Media worlds and their cultural impacts

¶ … Parallels in Journalism Studies

Culture

Chapter 11 by Coleman et al. is primarily concerned with the importance and methods of agenda setting in mass media, communication, and journalism studies. Agenda setting is a set that should come very early on in the production process of media for critical reasons. Without an agenda, the media lacks direction. Without an agenda, it is nearly impossible to judge or evaluate the success of a piece of media. Agenda setting is like knowing one's audience: if a media producer or journalist does not know his/her audience and lacks a concise & clear agenda, then there really is no point in producing such a piece of media. It would be a waste of time and resources. According to this chapter, agenda setting did not begin in mass media specifically nor journalism. Methods and research into agenda setting in the United States began with several presidential election campaigns that took place during the latter half of the 20th century. Furthermore, according to the authors, agenda setting serves more than just a direction for media, but additional serves to produce kinds of affects upon audiences, specifically emotional affects. This is part of the power of agenda setting. In fact, an agenda may be a simple as creating a piece of media to elicit or produce a specific emotion in the audience. Such practices are evident and commonplace in areas such as marketing and advertising in the 21st century.

Chapter 13 follows a similar line of thinking as its focus is factors and effects of newsframing. Newsframing in simple terms is the how the production process, aesthetic, and content of media intentionally and unintentionally affects audiences. Newsframing like agenda setting is just as important or even part of knowing one's audience. Culture is relative and what is successful in one culture is repulsive or offensive in another. The authors specifically define and differentiate a frame as:

A frame repeatedly invokes the same objects and traits, using identical or synonymous words and symbols in a series of similar communications that are concentrated in time. These frames function to promote an interpretation of a problematic situation or actor and (implicit or explicit) support of a desirable response, often along with a moral judgment that provides an emotional charge. (Entman et al., Chapter 13,-Page 177)

Newsframing requires repeated messages or at least a series of related messages. Newsframing does not necessarily occur with a single message. Newsframing could take the form of network news or even commercials. Like agenda setting, newsframing depends on intention, planning, and research. Haphazard newsframing makes for nearly worthless or useless meaning. These chapters stress to journalism, communications, and media students (and professionals) the necessity for preparation no matter what the type of media is.

McNair takes on the issue of journalism and democracy in chapter 17. Journalism certainly has democratic roots and democratic purposes, but there are countless examples throughout world history of journalism that is skewed and distorted, lacking and antithetical to democratic ideals & practices. Early on in the chapter, McNair establishes a theme that he draws out over the course of his work. The idea is that the development of journalism in of itself parallels the development of democratic societies and cultures. Therefore, a reader may infer that perhaps a society with no journalism or with heavy restrictions on journalists and the media, is not democratic. Journalism comes from the urge to educate, entertain and inform. Journalism has always been a dangerous vocation, not only because of places journalists travel to write their stories, but also very much because of the content of the stories themselves. Sometimes though, in very heated and dangerous situation, journalists are one of the few groups of people who are allowed safe passage and access to dangerous or rare or amazing situations, places, people, and information. Journalism students and professionals should remember the history and the connection to democratic practices as part of their journalistic practice as well. Like other chapters discussed in the paper, McNair has a very strong sense and grasp of world history and how cultural shifts influence modes of expression and communication such as journalism and mass media.

In chapter 21, Ward writes upon a very closely related topic to journalism and democracy, which is ethics in journalism. This is very serious issue that can confuse journalists and can have serious consequences or affects upon audiences, as journalism students who are abreast of world press may well know. Journalism is a profession where ethics are often in questions and if journalists lack ethics, certainly it is their choice, but that choice will have repercussions. Not only does the chapter discuss the notion of ethics and ethics in journalism, the chapter additionally explains the five stages in the development of ethics in journalism as well as four approaches to the study of ethics in journalism today. Thus, even if one is a new journalism student, one understands that the issue of ethics is not one to be taken lightly, and that there is vigorous research and guidance toward a standard of ethics or ethical code by which journalism professionals are expected follow or at least of which they should be aware.