Notes on Media and Social Problems

The Mass Media

  • Definition and Importance

    • The mass media serves as a major social institution with increasing importance and influence in shaping societal perspectives.
    • It shapes public definition and understanding of social problems.

  • Functions of Mass Media

    • The media socially constructs perceptions of various societal issues.
    • Acts as "gatekeepers" that strategize what information is disseminated or neglected regarding social problems.

  • Moral Entrepreneurs

    • Defined as individuals or groups who advocate for particular issues, aiming to draw public attention to those issues.
    • Engage in the process of claims-making, where various groups compete to have their social issues recognized and responses elicited from authorities.
    • Use the mass media to circulate and legitimize their claims.
    • Examples include local opinion leaders and leaders of interest groups.

  • Media Theories

    • Magic Bullet Theory (Hypodermic Needle Theory)

    • Describes media consumers as passive, uncritical recipients of content.

    • This theory aligns with Mills' ideology, portraying consumers as "TV Zombies" who believe everything broadcasted.

    • Example: A commercial prompting a consumer to buy a product creates an image of direct, unquestioning consumer behavior.

    • Critique: The theory oversimplifies media effects and undermines individual agency.

    • Active Audience Theory

    • Acknowledges audience members as active interpreters of media content based on their varying experiences.

    • Uses and Gratification Paradigm

    • Focuses on the psychological or social needs that media content fulfills.

    • Identified areas of needs include:

      • Information and Education
      • Entertainment
      • Personal Identity (Reference Groups)
      • Integration and Social Interaction

    • Two-Step Flow Theory

    • Suggests information flows from media to local opinion leaders, who then relay it to their audiences.

Current Trends in Mass Media

  • Media Conglomeration

    • Describes the process where a single corporation acquires ownership of various unrelated businesses.
    • Noted examples of major conglomerates (referred to as the "Big Six") include:
    1. Comcast
    2. Walt Disney
    3. AT&T
    4. Paramount Global
    5. Sony
    6. Fox

  • Moral Panic

    • Defined as a situation where societal fears about a social problem are disproportionate to the actual danger it presents.
    • The media may both promote panic and act as a catalyst for these fears.
    • Exaggeration by media leads to moral panic when:
    • Uncommon or statistically rare occurrences are highlighted.
    • Journalists overstate the extent or severity of a social problem by using sensationalist terms, e.g., "Constitutional…"

Media and Product Representation

  • Product Placement

    • Occurs when manufacturers pay to have their products used or mentioned within film or television contexts.
    • Example: Tobacco companies might pay to have characters smoke their brand of cigarettes in movies.

  • Gender Advertisements Research

    • Conducted by Erving Goffman, a symbolic interactionist, studying how media advertising depicts gender and gender roles.
    • Analyzed over 500 advertisements to identify patterns in how males and females are portrayed.
    • Key findings include the following contrasts:
    1. Feminine Touch
      • Women depicted touching objects, people, or themselves in soft and delicate manners, suggesting fragility.
    2. Ritualization of Subordination
      • Implies a hierarchical relationship through positioning in images; those placed higher appear superior.
    3. Licensed Withdrawal
      • Women portrayed psychologically removed from situations, indicating reliance on others.
    4. Male Representation
      • Men depicted with serious facial expressions, standing upright and without signs of subordination, generally looking confidently at the camera.
      • Suggests a dominant and independent portrayal, contrasting the portrayal of women.