Very cool video on Web 2.0

Oct. 22 Tutorial Notes

War of the Worlds

-make sure understand context: pre-war, after war and depression, took news flashes to be true. Contagious Panic: people crowding to the “scene” (previously deserted), having to be controlled by police and eventually becoming the “imaginary” scene of panic
-“some six million heard the Columbia Broadcasting System broadcast; 1.7 million believed it to be true, and 1.2 million were 'genuinely frightened'"

Lazarsfeld

-themes of today: empirical sociology, mid-20^th century media/communication studies, audiences (passive vs. active)
-huge impact on American sociology, mid-20^th century; emphasized empirical, quantifiable studies (conducted first scientific survey study of radio listeners)

Two-Step Flow

-came about because hypodermic needle model did not seem to reflect mass media communication (this model holds that an intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver – Nazi Germany, WOW)
-instead, Lasarzfeld and Katz thought that audiences were more active, agentic
-two step flow: mass media disseminates message, which is then actively construed/adopted/rejected by “opinion leaders” within community; rest of people then get their views/opinions about subject through opinion leaders
-opinion leaders: anything from computer technicians to magazine journalists to a friend who knows a lot about new technology (example of buying new iPod)

Diffusion of Adoption

-as per the two step flow, it turns out that people don’t form their opinions/most influenced directly through broadcast medium, but rather through opinion leaders and progressively through a sequence of adopters (early, secondary, tertiary, etc)
-criticisms: too simple; other things affect same/more; way technology is used differs from group to group (ie: advent of computers, hackers/hardware – early adopters to widespread use of PCs and Internet – tertiary use, differs greatly)

Uses and Gratifications

-Blumler and Katz: 1974
-basic idea: people use media to get specific gratifications (not helpless victims/passive audience to medium, but agentic, use media to fulfill various needs)
-Four areas of gratification:

1. Diversion – media text that provides escapism, covers one’s senses (ie: video games)

2. Personal Relationships – with the characters in a media text (though dangerous if put too much trust in them, ie: news reporter, take everything at face value)

3. Personal Identity – creation of identity from aspects of people they find attractive in media texts (ie: Jennifer Aniston haircut ). Can go a long way in shaping norms, fashions. (“skinny” obsession)

4. Surveillance – audience gains understanding of larger world around them (ie: news)

Slide Notes from Oct. 15

Crowds

• main idea (Freud): people act differently in crowds than they would individually

• contagion theory vs. convergence theory

Propaganda

•Messages (often emotive) aimed at influencing behaviour/opinions of large number

•Propagand (latin) – “that which ought to be spread”

•Negative connotation after WWI

Propaganda - Characteristics

•From obvious imagery to subtle debate

•Often emotive rather than rational

•Bias/Skewed (though not nec. untrue)

•Indoctrination – no critical reflection

•Repetition and Drowning out Alternatives

•Like PR, idea of promoting certain ideas to masses, but often though of as involving some level of deception, underhandedness

Sleeper Effect

•Carl Hovland

•“hidden” effects of message, even if from discredible source

•Forget the source, but not the message

•Shown to be unreliable as theory

Groupthink

•Circular reinforcement of group ideals

•Rationalized conformity

•High stress/Direct leadership often causes

•Challenger example

Exposure Effect

•Desire/Preference because of repeated/prolonged exposure

•Choose what you recognize over what you do not (even tenuously)

Spiral of Silence

•Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann

•Less likely to voice opinion one thinks is minority view

•Causes reinforcement of prevalent opinion

Propaganda - Where to Draw the Line?

Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.

(Jowett and O'Donnell, as qtd. on Wikipedia)

Conventional Interpretation of Propaganda:


But what about this?


Finally - have a look at this video montage: