Theories and Effects of Mass Communication

In the media effects debate, these arguments for limited media influence have logical countries:

• media content is make-believe; people know its not real.
• media content is only play or entertainment.
• media simply hold a mirror to society.
• if media have any influence, it is only in reinforcing preexisting values and beliefs.
• media influence only the unimportant things like fads and fashions.

Three dichotomies characterise the different sides in the effects debate:

• micro- versus macro- level effects.
•  administrative versus critical research.
• transmission versus ritual perspective on communication. 

In understanding mass communication theory we must recognise that:

• there is no one mass communication theory.
• theories are often borrowed from other fields of science.
• theories are human constructions and they are dynamic.

Developments in mass communication theory are driven by advances in technology or the introduction of new media, calls for their control and questions about their democratic and pluralistic use.

The four major eras or mass communication theory are mass society theory, limited effects theory, cultural theory, and the meaning making perspective. the latter two mark a return to the idea of powerful media effects.

Media literate individuals are themselves good mass communication theories. 

media consumed this week:

• social media
• instant messaging
• newspapers

Advertising

advertising has been a part of commerce for centuries, but it became an industry in its own right with the coming of the american civil war and industrialisation.

Advertising suffer from a number of criticism it is:

• deceptive.
• intrusive.
• it exploits children.
• it demeans and corrupts culture.

Advertising is also considered beneficial:

• it supports our economic system.
• provides information to assist buying decisions.
• supports our media system.
• improves our standard of living.

Advertising agencies typically have these departments: administration, account management, creative, media, market research, PR.

There are different types of advertising:

1. institutional or corporate.
2.  trade or professional.
3. retail.
4. promotional retail.
5. industrial.
6. national consumer.
7. direct marketing.
8. public service. 

Regulation of advertising content is the responsibility of the Federal Trade Commission, which recognises that an ad can be false if it lies outright, does not tell the whole truth, or lies by implication. puffery, the entertaining little lie is permissible. 

There are several ways to measure an ad's effectiveness copy testing, consumer juries, forced exposure, recognition tests, recall testing, and awareness tests. 

The interaction of converging technologies and changes they drive in how, when and why people consume them is reshaping the economics and creativity of the advertising industry as well as its relationship with consumers.

reshaping of the industry has led to calls for better measure of effectiveness, such as engagement, return on investment and performance based advertising. 

Advertisers must also deal with consumers increasingly segmented not only by their media choices but also along demographic and psychographic lines. 

The advertising industry is increasingly globalised. 

Public Relations

Public relations tells an organisations story to its publics and helps shape the organisation and the way it preforms.

• history of PR:
• early PR.
• propaganda publicity stage.
• early two way communication.
• advanced two way communication.
• evolution of public relations has been shaped by advances in technology, the growth of middle class, growth of organisations, better search tools, and professionalisation. 
• publics served by the PR industry include:
• employees.
• stockholders.
• communities.
• media.
• government.
• investment communities.
• customers. 
• PR firms provide multiple services: 
1. community relations
2. counseling
3. development and fund rising
4. employee/member relations
5. financial relations
6. government affairs
7. industry relations
8. issues management
9. media relations
10. marketing communication
11. minority relations
12. multicultural affairs.
13. special events
14. public participation and research

Advertising executes an organisation's communication strategy; public relations provides several important management functions.

Firms usually are organised around an executive, account executive, creative specialist, and media specialist. Larger firms typically include research, government relations, and financial service professionals. 

Globalisation, specialisation, and convergence are reshaping contemporary PR. 

Trust in PR is essential in the industry is to perform its role for its clients and publics.

Recognising video news releases is an increasingly important media literacy skill.

Media consumed this week:

• instant messaging
• social media
• newspapers. 

The Internet and the World Wide Web

• the idea of internet came from the military hoping to maintain communication in times of enemy attacks.

• PC or personal computers were developed by bill gates and steve jobs. 
• e-mails, IM (instant messaging), VoIP(voice over Internet programming) and the WWW are the most useful facilities by the internet.
• the web relies on a system of hosts, browsers, and search engines to bring users to websites characterised by URLs.
• the WWW and internet technology implies on Marshall McLuhan's concept, the global village where everyone in the world is connected to everyone.
• one other concept of his is that the media and the WWW are extensions of our bodies.
• freedom of expression is an important aspect of the internet usage.
• problems of the internet revolve around technological and informational gaps.
• the internet and the WWW especially with their power to reshape all the mass media raise multiple issues for media literate users hoping to effectively make their way in an interconnected world.

Media consumed this week:

• instant messaging.
• newspapers.
• books.