Setting the Agenda

Agenda Setting is the last theory I will get to blog about. It’s all about the media influencing what we talk about, what we think about, and what we like to discuss. What plays on our TV and radio stations puts issues and events at the forefront of our minds. Agenda Setting can also be related to the concept of ‘framing’ or choosing specific details of a story to include in order to spin the story a certain way. The media has an element of control when it comes to this theory- they can choose what they want to show or more importantly, what they think is important enough to share with the rest of us.

What’s been on our minds recently? I know for me the Japanese earthquake and subsequent radiation scares have been hard not to think about. The media has placed stories about Japan on their front pages, in news coverage on TV, and spread out all over the Internet. It’s a natural disaster, and people tend to want to hear about disasters. Any bad news is more appealing for some reason then the happy news. You see and hear more about abductions and shootings then successful meetings or peaceful resolutions. So, the disaster for the earthquake that hit Japan has been all over the news. The media is choosing to share these stories about the effects of the quake and relief efforts because they deem it important. They are effectively setting our agenda.

In this way they act as gatekeepers between us and the world around us.

Another example of this happening is the coverage of Libya’s revolution overshadowing similar events in other countries. Even though Syria is experiencing comparable trouble, the word has not spread about the unrest of that nation. Majority of us are focused on Libya, because a majority of the news stories are about Libya.

Discussions that I’ve been hearing are centered on events such as the ones that happened in Japan and Libya. My friends discuss these events because they have heard about them, and enjoy talking about something they know about. They also use facebook to spread information, so I’ve seen more then enough status updates about the situation in Japan. The media shares information with us, and we absorb that information, talking and sharing with other people around us.

My thinking is that anyone who wants to be unbiased and well informed about the world should want to overcome this theory. Why would we allow ourselves to be controlled by the media? Do we ultimately trust their judgment of what is important? Do their tastes align with ours? The only way I can think of to avoid the media setting the agenda for us is to find unbiased sources of information, from varied and diverse places.





References

Gate picture: http://bradwhitt.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/gate.jpg 

Cultivation Theory

Can the media cultivate us? All of the theories I’m looking at are about the influence media has, but I feel like the cultivation theory has a more direct impact than the others. Whereas the hypodermic needle and multi step flow theory talk about influencing our actions, the cultivation theory talks about an internal influence on our perspective of the world. The theory says that heavy exposure to media “imparts a worldview that is consistent with the world presented in the media” (Straubhaar 417). So if you’re watching violent films or news stories about rape, murder, and kidnapping- you will have a skewed perception of the world, overestimating the chance of violence in your life.

The show “Skins” is an MTV show about high school kids and the lives they lead. “The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness (including eating disorders), sexual orientation identity, substance abuse and death.” My belief is that the people who watch this show will feel like every high school experience is like the one in “Skins”. Seeing their behavior as normal will most likely make them behave (or let others around them) behave in the same way.

I found a video clip that proves my point. The actors and actresses answer questions about the show, firmly believing that they are representing an actual high school experience. What I want to know is what high school did they go to that they were surrounded by illness, substance abuse, and death everywhere they turned. It’s not fair of them, or MTV to portray the ’real world’ in that light.

Here's the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O56JVDUhhRU&feature=player_embedded


References

Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skins_%28TV_series%29 
Skins Picture: http://amysrobot.com/files/skins.JPG

Selective Reception

My mom used to tell me “you only hear what you want to hear”. Apparently a lot of people are like that in the world. There’s a belief that mass media audiences exercise selective exposure. They “avoid messages that are at odds with their existing beliefs” (Straubhaar 416) and only pay attention to messages that suit their needs or interests. I think people in general do have a hard time keeping an open mind about things so I see the validity in this theory.

Are you likely to spend time reading from a website against Obama or would you prefer to spend your time reading pro Obama material? 

Depending on your position regarding the President, you will only visit one site or the other. You will find messages that are consistent with your beliefs in order to reinforce your opinions, and feel good about the decision you have made.

Is this harmful behavior? In some ways I think it is. Selective exposure means you only get to see one side of an argument. Granted, you might be set in your ways regardless, but wouldn’t it be beneficial if more people spent time trying to understand where other people are coming from?

The media probably appreciate selective exposure- it makes targeting audiences that much easier. You send the message to people who will appreciate it, and your message becomes well received. With the media rewarding this behavior and conditioning us to exercise it regularly, it’s hard to imagine selective exposure ever going away.

Multi Step Flow Theory

The next theory on the list is much more relevant in today’s society and it is called the multi step flow theory. I’ve had the opportunity to learn about this theory in several of my communications classes, including Human Communication and Intro to Public Relations. This theory retains its validity today.

Multi step flow argues that most people are “influenced by the media secondhand, through the personal influence of opinion leaders” (Straubhaar p.416)

There are formal and informal opinion leaders, and these people form opinions and spread them to a greater audience. Through the spread of opinions, you can literally observe public opinion as it forms and solidifies- and that is a fairly astounding thing to me.

I’m going to lighten the mood and use a fashion trend to prove the existence of this theory: The rise in popularity of the Ugg Boot. Like many others I’m sure, upon initially encountering these oversize and simplified boots I shook my head and wondered what the person wearing them was thinking. I called them Ugg-ly boots. I’m sure not many people know that these boots have actually been made for almost 200 years. Their recent rise in popularity may have something to do with their appearance on Oprah’s favorite things list. They have made it on her list for three years in a row, and nowadays it’s almost impossible to avoid seeing them on campus. I even bought a pair, the biggest skeptic of all. (I did manage to avoid the sequins, opting for the natural brown instead)

A simple suggestion from a highly influential person has the capability and the inclination to spread like wild fire. If Oprah says they’re awesome- they. are. awesome. No questions asked. 

So my question is- what happens when an opinion leader leads everyone astray? What happens when the opinions they form are corrupt or downright ridiculous? Do people loyally follow absurd suggestions? Do opinion leaders get ‘kicked out’ of their position?

I want to look at Martha Stewart. In 2005 she was sent to prison for lying about the sale of stock. Most believed that it would be the end of her empire, but it wasn’t. She launched a comeback campaign and successfully restored her business to profitability. Say what?? I personally do not understand how this happened. I know that what Martha did wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but I believe that America as a whole can sometimes be too forgiving. Just look at Michael Vick. He gave an apology statement… and suddenly he returned to the NFL and is getting paid millions of dollars to play the game.

 Here is the youtube clip of his apology:

I believe that he is sincere, and I am inclined to feel sympathy for him. At least he owned up to his mistakes- but I don’t think they should have allowed him to return to the NFL in 2009. Am I being too harsh?

Other athletes have a broader influence as opinion leaders. They are adored and revered and their opinions matter to other people. Before his unfortunate incident Tiger Woods was a highly influential opinion leader. I’m sure he is hoping for a successful comeback like Martha Stewart’s.

With all the examples I’ve provided it is easy to see that the multi step flow theory is still relevant in today’s world.




References:

Martha Stewart article: http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/16/news/newsmakers/martha_sentencing/

Uggs Picture

http://shop.frostshoes.com/graphics/sparklesg_lg.jpg

Wildfire Picture

http://blog.ning.com/files/Wildfire%20Small.jpg

Media as a Hypodermic Needle

The Hypodermic Needle Theory, otherwise known as the Magic Bullet theory, is the first theory I will look at that has to do with the impact of media on our lives. Although its validity has been disproved, it was an influential and widespread belief when it first emerged. The basic premise is this: the media can control our thoughts, beliefs and most importantly, our actions. I guess back then they assumed we were a uniform body of vulnerable brains. An article on Wikipedia describes the symbolism of the needle like this:

 

 “the needle is meant to give a mental image of the direct, strategic, and planned infusion of a message into an individual”

You can see why people would have this view about the media. Straubhaar & LaRose use the war with Spain in 1898 as an early example of the theory. The exaggeration (and false accusation) in the media of Spain sinking a U.S. battleship pushed an angry United States into war. Propaganda in World War I also prompted a bunch of people to take action, and form opinions. The media was directly influencing society, and why wouldn’t it? Back when variety wasn’t as present in news coverage people could only get information from so many places. Lewandowski (2010) explains that the theory itself formally emerged after studies were conducted on the propaganda used in World War I, in the mid to late 1930’s.

Here is an example of World War I propaganda:

So does this theory have any relevance in today’s society? I’m willing to argue that it does (to a certain extent). Propaganda and persuasion still exist in today’s society. Persuading someone to think, feel, and act a certain way is what the hypodermic needle theory is all about. China is currently exercising this theory by using the media to suppress whispers of an anti-government rally. With all the protests occurring in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libyia, Chinese officials are increasing preventative measures. A local newspaper stated that people outside of China “were creating and spreading false news to incite illegal gatherings” and urged people to “protect stability” and ignore these temptations. China has intensified their propaganda in order to convince citizens that a protest or rally would be ill advised. I guess the Chinese will never really know if the call to protest came from inside or outside of the country, but Chinese officials are doing everything in their power to make people believe that a rally would not be successful, therefore influencing the actions of everyone they come in contact with.

References:

N Lewandowski. 2010. EHow. Magic Bullet Theory in Mass Media. 
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5408403_magic-bullet-theory-mass-media.html  

M&C. China intensifies propaganda against street politics. March 6, 2011. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1623963.php/China-intensifies-propaganda-against-street-politics

Needle picture

http://nabbycat.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/needle_pink.jpg

Propaganda picture 

http://web.viu.ca/davies/H482.WWI/poster.US.DestroyThisMadBrute.jpg

Uggs picture

http://shop.frostshoes.com/graphics/sparklesg_lg.jpg