Interconnection of Mass Media: Influence, Power, and Democracy

1. Tuesday, 07 January 2020 KQ: How are all the elements of Mass Media interconnected? Starter: What key words or concepts do these pictures represent? TIF: How can you link them together?

2. Keyword check! • Democracy • Apathy • Moral Panic & Deviancy amplification • Globalisation • Norm referencing

3. Politics & Socialization • As we are reading through the text: • underline all key concepts • circle all sociological evidence • draw an arrow to & label all sociological perspectives Explain what sociologists mean by political socialisation when studying the effects of the mass media on political opinion (4) Describe one way in which individuals or groups could use the internet in order to participate in the political process and explain how this might give them power. (5) Describe one way in which the mass media could have a negative effect on turnout in a general election and explain why this could be a problem in a democratic society. (5) Describe one way in which digital media have given more power to ordinary people and explain why this may cause problems for governments (5)

4. Describe one way in which the mass media could have a negative effect on turnout in a general election and explain why this could be a problem in a democratic society. (5) Keyword: Apathy = a lack of interest i.e. voter apathy means that potential voters have no interest in actually voting as they do not believe that the political parties listen to them or that their vote will make any difference.

5. Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the mass media are the most important agent of socialisation in shaping people’s political opinions (12 marks) Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the political views presented by the mass media are those of the rich and powerful in society. (12 marks) Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the rapid growth of the internet and other digital media has increased freedom of speech in our society (12 marks)

6. Keyword check! New media has made the UK more democratic New media has made the UK less democratic

7. Related pieces of crime and deviance are over-reported & given more prominence than otherwise would have been the case Media presents a distorted view of the level of crime Distorted view creates public concern This keeps the issue high on the public agenda MORAL PANICS The police want something done about the problem Police records reinforce the idea there’s more crime & deviance The police are more aware or sensitive to the problem so they discover more crime

8. My name is Stan Cohen…whenever you talk about moral panics you must refer to me and mods and rockers. Cohen (1972)

9. Look at these newspaper articles. What do you think might have happened? Why?

10. Mods & rockers started separating out Few groups of bored young people started throwing stones at each other Clacton – small holiday resort On East coast of England. Easter Sunday 1964 Windows broken, some beach huts wrecked – 2 unpleasant days MORAL PANIC/ DEVIANCY AMPLIFICATION Next day – sensationalist headlines in newspapers Further disturbances – Public outcry – Further arrests Media distorted what was going on – encouraged other young people to behave in the same way.

11. How do the London riots or recent terrorist activities fit within this layout, developed by Stanley Cohen (1972)? • The media focuses on a group, person or situation • There is repeated coverage of this • The issue is sensationalised (made out to be more sensational than it really is) • The issue is distorted and exaggerated • There is stereotyping and the creation of ‘folk devils’ • The media calls for action against the group, person or situation

12. Keyword check! How do the words moral panic and deviancy amplification link together? TIF: can you also include the words folk devil and copycat behaviour?

13. Mass Media & Globalisation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RHYeBML-mA

14. Advantages of the media being global... Social networking makes it easier to stay in touch with friends and family and share experiences Advanced technology allows us to communicate faster and more effectively International news and advertising makes us aware of what is happening around the world and increases our understanding of other cultures

15. Disadvantages of the media being global... The spread of culture and religion across nations has led to extreme acts of terrorism. Freedom of information can be inhibited if governments decide to limit what people have access to. Globalisation is expensive and is said to cause a divide between those who have and those who don’t. Spread of Americanised culture can lead to national identities being ignored

16. Keyword check! Explain what Sociologists mean by the term Globalisation when studying the mass media (4)

17. Who controls what information we receive? Pluralist approach – there are a range of different newspapers and tv channels owned by different people and each showing a range of different views. We (the consumer) influence what information we receive by choosing which newspaper to buy/tv channel to watch. We call this market power. Conflict approach – Press owners (gatekeepers) are in a strong position to put their own political views across and those that support their economic interests (e.g. favour those who donate money). The press is now mainly owned by multimedia conglomerates i.e. huge international companies with lots of different types of media such as tv, newspapers etc.

18. Agenda setting – the news media have the power to ‘set the agenda’ i.e. focus on some issues but ignore others. • Would this correspond with the conflict approach or pluralist approach? • What would be an argument against agenda setting? Norm referencing – the news media can influence the way we think of different types of people by presenting them in a positive or negative image. It also has the power to create folk devils. • Can you think of a subculture within society that has been presented in a negative image recently? Hegemony – A marxist theory stating that our mass culture (i.e. the culture of society) has been manipulated by the ruling classes & the gatekeepers to reflect what they want society to be.

19. Keyword check! Describe one process through which editors and journalists can influence what appears in the news and explain why this might lead to bias when covering an event. (5 marks)

20. Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the media encourages violence (12 marks) TV shows, computer games, deviancy amplification, hypodermic syringe approach, passive consumers, agent of socialisation… Decoding approach, uses & gratifications approach, active consumers… Other agents of socialisation e.g. secondary socialisation from peers…

21. Exam Questions - Socialisation • Describe one way in which the mass media stereotype males and explain why some sociologists might argue that this is a problem (5 marks) • Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the mass media represent gender roles in ways that reflect the reality in modern Britain (12 marks) • Discuss how far sociologists would agree that media representations of women are still largely stereotypical (12 marks) • Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the mass media are the most important agent of socialisation in shaping our identity (12 marks) • Discuss how far sociologists would agree that a person’s behaviour is directly affected by what they see or hear in the media (12 marks)