1. Mass Communication: A Critical Approach
Chapter 1

2. Shared Cultural Experiences
Shared experiences are not as prevalent in media anymore
“Mass” media may become a thing of the past
More individual experiences with media and new generation
Similar experiences and the hashtag ‘#’

3. Culture and the Evolution of Mass Communication
Creation and use of symbol systems that convey information and meaning
Culture:
The symbols of expression that individuals, group and societies use to make sense of daily life and to articulate values
Mass Media:
The cultural industries (channels) of communication that produce and distribute products to the masses

4. Eras of Communication
I. Oral II. Written III. Print IV. Electronic V. Digital

5. Oral and Written Eras (1000 BC to Mid-15th Century)
Oral communication--passed on by poets, teachers, and story tellers
Socrates and Plato and oral debates
Critics of modern media: TV, phones and Internet mean that we are once again silencing public debate and discouraging face-to-face communication

6. Written Era
Creation of alphabets and words encouraged written communication
Became popular, causing a class division among the literate and illiterate…people put their fate in the literate

7. The Print Era 14th-17th Cenury
Print Revolution with the 14th century invention of moveable type by Gutenberg
The Print Era supported more centralization rather than independence

8. Gutenberg’s Printing Press

9. Electronic Era 19 Century-20th Century
The move from print to the Information Age began with the development of the telegraph (1840s)

10. Digital Era---20th Century
Digital communication—Images, texts , and sounds are converted into electronic signals (binary numbers) that reassemble as a precise reproduction of a TV picture, magazine article, song, or telephone voice
is replacing US Mail (especially defying border boundaries, like International mail) and also controlling/censoring messages
Social media: Changed oral communication AGAIN (Facebook—750 million users)
The media user is more in control (used to have to watch program at scheduled airtime---now Hulu, DVR, and On-Demand)
Viewing videos and pictures (digitally) from friends and family (YouTube, Movie Maker, Snapchat, FaceTime)

11. Stories: The Foundation of Media
Stories we seek and tell are changing in the digital era.
Reality TV and social media dominate.
Ordinary citizens are able to participate in, and have an effect on, stories told in the media. (Citizen Journalism)
Media institutions and outlets are in the narrative business.

12. Daily Media Consumption by Platform (2015)

13. Media Convergence in Digital Era
Two definitions:
Merging of content across different media channels
(ex. TV broadcast streamed on Internet)
Cross platform: businesses delving into
various media (ex. Disney)
*Google makes more money selling ads than producing content

14. Models of Communication: Linear vs. Cultural
Linear: Explains the process of a message from one point to another
Cultural: Explains the complexity of that process
Recognizes individuals bring diverse meanings to messages
Audiences affirm or rejects messages and stories flowing through various media channels
Selective Exposure: People seek messages responding to their own cultural beliefs

15. Linear Model
Noise > Sender Receiver <

16. Cultural Model