1. What do you think?
1. Does TV/film violence cause people to be more violent?
2. Do TV ads unduly influence children?
3. Do the media affect the way people vote in national elections?

2. Should….
4. TV/film producers lessen the violence aired?
5. TV/film producers be held accountable for violent behavior?
6. Children’s advertising be lessened or controlled?
7. Political material carried by media be controlled?

3. MEDIA EFFECTS
Early Theories
Magic Bullet or
Hypodermic Needle

4. MEDIA EFFECTS Magic Bullet Effect is or DIRECT SIMPLE
Early Theories
Magic Bullet Effect is
or DIRECT SIMPLE
Hypodermic Needle
Payne Fund Studies, 1929

5. MEDIA EFFECTS
Early Theories
Cantril Study

6. Cantril Study broadcasts differently
MEDIA EFFECTS
Early Theories
People
interpret
Cantril Study broadcasts
differently
War of the Worlds Broadcast, 1938

7. MEDIA EFFECTS Early Theories
Lasswell Model, 1948
Asked five questions:
Who?
Says What?
On Which Channel?
To Whom?
With What Effect?

8. Television’s Effect on Children
Major Studies
TELEVISION IN THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN,
First report that children spend more time with TV than school
Different children show different effects
No serious problems with TV

9. Television’s Effect on Children
Major Studies
TELEVISION AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
TV violence may lead to aggression in some children

10. Television’s Effect on Children
Major Studies
TELEVISION ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN
Called for ban on ads to very young
Many children don’t distinguish between programs and ads
By 6th grade children distrust ads

11. Television’s Effect on Children
Major Studies
TELEVISION AND BEHAVIOR
Televised violence can contribute to aggression (but can’t tell in whom or why)
Heavy viewers more fearful, less trusting
Cont.

12. Television’s Effect on Children
Major Studies
TELEVISION AND BEHAVIOR
Continued
Children who watch constructive programs more likely to act responsibly

13. Media’s Effect on Politics
Major Studies
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
1940, Radio, F.D. Roosevelt
Researchers followed 3,000 voters 6 months
8% converted by media
53% reinforced by media
14% activated to vote by media
Cont.

14. Media’s Effect on Politics
Major Studies
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
1940, Radio, F.D. Roosevelt
Continued
Family and friends had more effect than media
Opinion leaders provide/shape information

15. Media’s Effect on Politics
Major Studies
THE UNSEEING EYE: THE MYTH OF TELEVISION POWER
7% were manipulated by ads
16% were influenced by ads
Similar results to People’s Choice

16. Media’s Effects on Politics
Widespread belief that media has changed elections and election politics since 1960 televised debates.
vs.

17. Media’s Effects on Politics
BUT
No evidence exists to show media has changed voting behavior of large groups.

18. Media’s Effects on Politics Dependence on TV – National Elections
Reach large numbers quickly
Distances candidates from direct public contact
Expensive

19. Effects on Politics COST
1984
GOP spent $23.9 million
Democrats spent $21.5 million
1996
Both parties spend $40 million apiece.
COSTS HAVE DOUBLED IN 12 YEARS

20. EFFECTS ON POLITICS Swing Voters
Television effects millions of “swing” voters who have a “mild but open interest in dominant developments.”
Respond to what they see and hear
Reach conclusions on widely shared common experience
Wait for critical concern
Need ease of participation.

21. EFFECTS ON POLITICS Exclusion
WHO GETS LEFT OUT?
Those who can’t raise huge sums of money (or those who don’t have it to begin with)
Those who don’t look good on TV

22. EFFECTS ON CULTURE
Spiral of
silence

23. EFFECTS ON CULTURE
No Sense of Place — Joshua Meyrowitz, 1985
TV blurs distinction between men and women and children and adults.
More topics enter public dialogue.

24. EFFECTS ON CULTURE California Assessment Program, 1981
Correlation between hours spend watching TV and poor reading, math and writing scores

25. EFFECTS ON CULTURE
Women’s roles
Minorities
Alternative Lifestyles

26. Effects of Pornography No convincing evidence of harm
Major Commissions
COMMISSION ON OBSCENITY AND PORNOGRAPHY
No convincing evidence of harm

27. Effects of Pornography Pornography does cause harm
Major Commissions
REPORT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S COMMISION ON PORNOGRAPHY (Meese Commission, 1986)
Pornography does cause harm

28. MEDIA AS AGENDA SETTERS:
MEDIA EFFECTS
Recent Studies
Different people in different environments react to the media differently.
MEDIA AS AGENDA SETTERS:
Media don’t (can’t effectively) tell us what to think, but…
…do tell us what to think about.

29. 1984

30. 1984