Mass Media 8 aspects to consider in our

Mass Media 8 aspects to consider in our course this semester

The eight aspects are. . . • Their importance • Demassification • Primary Mass Media • Conglomeration • Globalization • Media Models • Media Melding • Economics

Their importance • “Studying the media gives people the tools to know whether the media are living up to their potential as facilitators of democracy. ”

Importance of Mass Media • 1. Pervasiveness • 5. Persuasion • 2. Citizenship • 6. Binding influence • 3. Information source • 4. Entertainment source

Primary Media • Print – Newspapers – Books – Magazines

• Radio • Television • Computers • WWW combines text, audio, still and moving visuals.

Chemical Media • Film – “silver halide” most efficient as storage medium and can be projected effectively.

Mass Communication Models • Marshall Mc Luhan--Canada, 1950 s • “Hot” media require thinking, involvement – Newspapers, books, magazines • “Cool” media require little effort – TV, radio

Models continued • Entertainment -information model • A dichotomy • All media can entertain, inform and persuade

Elitist Populist Model • Elitist-Populist Model

Elitist-Populist Model • Elitist – media have obligation to improve, better raise public consciousness – educate, uplift, refine culture. – Responsibility: provide cultural & intellectual leadership • Populist – marketplace decides – give people what they want

Push-Pull Model • Push media • Pull Media • Active • Passive • Thrust messages at you; beepers, ad banners • Receivers are on • You steer them • TV, Radio

Economics of Mass Media • Two ways to sell media products: • 1. Advertising support – advertisers pay for access to customers – movie makers use “product placement to pick up advertising directly – direct payment

• 2. Circulation revenue – Direct audience payment--HBO, subs – Audience donations – Private support – Government subsidies – Auxiliary enterprises--A newspaper may sell newsprint from its paper factories in Canada.

“Economic Imperative” • Means that you must make money • The principle at work when TV shows are cancelled due to low ratings. • Promotions

Upside and downside • Free press • Independent press • Hard to get certain themes on air • Media won’t investigate their co’s • Who owns the “free” press?

US Media Landscape • 12, 227 radio stations – Average is 5 per household • 1, 564 TV stations • $40. 8 billion in Adv revenues – 70% to TV; 30% to radio • 84% have VCR’s • $123. 4 billion total stock market value of Fox, (News Corp) Walt Disney and CBS

Factoids about Cable • • 11, 800 cable systems. Time Warner cable the largest. Telecom Inc is largest MSO. 67. 4% US HH subscribe to cable. 50% of cable wired HH have >30 chs. Cable costs average $27. 43 a month HBO first satellite channel--1975 Industry revenues about $29 billion.

Some thoughts about kids and TV • TV is on 7 hours 9 minutes a day. • Children 2 -17 watch TV 3 hours a day • 1, 392 crime stories on ABC/CBS/NBC eve. news in 1998. • From 1996 -1998 in Prime Time – 5% increase in violence – 30% increase in foul language – 42%increase in sexual content

The Internet • • 35% of US population use Internet 57 % Internet users are men 71% purchasing online by men. $1. 3 billion spent by teens and kids to buy goods online in 2002 (projection) • $128. 4 billion total stock market value of American Online, Inc. , May 1999

Media Demassification • • No longer seek mass audiences Radio began to demassify in 50 s Now target segments of market share Use demographics, psychographics

Effects of Demassification • Advertisers bypass media to reach audiences. • Alternative media--narrowly focused adv – – – Direct mail Point of purchase TV commercials Grocery stores Place-based media Doctor’s offices Telemarketing

Consequences • Tendency – Revenue base will change. – Mass media will lose advertising support. – Did you see Blair Witch. com?

Media Conglomeration • Big advantage--stability through periods • Media ownership changing • Business mgmt. “experts” run media enterprise; quality of media suffers • Mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, corporate ownership

Top Six US Media Companies • • • Time Warner News Corps Telecommunication, Inc. GE-NBC Disney ABC Microsoft

Media Monopoly or Not? • Monopolies – Justice Dept Needs evidence of “collusion” to fix prices – Microsoft investigation

Dubious Effects of Conglomeration • • Potential for self serving inherent Agenda is profits! Not ideology. Negative impact on diversity: sameness Quality suffers: fewer people do more work. People are laid off. • Newsgathering suffers

Positive Effects of Conglomeration • US book industry financially stronger • Builder-entrepreneurs committed to media and its traditions

Media Globalization • “Globalization”--international conglomerate acquisition for media holdings • 1. Transnational ownership • 2. “anonymous superpowers” which threaten US cultural autonomy • 3. Can adopt local strategy and respect national character and cultural tradition.

Media Melding--8 primary media in transition • Digitization--process that compresses, stores and transmits data: --text, sound, video… • Intracorporate Synergy--TV networks that rely on one another’s productions; joint ventures between Hollywood film studios and TV networks. Partners, not competitors.

Final Thoughts on Chapter One • Correlation between media use, education and prosperity key to development

The First Amendment • “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ”