communication studies class 6
conclusions concise media history
constants
new media seldom replace old
social use often differs from intended use by inventors
sontent/software often long time after invention/hardware
example: newspapers came long after printing press
introduction new medium leads to shifts public/private and time/space experience
often naw media and technologies lead to alarming reactions
variation: between media, space, time…
mass society
context mass communication research begin 20th c
historical context important to understand rise early mass communication research
rise mass media: new agencies of mass impression (especially radio)
moral panics, big direct power and impact of mass media
further industrialization, urbanization, literacy, secularization…
economic recessions, rising power labor movements, socialism
new political powers: rise fascism, national socialism (nazism), communism (Stalinism)
research into (war) propaganda
research often financed by governments
= many processes create sense of instability
MASS communication
MASS → negative undertone
large collection of individuals who have no personality
fragmented
without structure, order
impressionable, manipulative
they feel threatened by masses
Early perspectives on mass media
all powerful media
media associated with deceipt (propaganda, advertisements)
capitalisttic function
public relations, advertising, political campaign
media as scapegoat
moral panics
sensationalism, violence, crime, pornography
numbing, dumbing down
context mass society theory
Gasset, revolt of the masses (1930)
We don’t knpw what’s happening
dépaysé (removed from habitual surroundings)
terra incognita
…
sociological inspirations
geminschaft vs gesellschaft (Tönnies)
gemeinschaft (folk community
natural will
intimate, private, personal relations; strong family, kinship (blood relationship) ties
group welfare personal responsibility
tradition, rigid social roles (not a lot of social mobility); direct face-to-face contact; mutual interdependence
powerful basic institutions; unwritten norms, rules; order and meaning
gesellschaft (industrial society)
rational will
formal, impersonal, independent (individualism) relations; relatively weak social institutions
(average) people less dependent on elite influence
driven by competition, rational choice, self-interest
large urban industrial societies
psychological inspirations
behaviorism, early 20th c
learning theory/conditioning process
stimulus - response
sending out stimulus (a message or something)
reception through human senses
immediate reaction (response) of recipient (receiver)
reaction is learned, manifest, measurable, seeable
different learning theories and variations on S-R model (stimulus, response)
stimulus, response: key elements in communication process
stimulus-response applied to comm. studies
communication:
automatic response to pre-defined stimulus (the message)
reaction/response more than reflex
response through behavioral effects, largely defined by nature of stimulus
example:
hypodermic needle/syringe model
magic bullets
= media gives stimuli, create automatic response, influences their thinking
critiques
comm. process isolated and focused on stimulus
social context neglected
passive, helpless recipient
other environmental factors influence thinking
psychological inspirations (2)
psychoanalysis, Freud, early 20th c
explain unconscious mental processes and (irrational) behavior
3 core elements
id, self-centered, seeks satisfaction urges and desires
ego: develops, rational, learns how to think of desires and fullfilling them, controlling urges
superego: internalizing cultural rules, conscience
communication
media can make you switch off ego
appeal to id/superego (via propaganda for instance)
mass society theory
different ideas back then smushed together into mass society theory, people easily influenced by media
fundamental concept: mass
pejorative meaning (average people)
isolated, atomized, uniform individuals, prone to manipulation
strongly influenced by stimulus-response theory
media (power) symbol for everything bad in modern societies
society and media centrally organized
sensationalism, dramatization,k commercialization
waning (afnemend) community bonds and public debate
passive recipients, ‘bad taste’
fear of the unpredictable
media influence needs to be controlled
7 fundamental assumptions about media
media powerful, negative/destructive force within society (regarding identity, norms, values and such), needs to be restructured/controlled
media are able to directly influence people’s minds, transforming their views of social world
individuals passive (able and prepared to accept the message without criticism)
ordinary people vulnerable to media bc cut off and isolated from traditional social institutions like the family (alienation; loose bonds with family, small communities)
after transformation and corruption of the mind: bad consequences in longer term for individual and society
social chaos initiated by media, likely resolved by totalitarian social order (dictator)
mass media debase (verlagen) and threaten high culture, focus on little things, on what’s popular, resulting in general decline in civilization. Corruption of the people: they don’t pay attention to the high culture anymore
Some of these ideas still circulate, example
moral panic around AI
social media isolating with algorithms
social media leading to shorter attention span
critique:
not scientific, no systematic framework
little empirical proof
there were problems in gemeinschaft too
underrepresentation of positive developments: higher wages
simplistic, paternalistic (comes from elite), they wanted to preserve power (conservative bias)
exaggerated influence → is not how communication works, negative view
underestimates intelligence and competence of “average” people
underestimates personal, societal, cultural barriers to direct influence
concluding remark
nuancing mass society thinking
critique on ‘received’ history
caricature ↔ complexity and ambivalence
straw man function: delineating discipline post WWII
reduction of diversity: beyond stimulus-response
no monolithic (rigid and homogenous, not open to new ideas) block: multiple models, hypodermic syringes, bullets, variables…
one-sided lecture of sources ↔ diversity early 20th c thinking
underrepresentation alternative perspectives
propaganda
propaganda theory, Laswell
Laswell: propaganda = multiplication of stimuli that realize desired response, and nullification of stimuli likely to instigate undesired responses. Propaganda happens over a long time
it’s a systematic attempt to shape minds , many stimuli evoke a desired response
management of collective attitudes through manipulation of significant symbols
significant symbols manipulate right = shift in collective attitudes ( not mirror of attitudes, it can also alter them)
collective attitudes: shared pattern of behavior, prone to manipulation by use of significant symbols
significant symbols: impact upon patterns of valuation (schatting), expressive function (express attitudes), propagandistic function ((re)confirm and define attitudes
more complex than simplistic stimulus-response
function of propaganda
context (propaganda used for good)
social chaos bc of technological developments and societal conflicts
shared psychosis among people/cultures → prone to manipulation
vulnerable state of men provide breeding ground for succesful propaganda
→ control of propaganda and political communication required
responsibility of scientific technocracy
‘democratic ‘ management via ‘science of democracy’ and ‘engineering consent’ (just there’s control via science, democracy and political communication required)
use of propaganda techniques to ‘do good’
technique and strategy
management of attitudes concerning persons, groups, policies, institutions…
goals the propagandist wishes to realize regarding certain topic
→ requires creation of significant symbols to link emotions to these symbols (≈ conditioning process) (feelings of patriotism by flag, symbol, national anthem…)
→ step-by-step intensification of favorable attitudes, reversal of hostile attitudes, attract or neutralize indifferent attitudes (≈ cultivation)
→ complex and refined stimulus-response model
stimuli = cultural material with a recognizable meaning
make use of words, images, music… in function of targeted manipulation
critical propaganda studies
different paradigm in relation to Laswell and others
paradigm of propaganda analysis: progressive and humanistic approach
much broader approach to propaganda
critical study of rethoric and persuasive communication form democratic point of view
reveal corruption of power centers and their role in processes of manipulation
help citizens to understand and see through manipulation processes, increase democratic participation in society
audiences are competent actors that, however, need to be educated about new techniques of propaganda
research program
stimulate democracy and democratic public debate by supporting public opinion
via historical and critical case studies:
investigate and document manipulative communication practices
→ war propaganda, but also corruption by governments companies, public institutions…
identification of whose interests are being served
study ethical implications
disclose problems to protect the public and to let the public participate actively (≈ media literacy)
propaganda techniques
institute for propaganda analysis: identification of propaganda techniques and information for citizens
propaganda techniques:
name calling: attach negative connotation to an idea or person
glitering generality; positive attachment to an idea or person
transfer: connect idea or person with positive connotation
testimonial: use someone to connect values to something
plain folks: make a claim that everybody wants/likes/needs this
bandwagon: joint he majority
card stacking: selective selection of arguments in positive/negative light