time Life Music Columbia House Giant (Revolution) Records Maverick Qwest Records RuffNation Records Sub Pop Records Tommy Boy Records FILM Warner Bros. Studios Castle Rock Entertainment New Line Cinema Fine Line Features INTERNET AOL Compuserve Netscape AOL Moviefone Digital City Mapquest.com RECREATION Sports Atlanta Braves Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Trashers Turner Sports World Championship Wrestling Goodwill Games Time-Warner

Viacom: 

TELEVISION Networks CBS UPN MTV Networks Nickelodeon Nick-at-Nite TV Land CMT TNN (Spike TV) VH1 Showtime Networks The Movie Channel Sundance Channel FLIX BET Production Paramount Spelling Entertainment Big Ticket Television Viacom Productions King World Productions PUBLISHING Books The Free Press MTV Books Nickelodeon Books Simon & Schuster Pocket Books Scribner Touchstone RADIO Networks Infinity Broadcasting (manages Westwood One Radio networks) Metro Networks Stations Infinity Broadcasting (owns and operates over 180 radio stations) FILM Production Paramount Pictures MTV Films Nickelodeon Movies Theater Operations United Cinemas Intl. Paramount Theaters Famous Players Video Blockbuster INTERNET MTVi Group CBS Internet Group Nickelodeon Online BET.com Contentville.com OTHER Famous Music Publishing (copyright owners) Theme Parks Paramount Parks Infinity Outdoors/ TDI Worldwide (the largest outdoor Advertising group in US) Star Trek franchise Viacom

Walt Disney Company: 

TELEVISION Networks ABC The Disney Channel SoapNet ESPN A&E The History Channel Lifetime E! Production Buena Vista Television Touchstone Television Walt Disney TV, Animation RADIO ABC Radio Networks Radio Disney ESPN Radio 27 Radio Stations PUBLISHING Books Walt Disney Co. Books Hyperion Books Talk/Miramax Books Magazines Discover, Disney ESPN, US Weekly (50%) Daily Newspapers County Press (MI) Oakland Press and Reminder (MI) Narragansett Times St. Louis Daily Record MUSIC Buena Vista Music Group Hollywood Records Lyric Street Records Mammoth Records INTERNET Buena Vista Internet Group: ABC.com, ABCNews.com Oscar.com, Disney.com Family.Com ESPN Internet Group NFL.com NBA.com NASCAR.com Soccernet.com (60%) Infoseek (43%) Toysmart.com (majority stake) FILM Walt Disney Pictures Touchstone Pictures Hollywood Pictures Caravan Pictures Miramax Films Buena Vista Home Entertainment RECREATION Sports Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Anaheim Angels Theme Parks Disneyland Walt Disney World Disney-MGM Studios EuroDisney , Disneyland Japan, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's California Adventure, Disney Cruise Line Theater Walt Disney Theatrical Productions Walt Disney Company

News Corp.: 

TELEVISION Networks - U.S. FOX Broadcasting Company FOX News Channel FOX Kids Network FOX Sports (partial in some markets) The Health Network FX National Geographic's cable channel (50%) Golf Channel TV Guide Channel (44%) Stations 22 Fox affiliated stations PUBLISHING Books HarperCollins General Book Group Regan Books Amistad Press William Morrow & Co. Avon Books Magazines TV Guide (partial ownership) The Weekly Standard Maximum Golf Newspapers New York Post (U.S.) The Times (U.K.) The Sun (U.K.) News of the World (U.K.) The Australian (Australia) The Herald Sun (Australia) The Advertiser (Australia) RADIO Fox Sports Radio Network SPORTS Los Angeles Dodgers New York Knicks (partial ownership) New York Rangers (partial ownership) Los Angeles Kings (partial ownership) Los Angeles Lakers (partial ownership) Dodger Stadium Staples Center (partial ownership) Madison Square Garden (partial ownership) INTERNET TheStreet.com (partial ownership with New York Times Co.) Healtheon/WebMD Corp. (partial ownership) FILM Twentieth Century Fox Blue Sky Studios Fox Searchlight Pictures News Corp.

Bertelsmann: 

TELEVISION Production/ Distribution UFA Film & TV Production (Germany) Trebitsch Production (Germany) Delux Productions (Luxembourg) Cinevideo (Canada) Holland Media House (Netherlands) First Choice (U.K.) Stations 16 stations in Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, England, Poland, Hungary PUBLISHING Books Ballatine Publishing Group Bantam Doubleday Dell Bertelsmann Publishing Book-of-the-Month Club (management) Crown Publishing Group Doubleday Fodors Travel Publications Knopf Publishing Group Random House Inc. Magazines Gruner & Jahr Child Family Circle (majority) Fitness Inc. McCall's (majority owner) Parents (majority owner) YM (majority owner) RADIO FM Radio Ntwk (Germany) MUSIC Arista Records BMG BMG Music Publishing BMG Music Service RCA Records Bad Boy Records LaFace Records Time Bomb Records Windham Hill Group AOL Europe (partial ownership) Barnesandnoble.com (partial ownership with Barnes and Noble) CDNow Lycos Europe (partial ownership) Napster (partial stake) INTERNET Bertelsmann

GE/NBC-Universal: 

TELEVISION Production/Distribution Universal Television Group: NBC! Multimedia Entertainment Brillstein-Grey Entertainment (partial owner) USA Networks Inc. (partial owner) Canal+ (Europe) FILM Production/Distribution Universal Studios October Films (partial owner) United International Pictures (partial owner) Cinema International BV (partial owner) MUSIC Universal Music Group: MCA Records Polygram Island/Def Jam Motown Decca Records Geffen/DGC Records Universal Records Interscope Records Rising Tide INTERNET Universal Studios New Media Group VivendiNet Vizzavi (European multi-access portal) PUBLISHING Havas Press (France) TELECOMM Cegetel (a leading private French wireless operator) Vivendi Telecom International GE/NBC-Universal

In sum: the media are: 

In sum: the media are Sources of entertainment and information (“carriers” of message) Components of, or impediments to, a healthy democracy Ways of (influencing) knowing Businesses The way we spend our waking hours All at the same time! And eminently worthy of our scrutiny

So how was the deprivation exercise?: 

So how was the deprivation exercise?