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Introduction To Media Studies

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20 views3 pages

Introduction To Media Studies

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المحتوى- Everything
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INTRODUCION TO MEDIA STUDIES

Definitions:
The word media is the plural of the word medium(literal meaning). The phrase
“the media” generally refers to the messages and the organizations that produce and
spread various kinds of media content in various forms e.g. the press, television,
the internet, temples, etc. Professedly, the role of any media is to inform the public
in order to build a “coherent” society.
Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and online content creators are referred
to as mass media because they are intended to reach large numbers of people.
"Mass media" and "mass culture" contribute to a culture of violence and sex by
normalizing and glamorizing these two behaviors.
Mainstream media are the media outlets that are supported by the political,
economic ,and societal establishments of a country. The role of these media is to
“inform” and entertain (distract) the public; they may often deliberately misinform,
conceal information and manipulate the audiences by spreading for specific
purposes. They include “publicly owned” TV channels (e.g. 2M), newspapers (e.g.
Le Matin), and privately owned channels(e.g. Medi 1) as well as national news
channels (e.g. CNN). They also include websites (e.g. MSNBC) and large
newspapers (e.g. The New York Times). Mainstream media sources are usually
easy to find, and they reach large audiences. They pretend to act as a watchdog to
protect public interests against any kind of mismanagement from powerful entities.
However, the mainstream media turned to defending and protecting those powerful
entities from the public through misinformation, disinformation, propaganda,
diversion, manipulation, deception, etc.
“Alternative” media refers to any media that provides a platform for marginalized
voices and expresses dissent towards the establishment, either overtly or covertly.
Such media can be considered "alternative" based on their pursuit of a critical or
alternative agenda from the margins or underbelly of social life (e.g. Village Voice in
the US, Oz in the UK). However, like mainstream media, alternative media also
maintain biases and exclude certain groups who are counter to their perspective.

A brief history of the media:


Clan (Before Agriculture - ~150 members - Always moving): Rock carving -
Proto-writing symbols.
Tribe (Start of Agriculture - ~300 - 3000 members - Settled down): Town-crier -
Whistling - Shouts - Smoke signals.
City-state (~10k-50k members): writing - Papyrus scrolls - Stamped clay tablets
- Temples.
Nation state( Millions of citizens) : Printed books - Newspapers - Radio -
Television.
Global state (Billions of people - Interconnected world): Internet(the new media)
- Social media - Streaming services - Virtual reality.
Throughout the past half-millennium (with the invention of the printing press), the
media has been dominated by profit-driven entities. Capitalism, has managed to
monopolize the media to make people behave in a ways that profits them;
moreover, the media companies have become increasingly focused on generating
revenue and maximizing profit while their main focus is to completely destroy
people's critical thinking. The internet has become their offensive weapon that,
helping them exploit people more effectively.

Forms of Media (as means):


Print Media e.g. Newspapers, magazines, billboards, graffiti, books, etc (print).
Broadcast Media Radio and Television (audio - video).
Internet Media ( the new media that had wider accessibility and immediacy)
includes both print and broadcast media (print - audio - video).

Forms of Media (as content):


Entertainment media has the purpose to “entertain” (distract) the public. Films,
video games, theatre, sports, etc are clear sources of entertainment and information,
but also of propaganda and misinformation (manipulation tapping on two hidden
instincts).
Advertising media: the marketing of products, services ,and commercial ideas for
financial profit by an identified sponsor who pays for message delivery. It consists
of communications attempting to induce, sustain and increase the audiences’
purchasing behaviour.
Political media (political (campaign or election) advertising, policy promotion, and
Political Journalism (e.g., news media, social media, blogs, etc.).) It covers the
aspects of government and politics at the local, national ,or international levels.
Political media inform the public about their governments’ undertakings, but also
publishes opinion articles with the aim to influence policy and public opinion in
specific directions. It also promotes the political ideals of political parties and
organizations.
Nation state owned and run media: The organization of society is reflected in the
ownership and management of national media, which is often controlled by the
state. People often take this system for granted, which can facilitate their
exploitation by those in power.

Critical Media Literacy:


Media literacy is the ability to access, enjoy, interpret, analyze, evaluate, and
produce messages across various types of media. It involves identifying and
subverting the power relations involved in media production and consumption.
Media literacy helps individuals develop a critical and informed understanding of
how media messages are constructed, while also increasing awareness of the
political, social, cultural, economic, and educational roles of mass media in society,
including knowledge of how media organizations operate.

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