COMMON THREADS
In telling the story of mass media, several plotlines and major themes recur and help provide the big picture—
Developmental stages of mass media. How did the media evolve, from their origins in ancient oral traditions to their incarnation on the Internet today? What discoveries, inventions, and social circumstances drove the development of different media? What roles do new technologies play in changing contemporary media and culture?
The commercial nature of mass media. What role do media ownership and government regulation play in the presentation of commercial media products and serious journalism? How do the desire for profit and other business demands affect and change the media landscape? What role should government oversight play? What role do we play as ordinary viewers, readers, students, critics, and citizens?
The converged nature of media. How has convergence changed the experience of media from the print to the digital era? What are the significant differences between reading a printed newspaper and reading the news online? What changes have to be made in the media business to help older forms of media, like newspapers, transition to an online world?
The role that media play in a democracy. How are policy decisions and government actions affected by the news media and other mass media? How do individuals find room in the media terrain to express alternative (nonmainstream) points of view? How do grassroots movements create media to influence and express political ideas?
Mass media, cultural expression, and storytelling. What are the advantages and pitfalls of the media’s appetite for telling and selling stories? As we reach the point where almost all media exist on the Internet in some form, how have our culture and our daily lives been affected?
Critical analysis of the mass media. How can we use the critical process to understand, critique, and influence the media? How important is it to be media literate in today’s world? At the end of each chapter, we will examine the historical contexts and current processes that shape media products. By becoming more critical consumers and more engaged citizens, we will be in a better position to influence the relationships among mass media, democratic participation, and the complex cultural landscape that we all inhabit.
KEY TERMS
The definitions for the terms listed below can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The page numbers listed with the terms indicate where the term is highlighted in the chapter.
communication, 6
culture, 6
mass media, 6
mass communication, 6
digital communication, 8
senders, 9
messages, 9
mass media channel, 9
receivers, 9
gatekeepers, 9
feedback, 9
selective exposure, 10
convergence, 11
cross platform, 12
narrative, 14
high culture, 17
low culture, 17
modern period, 26
Progressive Era, 27
postmodern period, 27
media literacy, 30
critical process, 30
description, 32
analysis, 32
interpretation, 32
evaluation, 33
engagement, 33
35
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Culture and the Evolution of Mass Communication
The Development of Media and Their Role in Our Society
Surveying the Cultural Landscape
Critiquing Media and Culture
QUESTIONING THE MEDIA
LAUNCHPAD FOR MEDIA & CULTURE
REVIEW WITH LEARNINGCURVE LearningCurve, available on LaunchPad for Media & Culture, uses gamelike quizzing to help you master the concepts you need to learn from this chapter.
target="_pop"VIDEO: THE MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY This video traces the history of the media’s role in democracy, from newspapers and television to the Internet.