MASS MEDIA The aim of this tutorial is to help you learn to identify and evaluate mass media strategies and methods.

Mass media in the United States We live in an “information age,” which sees us assaulted by an overwhelming amount of data and information every day. The average American spends about nine hours a day using some form of mass media, either newspapers, television, cell phones, or surfing the internet. Many of us accept this information uncritically, choosing to interpret this information as truth. This is a dangerous assumption, and as good critical thinkers we must learn critical thinking skills that allow us to critically evaluate what we see, hear, and read. 2 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mass media’s rise  Mass media began with radio and magazines early in the twentieth century. Since then, visual media such as television, film, and the Internet have joined these older forms to profoundly shape our lives. Today, there are innumerable media choices, including cable television, satellite radio, and online media options.  While these media options have expanded, media ownership and control has contracted. Less than ten corporations now control most of the American media industry. 3 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The news media Long the number one source for news information, television news broadcasts and newspapers are steadily losing ground to new media sources, such as the internet. Also, they have shifted their programming away from reporting government and foreign affairs to entertainment, lifestyle, and celebrity-scandal news. As a result, Americans are no more informed than they were two decades ago, and in many cases, they are less informed. Americans have also become more skeptical about the reliability of news coverage. 4 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Problems with news media  In addition to the problems of coverage content, news media are prone to other problematic practices. These include lack of credibility, sensationalism, political or ideological bias, gender bias, lack of in-depth analysis, “pay-to-sway,” misinformation, and confirmation bias.  As critical thinkers, we cannot assume that the news media is presenting an unbiased and balanced coverage of an event. We need to keep in mind that the news being reported is to a large extent determined by the need to attract and keep advertisers and audience interest. 5 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Science reporting  Most of us tend to accept the truth behind “scientific” news and information. However, as with other forms of mass media, we need to remain skeptical and evaluate so-called “scientific” news just like other forms of media information.  News reporters are rarely scientifically-trained and sometimes make mistakes in scientific reporting. Scientific findings may also be sensationalized or misrepresented, such as when they present hypotheses as factual findings, or interpret news in light of cultural norms or racial and gender bias. 6 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Evaluating scientific reports in the media  When evaluating scientific reports in the media, the following questions are appropriate:  Who is making the claim?  What are the credentials and funding of the source?  What is the background of the reporter?  Where were the findings first published?  How are other authorities in the field responding to the claim?  Is the report biased? 7 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Internet The Internet’s impact on our daily lives cannot be overestimated. According to the American Freshman Survey, most college freshmen spend more time surfing the Internet than studying. Because of this growing, pervasive power and influence, it is crucial that we learn to think critically about what we see, hear and post on the Internet. This is particularly true when considering one of the most popular Internet-based tools used by college students, social networking sites. 8 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Social networking Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Friendster are growing phenomenally, profoundly reshaping social dynamics, particularly among young people. While these sites are useful communication tools, as critical thinkers we must learn to think about the consequences of what we post, and to whom. What attitudes and feelings are we communicating, both through our written and graphic postings? 9 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Social networking posts: points to consider  Before you post to a social networking site, ask yourself the following questions:  What is the goal or intent of this post?  Who is the intended recipient? Include both intentional and unintentional recipients in this consideration.  What information is being conveyed?  What attitudes/feelings are being conveyed in both written and graphical content?  Does the message being posted enhance or move me closer to my life goals? 10 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Media literacy  Media Literacy is the ability to understand and critically analyze the influence of the mass media on our lives, as well as the ability to use different media forms to access information. Media literacy is important in a democracy, where we are expected to participate in discussions of issues and make informed political decisions.  To foster media literacy skills, employ the three-tiered model of thinking – experience, interpretation, analysis. 11 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Evaluating media messages  When analyzing media messages, consider the following questions:  What type of media do you use, and how often?  Who created the message?  What is its purpose?  What techniques are used to attract and hold your attention?  What values and points of view are represented in the message?  What was your reaction to the message?  Why did the message make you feel this way?  Is your interpretation reasonable and well-informed?  How might others interpret the message differently? 12 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Evaluating media messages (continued)  When analyzing media messages, consider the following questions: (continued)  Is the message biased?  Is the message backed by good reasoning and facts?  What are the possible effects of the message on individuals and society? 13 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Conclusions Beginning with radio and magazines, and now including the Internet, mass media have greatly increased our access to information. However, all these forms of mass media must be critically evaluated to ensure accuracy, balance, and depth of analysis. Sound critical thinking skills, in particular the development of media literacy, are essential in this process. 14 © 2010, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.