Television Studies Topic 1

Left Wing Perspective of Television

a corrupting and enslaving instrument

Right Wing Perspective of Television

degradation of traditional moral and value (family and nation in danger)

Contexts of Television

• Historical context (WWII)

• Social Context (suburb life)

• Intellectual Context (mass media theories)

• Academic Context (the Frankfurt school)

Lasswell Model

Who (says) What (to) Whom (in) What Channel (with) What Effect

Cohen Key Elements/Stages in Moral Panic

1. Someone or something is defined as a threat values or interests

2. This threat is depicted in an easily recognizable form by the media

3. There is a rapid build up of public concern

4. There is a response from authorities or opinion makers

5. The panic recedes or results in social changes

Adorno/Horkheimer, Dialect of Enlightenment

Horkheimer and Adorno are saying that movies and radio pretend to be “just business,” and they use that as an excuse to produce low‑quality, repetitive content. They claim they’re only giving people what they want, but in reality, they create those wants through constant manipulation