The Reality of the Mass Media
01 Jan 2002-Journal of Communication Inquiry (Sage PublicationsSage CA: Thousand Oaks, CA)-Vol. 26, Iss: 1, pp 96-97
About: This article is published in Journal of Communication Inquiry.The article was published on 2002-01-01. It has received 292 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Mass media.
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01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, a modified version of Pierre Bourdieu's field theory is proposed to understand how media affects its key concepts, drawing an analogy between contemporary media's social centrality and the French state's "meta-capital" across and between all fields.
Abstract: Social theory (even when most concerned with media: ideological analysis, postmodern theory, systems theory) has failed to clarify how media affect its key concepts. The best starting-point is a modified version of Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory. While analysing media production as a particular field (or sub-fields) is not new, field theory as normally practised is less comfortable with the idea that media representations impact on all social space simultaneously – precisely the issue in understanding media power. The solution is to draw on Bourdieu’s less well known work on symbolic power and the state’s prescriptive authority, drawing an analogy between contemporary media’s social centrality and Bourdieu’s account of the French state’s ‘meta-capital’ across and between all fields. The resulting empirical research agenda is outlined and (in conclusion) a related theoretical issue (how do media affect Bourdieu’s notion of habitus?) is anticipated, which the author intends to treat in a separate article.
30 citations
TL;DR: The ways in which individuals interact with the collective as a whole are looked into, and the respective modes of operation of psychic and social systems will be examined, and "structural coupling” between these systems described.
Abstract: This article describes the phenomenon of knowledge building in online environments. Knowledge building is a process within a community, which leads to the development of knowledge. In order to analyze this process, we will look into the ways in which individuals interact with the collective as a whole. For this purpose, the psychic and social systems, which are involved here are regarded as meaning-based systems in the sense of Luhmann’s systems theory—open to the environment, but operatively closed. The respective modes of operation of psychic and social systems will be examined, and “structural coupling” between these systems described. Another characteristic of knowledge-building communities is self-organization, which is described here in the sense of autopoiesis. A pivotal task, which knowledge-building communities have to tackle, is to handle complexity and reach common understanding. These aspects will also be described using conceptualizations of Luhmann’s systems theory, illustrated by many examples.
30 citations
Cites background from "The Reality of the Mass Media"
...It will underline the relevance of Luhmann’s approach for communication and media sciences in general (Luhmann 2000; cf. also Grampp 2006, 2008) and understanding computermediated communication in particular....
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...Luhmann illustrates this point by referring to mass media (Luhmann 2000): one television show is followed by the other; the next edition of a newspaper will appear tomorrow....
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...Communication will only take place in this context if the persons who are involved understand what is going on and are able to continue the communication—at least, they have to be able to hear or read (Luhmann 2000)....
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TL;DR: In this article, a trans-sequential analysis of legal discourse is presented, focusing on perspective preparation and performance, file work and speech production, procedural history, and the field of presence.
Abstract: In the following discourse analysis, I crisscross the realms of text and talk to follow the microformation of legal discourse. How, I ask, does a barrister put together the case for a Crown Court hearing? This representational project, I argue, involves assorted artefacts (marks, modules, maps, or lists) that are consulted as resources on succeeding stages. The various sites of the microformation are the brief, the barrister's note book, and some confidential and staged speech events. The offered trans-sequential analysis of legal discourse puts into perspective preparation and performance, file work and speech production, procedural history, and the field of presence. I explore, above all, the unknown region in between judicial talk and textuality. In this way, in the article, I account for the complexity, contingency, and craft of criminal defense.
29 citations
Cites background from "The Reality of the Mass Media"
...(Luhmann, 2000, p. 102) The barrister invests considerable work into modulating both written and oral, old and new, friendly and hostile statements....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a Luhmannian reinterpretation of the evolution and functioning of governance via standards, and argue that standardisation can be understood as a mechanism of political steering in a growingly differentiated (world) society.
Abstract: The introduction of Luhmann’s System Theory to International Relations has been long overdue. In the last few years, articles by Donnelly (2012) and Buzan and Albert (2010) have started to discuss the application of the concept of differentiation to International Relations theory, and an edited book by Albert et al. (2010) has examined how systemic thought can reinvigorate the study of world politics. This article welcomes and continues these developments by proposing a Luhmannian reinterpretation of the evolution and functioning of governance via standards. The article argues that standardisation — involving the proliferation of standards but also of standardised instruments such as rankings, indicators and benchmarks — can be understood as a mechanism of political steering in a growingly differentiated (world) society. By considering standardisation as a systemic adaptation of the political system to a multifunctional environment, this article contests conventional economistic and power-based explanations where the ‘standardisation turn’ in global governance is a mere consequence of neoliberal globalisation, power struggles among states or some type of hegemonic logic. In this manner, the article suggests that Luhmann’s Systems Theory can provide a more encompassing framework to understand the operation of standards as an extension of politics beyond territory, and to frame the challenges of governing an increasingly complex world.
29 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the contribution of the concept of "minimal politics" to understand contemporary blogging and explored the smallest radically democratic practices of contesting what appears to be a current hegemonic formation, analyzing blog coverage of the publication of Thilo Sarrazin's book Deutschland schafft sich ab.
Abstract: This article explores the contribution of the concept of ‘minimal politics’ to understanding contemporary blogging. Politics is often used to refer only to state actions or to very rare ruptures to existing formations; citizens’ and social media are often only considered successful if they influence political leaders or lead to radical social change. The perspective adopted in this article, drawing on theories of agonistic democracy and hegemony, foregrounds the apparently quotidian ways in which current formations are destabilized. To explore the smallest radically democratic practices of contesting what appears to be a current hegemonic formation, the article analyses blog coverage of the publication in Germany of Thilo Sarrazin’s book Deutschland schafft sich ab. The book, celebrated by some sections of the media and population, argued that the genetic transmission of intelligence and the high number of Muslim immigrants in Germany was leading to the demise of the country. Analysis identified three str...
29 citations
Cites background from "The Reality of the Mass Media"
...By reflecting on, and contesting, media coverage in this way blogs are positioned as second-order observers (Luhmann, 2000), observing how others observe events....
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References
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Book•
18 Jul 2003
TL;DR: Part 1: Social Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Text Analysis 1. Introduction 2. Texts, Social Events, and Social Practices 3. Intertextuality and Assumptions Part 2: Genres and Action 4. Genres 5. Meaning Relations between Sentences and Clauses 6. Discourses 8. Representations of Social Events Part 4: Styles and Identities 9. Modality and Evaluation 11. Conclusion
Abstract: Part 1: Social Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Text Analysis 1. Introduction 2. Texts, Social Events, and Social Practices 3. Intertextuality and Assumptions Part 2: Genres and Action 4. Genres 5. Meaning Relations between Sentences and Clauses 6. Types of Exchange, Speech Functions, and Grammatical Mood Part 3: Discourses and Representations 7. Discourses 8. Representations of Social Events Part 4: Styles and Identities 9. Styles 10. Modality and Evaluation 11. Conclusion
6,407 citations
Book•
15 May 2000
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the issues in mass communication, and propose a framework for connecting media with society through a social theory of media and society, as well as four models of communication: power and inequality, social integration and identity, social change and development, space and time, and accountability.
Abstract: PART ONE: PRELIMINARIES 1. Introduction to the Book Our object of study The structure of the book Themes and issues in mass communication Manner of treatment How to use the book Limitations of coverage and perspective Different kinds of theory Communication science and the study of mass communication Alternative traditions of analysis: structural, behavioural and cultural Conclusion 2. The Rise of Mass Media From the beginning to mass media Print media: the book Print media: the newspaper Other print media Film as a mass medium Broadcasting Recorded music The communications revolution: new media versus old Differences between media Conclusion PART TWO: THEORIES 3. Concepts and Models for Mass Communication Early perspectives on media and society The 'mass' concept The mass communication process The mass audience The mass media as an institution of society Mass culture and popular culture The rise of a dominant paradigm for theory and research An alternative, critical paradigm Four models of communication Conclusion 4. Theory of Media and Society Media, society and culture: connections and conflicts Mass communication as a society-wide process: the mediation of social relations and experience A frame of reference for connecting media with society Theme I: power and inequality Theme II: social integration and identity Theme III: social change and development Theme IV: space and time Media-society theory I: the mass society Media-society theory II: Marxism and political economy Media-society theory III: functionalism Media-society theory IV: social constructionism Media-society theory V: communication technology determinism Media-society theory VI: the information society Conclusion 5. Mass Communication and Culture Communication and culture The beginnings: the Frankfurt School and critical cultural theory The redemption of the popular Gender and the mass media Commercialization Communication technology and culture Mass media and postmodern culture Conclusion 6. New Media - New Theory? New media and mass communication What is new about the new media? The main themes of new media theory Applying medium theory to the new media New patterns of information traffic Computer-mediated community formation Political participation, new media and democracy Technologies of freedom? New equalizer or divider? Conclusion 7. Normative Theory of Media and Society Sources of normative obligation The media and the public interest Main issues for social theory of the media Early approaches to theory: the press as 'fourth estate' The 1947 Commission on Freedom of the Press and the social theory of responsibility Professionalism and media ethics Four Theories of the Press and beyond The public service broadcasting alternative Mass media, civil society and the public sphere Response to the discontents of the public sphere Alternative visions Normative media theory: four models Conclusion PART THREE: STRUCTURES 8. Media Structure and Performance: Principles and Accountability Media freedom as a principle Media equality as a principle Media diversity as a principle Truth and information quality Social order and solidarity Cultural order The meaning of accountability Two alternative models of accountability Lines and relations of accountability Frames of accountability Conclusion 9. Media Economics and Governance Media 'not just any other business' The basics of media structure and levels of analysis Some economic principles of media structure Ownership and control Competition and concentration Mass media governance The regulation of mass media: alternative models Media policy paradigm shifts Media systems and political systems Conclusion 10. Global Mass Communication Origins of globalization Driving forces: technology and money Global media structure Multinational media ownership and control Varieties of global mass media International media dependency Cultural imperialism and beyond The media transnationalization process International news flow The global trade in media culture Towards a global media culture? Global media governance Conclusion PART FOUR: ORGANIZATIONS 11. The Media Organization: Pressures and Demands Research methods and perspectives The main issues Levels of analysis The media organization in a field of social forces Relations with society Relations with pressure and interest groups Relations with owners and clients Relations with the audience Aspects of internal structure and dynamics The influence of personal characteristics of mass communicators Role conflicts and dilemmas Conclusion 12. The Production of Media Culture Media-organizational activities: gatekeeping and selection Influences on news selection The struggle over access between media and society The influence of sources on news Media-organizational activity: processing and presentation The logic of media culture Alternative models of decision-making The coming of convergence culture: consumers as producers Conclusion PART FIVE: CONTENT 13. Media Content: Issues, Concepts and Methods of Analysis Why study media content? Critical perspectives on content Structuralism and semiology Media content as information Media performance discourse Objectivity and its measurement Questions of research method Traditional content analysis Quantitative and qualitative analysis compared Conclusion 14. Media Genres and Texts Questions of genre Genre and the internet The news genre The structure of news: bias and framing News as narrative Television violence The cultural text and its meanings Conclusion PART SIX: AUDIENCES 15. Audience Theory and Research Traditions The audience concept The original audience From mass to market Goals of audience research Alternative traditions of research Audience issues of public concern Types of audience The audience as a group or public The gratifi cation set as audience The medium audience Audience as defi ned by channel or content Questions of audience reach Activity and selectivity Conclusion 16. Audience Formation and Experience The 'why' of media use A structural approach to audience formation The uses and gratifi cations approach An integrated model of audience choice Public and private spheres of media use Subculture and audience Lifestyle Gendered audiences Sociability and uses of the media Normative framing of media use Audience norms for content The view from the audience Media fandom The end of the audience? The 'escape' of the audience The future of the audience The audience concept again Conclusion PART SEVEN: EFFECTS 17. Processes and Models of Media Effects The premise of media effect The natural history of media effect research and theory: four phases Types of communicative power Levels and kinds of effects Processes of media effect: a typology Individual response and reaction: the stimulus-response model Mediating conditions of effect Source-receiver relations and effect The campaign Conclusion 18. Social-Cultural Effects A model of behavioural effect The media, violence and crime Media, children and young people Collective reaction effects Diffusion of innovation and development The social distribution of knowledge Social learning theory Socialization Social control and consciousness formation Cultivation Media and long-term social and cultural change Entertainment effects Conclusion 19. News, Public Opinion and Political Communication Learning from news News diffusion Framing effects Agenda-setting Effects on public opinion and attitudes The elaboration-likelihood model of infl uence The spiral of silence: the formation of climates of opinion Structuring reality and unwitting bias The communication of risk Political communication effects in democracies Effects on the political institution and process Media influence on event outcomes Propaganda and war Internet news effects Conclusion EPILOGUE 20. The Future of Mass Communication Origins of the mass communication idea The end of mass communication? The survival of mass communication The consequences of new media for mass communication Conclusion
2,040 citations
TL;DR: The authors examines the point of journalistic production in one major news organization and shows how reporters and editors manage constraints of time, space, and market pressure under regimes of convergence news making, drawing connections between the political economy of the journalistic field, the organizational structure of multimedia firms, new communications technologies, and the qualities of content created by med...
Abstract: A paradox of contemporary sociology is that the discipline has largely abandoned the empirical study of journalistic organizations and news institutions at the moment when the media has gained visibility in political, economic, and cultural spheres; when other academic fields have embraced the study of media and society; and when leading sociological theorists have broken from the disciplinary cannon to argue that the media are key actors in modern life. This article examines the point of journalistic production in one major news organization and shows how reportersand editors manage constraints of time, space, and market pressure under regimes of convergence news making. It considers the implications of these conditions for the particular forms of intellectual and cultural labor that journalists produce, drawing connections between the political economy of the journalistic field, the organizational structure of multimedia firms, new communications technologies, and the qualities of content created by med...
273 citations
01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a method to compute the probability of a given node having a negative value for a given value of 0, i.e., a node having no negative value is 0.
Abstract: Для числа ε > 0 и вещественной функции f на отрезке [a, b] обозначим через N(ε, f, [a, b]) супремум множества тех номеров n, для которых в [a, b] существует набор неналегающих отрезков [ai, bi], i = 1, . . . , n, таких, что |f(ai)− f(bi)| > ε для всех i = 1, . . . , n (sup ∅ = 0). Доказана следующая теорема: если {fj} – поточечно ограниченная последовательность вещественных функций на отрезке [a, b] такая, что n(ε) ≡ lim supj→∞N(ε, fj , [a, b]) < ∞ для любого ε > 0, то {fj} содержит подпоследовательность, которая всюду на [a, b] сходится к некоторой функции f такой, что N(ε, f, [a, b]) 6 n(ε) при любом ε > 0. Показано, что основное условие в этой теореме, связанное с верхним пределом, необходимо для равномерно сходящейся последовательности {fj} и “почти” необходимо для всюду сходящейся последовательности измеримых функций и что многие поточечные принципы выбора, обобщающие классическую теорему Хелли, вытекают из этой теоремы, а также приводятся примеры, иллюстрирующие ее точность. Библиография: 16 названий.
188 citations
TL;DR: Several recent studies document the rapid growth and success of ethnic or minority media in, for example, North America and Western Europe as mentioned in this paper, and scholars in the field tend to attribute this trend as an...
Abstract: Several recent studies document the rapid growth and success of ethnic or minority media in, for example, North America and Western Europe. Scholars in the field tend to attribute this trend as an ...
185 citations