Media and Technology Lecture Notes

Final Exam Format

• Structure: Combination of multiple choice and true/false questions.
• Total Questions: 41 questions.
• Coverage: Non-cumulative; will include material introduced after Midterm 2 up to the final class.
• Duration: 1.5 hours.

Perspectives on Technology

• Technology is a complex and multifaceted concept.
• There is no single definitive way to define technology.
• Historically, the study of technology began in technical fields.
• However, technology significantly influences the social world, necessitating an analysis of the interplay between social processes and technological developments.
• Understanding technology is crucial for comprehending media dynamics.

Definition of Technology (Quan-Haase, 2016)

• Definition: "Technology is an assemblage (or configuration) of material objects, embodying and reflecting societal elements, such as knowledge, norms, and attitudes that have been shaped and structured to serve social, political, cultural, and existential purposes." (Quan-Haase, 2016, p.9)

Political Economy of Media

• Main Areas of Focus:
  • Ownership: Public vs. private ownership of media.
  • Policy: The regulatory frameworks guiding media operation.
  • Globalization: The impact of globalization on media.

Ownership of Media

• Public Media:

  • Owned by the government.
  • Examples: CBC, NFB, TVOntario.
  • Funded through government financing and advertising.

• Private Media:

  • Owned by commercial firms.
  • Examples: Bell, Rogers.
  • Majority of media is private; focus on survival and profit.
  • Critical viewpoint: media content is influenced by profit motives, not public service.

• Types of Ownership Patterns:

  • Horizontal Integration: Ownership of similar businesses across different locations (e.g., a company owning several newspapers across Canada).
  • Vertical Integration: An entity controls multiple stages of media production (e.g., Quebecor with TVA and Videotron).
  • Cross-Ownership: A company owning multiple types of media (e.g., Bell Media with CTV and TSN Radio).
  • Conglomerate Ownership: A single company owning media and non-media businesses (e.g., the Irving Group with its various sectors).

Concerns Regarding Ownership Concentration

• The concentration of media ownership raises concerns about the diversity of content and perspectives in media.

Cultural Studies of Media

• Focus on representation in mainstream media:
  • Analyzing how various social groups are represented across media platforms.
• Critical interpretation and the resistance to mainstream media messages.

Representation in Mainstream Media

• Mainstream media comprises newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV channels owned by government or private entities.
• Media messages often reflect dominant ideologies and social structures.
• Underrepresentation:
  • Working-class, women, and ethno-racial minorities often experience poor representation in media.
  • This can lead to significant underrepresentation and misrepresentation.

Explaining Underrepresentation

• Hall's Encoding Theory (1980):
  • Dominant ideologies become embedded in media content unintentionally due to various factors.
  • Example: In 2014, only 17% of women were featured in top films, indicative of less powerful groups in media production.

Interpreting and Resisting Mainstream Media

• Hall’s Decoding Models:

  • Dominant-Hegemonic: Audience accepts the preferred meaning.
  • Oppositional: Audience rejects the intended message and may reinterpret it.
  • Negotiated: A blend of acceptance and rejection; audience finds contradictions.

• Research (Morley, 1980, 2006): Audience decoding is influenced by class and social position.

• Resistance through Alternative Media:

  • Defined as communications forms used by subordinate groups to present messages that challenge the dominant ideology.