Sociology and Media

Mass Media
The Public Sphere

Media Culture
Sociological Understanding
Pervasive media in our lives – the media saturated environment
Effects of mass
media?
Two views:
1) Non literate peoples have benefited

as television and radio make for a
more democratic flow of information-
John Fiske
2) Those who control television and

radio gained more control over society
by duping consumers who consume
their produced images.
Media operate in the context of other
media and we are aware that they are not
neutral in conveying messages.
In terms of information… a
documentary on the JFK assassination is
very different from Oliver Stone’s JFK,
which we may know is staged, but still
may influence our perception of the
historical event.
The way we rank media is based on

where that media stands in relation to
older and new media - and whether
they are primarily oriented toward
entertainment, news or information.
For example, news on the internet has

come to be associated with speed of
transmission and a global scope.
Mr. Marshall
- The medium is the message!
Hunter Biden Laptop Story video
The original sense of mass
audience was an
undifferentiated vast
audience of people with
little individuality.
Mass media is also

synonymous with the rise of
television.
Of course, now we have a

much more fragmented
audience…. A range of
multidirectional media and
choices for communication
have replaced an older
model of mass media.
Studying older technologies helps to put current issues in context
But, do analogies
across times and
technologies always
work?
What similarities or
differences can you
identify across these
images?
What do you think

matters more for
society?
Media, both news and
fiction, facilitate the social
sphere for public debate
and action.
We are also aware that the

broadcast media pitch their
shows to viewers with
buying power. Middle class
youth 13-26 are sought
after…
Thus we are influenced -

and we influence -
broadcast media in the
ways we use it.
The computer and Web allow
anyone to become and
author/producer, thus giving
rise to international
subcultures.
Satellite technology gave rise

to global communications and
the end of narrowcasting for
some 20 years, until
community television rose
again in the form of “minority”
networks appealing to narrow
demographics/cultures,
especially through cable
television.
There is no longer a single

mass audience, but perhaps
multiple audiences who are
the products of narrowcasting.
Critiques of mass media
Critics argue that the new electronic technologies
are powerful new tools for mass persuasion (or
propaganda) allowing for political oppression and
control.
Viewers, they fear, are gullible recipients of media

messages.
This chapter discussed one of the primary

examples of modern propaganda, Leni
Reifenstahl’s Triumph of the Will, a documentary
account of a Hitler rally in Sept 1934.
The point is that this film encourages overt

nationalism and idolatry of a political leader.
This film, along with the Nazi’s introduction of

television as something to be viewed collectively
in public spaces, helped forge a collective
ideology.
The collective practice of looking was a major tool

in Josef Goebbels’ propaganda ministry in Hitler’s
Germany.
A spin-off of this was the realization
that TV was a narcotic that was, by
unifying and consolidating masses
under a single political belief, was
replacing actual participation in
organized politics, hence leading to
more and more disaffection.
The Frankfurt School (Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Walter
Benjamin, Herbert Marcuse) criticized post WW2 capitalist and
consumerist orientation of popular media forms.
The culture industry creates and caters to a mass public that cannot
distinguish between reality and illusion.
They found the culture industry generates a false consciousness,

encouraging consumers to buy into the belief system that allows
capitalism to thrive. (They were strongly influenced as victims of the rise
of Nazi Germany in the 30s)
As universalists, the Frankfurt School used Marxist ideology to explain how the
dominant class who own the media, control the content and sell the masses ideas
that perpetuated the domination and oppression inherent in a capitalist economy.
They were concerned with the effects of the media on the masses, not vice versa.
They believed consumers of “high culture” (classical music, art in museums, an educated
viewer) stood above those of “low culture” whom they considered mindless dupes of culture
industry and industrial capitalism. (who loved popular music, “kitsch” art, and had low
education)
Frankfurt School’s belief in top-down
culture is weak in its universalizing
tendency and failure to note how
consumers of culture have distinct
negotiating patterns and are part of
many cultures.
In short, there is no unified mass

culture and a singular media industry.
The culture industry realizes this

and produces products for niche
audiences, including a counter-
hegemonic approach to challenge
dominant ideologies.
The mass media and democratic potential
Will new media serve as a promising tool for democratic ideals?

With such a diversity of programming possible how can we be sure about “public” culture?
Marshal McLuhan believed that media were simply extensions of our natural senses, helping
us to connect with distant communities and bodies.
Television and the question of
sponsorship
Broadcast advertising has been the US paradigm
for the media of radio and tv from the earliest years,
and serving the corporate sector’s interest was the
route preferred, not vice versa even though
“regulation” was allegedly in the public’s interest.
The consumer was to be exposed to the medium as

advertisement more than entertainment.
Television delivered people (audiences) to the

sponsors….
Since the 70’s explosion of
cable systems may have
multiplied the number of network
and program choices ie,
specialty channels, but it has
given rise to media
globalization as is seen by the
reach of CNN as a world wide
casting of news.
Britain’s government launched

the BBC in the 30’s and had a
monopoly on tv until the mid 50s
with the introduction of
commercial tv.
Public broadcasting model was also
adopted in Canada, France and
Germany.
In US the PBS network tried to be non

commercial and allowing for minority
viewpoints, but corporate sponsorship is
today very important for its survival,
even though voluntary viewer support is
there too.
Media and the Public Sphere
Viewers often experience interpellation, ie they
see themselves as members of a national
audience.
This is a reflection of what Jurgen Habermas

called ‘the public sphere’ which in the 19th c
was a physical place where middle class men
assembled to discuss matters of public interest,
but in the late 20th c this sphere is truly public,
involving women, minorities, the poor, etc. and
involves many media.
Is this a single public or a multiplicity of publics?
TV helps create the idea of a national culture

even though it moves images around the
planet. The tv talk show has gained inordinate
power in influencing public debate.
Authors fail to mention that the level of debate

and discussion tend toward the lowest common
denominator, not to the educated mind. This is
often referred to as “the dumbing down of the
American mind”
New Media Cultures
Traditional distinctions among
media are less definable; media
can be less monolithic and
centralized as we see with uses of
the WWW (web).
There are now many local and

national responses to what is seen
as American cultural imperialism.
Protest, media appropriation and

mediated debate are now the
opposing polarities to the old
centralized control of powerful
entities.
Nepali youtubers??

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Mass Media

The Public Sphere

1) Non literate peoples have benefited

2) Those who control television and

The way we rank media is based on

For example, news on the internet has

Mass media is also

Of course, now we have a

What do you think

We are also aware that the

Thus we are influenced -

Satellite technology gave rise

There is no longer a single

Viewers, they fear, are gullible recipients of media

This chapter discussed one of the primary

The point is that this film encourages overt

This film, along with the Nazi’s introduction of

The collective practice of looking was a major tool

They found the culture industry generates a false consciousness,

In short, there is no unified mass

The culture industry realizes this

Will new media serve as a promising tool for democratic ideals?

The consumer was to be exposed to the medium as

Television delivered people (audiences) to the

Britain’s government launched

In US the PBS network tried to be non

This is a reflection of what Jurgen Habermas

Is this a single public or a multiplicity of publics?

TV helps create the idea of a national culture

Authors fail to mention that the level of debate

There are now many local and

Protest, media appropriation and

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