MDST 2020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Fourth Estate, Individualism, Some Cities
Week Two
Mass Media
Creates and produces content to sell to audiences or to earn income from advertisers
How it is changing
Traditional Mass Media
New Mass Media
ouser can interact (ie. Comment on online article)
Interactive Mass Media
What the Media Does
Provides us with information and news
Ie. Employment is up, there’s construction, weather issues, etc.
Representation or a mirror onto ourselves
Ie. shows where we stand, what’s fashionable, what’s in/not, etc.
Contributes to our socialization
How we acquire our values (ie. social, political, etc.)
Guardian of democracy/defender of public interest
watchdog for society (ie. All the Presidents Men)
Provides a stabilizing influence on society
Many of our habits are around the media
Ie. 6 o’clock news, Academy Awards, Olympics, Sunday football, etc.
Helps us make informed choices
Ie. Much of what we know about politics is gleaned from media
Allows public to be heard on issues
Ie. Showing protests/rallies is reflected back in media, makes politicians react
because of coverage
Foster debate and contributes to public opinion
Popular Perceptions
Overly romantic notions of media and democracy
relationship between democracy and media described as ‘social contract’
Democracy requires way for information to flow
Media needs independence
Media has to be free from state intervention, the government should not dictate
it
Democracy and Journalism
Media is democracy’s oxygen, it provides the fuel
Belief that they both have to work together
Media and Democracy in the Free Market
Media can provide conduit between state and citizens
But is this best accomplished through free market?
Free market changes the kind of information that circulates
Can restrict and undermine debate
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Creates and produces content to sell to audiences or to earn income from advertisers. New mass media: user can interact (ie. comment on online article) Employment is up, there"s construction, weather issues, etc. Ie. shows where we stand, what"s fashionable, what"s in/not, etc. How we acquire our values (ie. social, political, etc. ) Watchdog for society (ie. all the presidents men) Many of our habits are around the media. 6 o"clock news, academy awards, olympics, sunday football, etc. Much of what we know about politics is gleaned from media. Allows public to be heard on issues. Showing protests/rallies is reflected back in media, makes politicians react because of coverage. Overly romantic notions of media and democracy relationship between democracy and media described as social contract". Media has to be free from state intervention, the government should not dictate it. Media is democracy"s oxygen, it provides the fuel. Belief that they both have to work together.
