Audience theory 2

 

1) Social learning theory has been criticised for simplifying the causes of violence in society. Do you think the media is responsible for anti-social behaviour and violence?

No I think that its based more on your environment in real life

2) How is social learning theory relevant in the digital age? Are young people now learning behaviour from social media and the internet? Give examples.

Children will see things online and try to copy it for example they will see superhero's and try to act like them to watch tutorials

3) Research three examples of moral panic from the last 50 years. To what extent was the media responsible for these moral panics? Was the concern in society justified? How have things changed as a result of these moral panics?

People thought that violent videogames would make their children violent

People thought that heavy metal rock music would also make their children violent

I think that the media made them seem like a huge issue even though it wasn't 

4) Read this introduction to an academic paper on technopanics. What examples are given of technopanics that create fear in society? If the link is blocked in school, you can access the text here.

The paper

5) Do you think the internet should be regulated? Should the government try and control what we can access online?

I think in some cases it should with age restrictions to make the internet safer for children however it its very hard to regulate

6) Apply Gerbner's cultivation theory to new and digital media. Is the internet creating a fearful population? Are we becoming desensitised to online threats, trolling and abuse? Is heavy internet use something we should be worried about in society? Write a paragraph discussing these ideas.

The internet is creating a fearful population because the media and opinion leader exaggerate some things and focus the blame onto them and make problems seem bigger than they really are so that people are more interested in what they have to say. I think now people are becoming desensitised because we have access to everything all of the time 

The effects debate: Media Factsheet

Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 030 - The Effects Debate available on the Media Shared drive. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. You can also access it via your school Google login here.

Read Media Factsheet 030 - Media and Audiences -The Effects Debate and answer the following questions:

1) Complete the questions in the first activity box (beginning with 'Do you play violent games? Are you violent in real life?')

no

yes

yes

2) What are the four categories for different effects theories?

direct effect theories 

diffusion theories

indirect effect theories

pluralist approach

3) What are the examples provided for the hypodermic needle theory - where media texts have been blamed for certain events? 

Marylin Manson

4) What was the 1999 Columbine massacre? You may need to research this online in addition to the information on the factsheet.

It was a school shooting

5) What are the reasons listed on the factsheet to possibly explain the Columbine High School massacre?

alienation that was felt by the teenagers

easy access to fire arms

desensitisation to violence

6) How does the factsheet describe Gerbner's Cultivation theory?

media affects our attitudes not our behaviour

7) What does the factsheet suggest about action films and the values and ideologies that are reinforced with regards to violence?

things get more complicated

8) What criticisms of direct effect theories are suggested in the factsheet?

direct effect theories - too simplified

diffusion theories - opinion leaders can come in many forms

indirect effect theories - times have changed and so have peoples values

pluralist approach - based on unrealistic assumptions

9) Why might the 1970s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour be considered so controversial today? What does this tell us about Reception theory and how audiences create meanings?

It will be seen as offensive

10) What examples are provided for Hall's theory of preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings?

preferred - when the intended meaning is accepted by the audience

negotiated - a broad acceptance with some personal modifications

oppositional - when the intended meaning is rejected by the audience