Chapter 15: Media Effects and Cultural Approaches to Research

            This chapter discusses not only the effects media has on the public, but also the studies that have been conducted to analyze how and why audiences react to certain media. The two main types of research that have been used are media effects research and cultural studies. Additionally, this chapter gives us insight into early media research methods, research on media effects, cultural approaches to media research, and media research and democracy.

            Chapter fifteen begins by telling its readers about several violent instances that occurred within the last fifty years. Some of these recent tragedies include the very recent Columbine shootings, the shootings in the Aurora, Colorado theatre, and the suicide attempts made by two Nevada teens. The media was blamed for these tragedies. The Columbine shooters had been listening to Marilyn Manson and playing first-person-shooter video games, while the Aurora shooter related himself to Batman’s “Joker”, and the two teens who attempted suicide, (one of the boys actually died while the other was seriously injured) had been listening to Judas Priest songs which hinted at suicidal messages. I believe that although it seems as if media may play a strong role in these violent incidents, it is important to consider a person’s mental state and if they are struggling with any forms of mental illness.

From:http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/exposure/content/photo/photo/438458_columbine98_lassw4ilovf4yu7gfphshpp6mlncurxrbvj6lwuht2ya6mzmafma_610x343.jpg
This is a picture of the two Columbine High school killers. This picture is a good representation of violence in the media leading to violence in young adults.

            The book defines media effects research by stating, “Media effects research attempts to understand, explain, and predict the effects of mass media on individuals and society”. The text goes on to talk about cultural studies, stating, “This research approach focuses on how people make meaning, apprehend reality, articulate values, and order experience through their use of culture symbols”(521). According to media effects research, there is a connection between aggressive behavior in kids and violent media.

From:http://guardianlv.com/2013/09/washington-navy-yard-shooting-caused-by-violent-video-games/
Violent video games could lead to kids becoming desensitized.

One might think only audiences from our present day generation are effected by media. However, the media was very prevalent in the 1800’s and the early 1900’s through newspapers. This is a reason why early media research methods existed. Walter Lippman introduced researchers to the idea of conducting research on facts rather than just moral arguments. His book entitled Public Opinion, changed the way media research was conducted because of the introduction of psychology.

From: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Walter_Lippmann.jpg
This is a picture of Walter Lippman, the man who changed the way research on media effects was done.

            By 1960, propaganda analysis, public opinion research, social psychology studies and marketing research arose to form the early media research methods. Propaganda analysis arose after World War I. Public opinion became valued when researchers (Walter Lippman in particular) realized that the public’s opinion could be easily shaped because the media is where we get the majority of our information. Social psychology studies focuses more on the behavior of people. The Payne Fund studies have created more protection in the viewing of films by particular audiences based on studies done which show strong reactions from adolescents who watch violent or sexual content. Marketing research was used to see how many people were reading a particular newspaper or listening to a radio station.

            Research on media effects was done to further analyze the media’s effect on the public. Some researchers used models such as the hypodermic needle model, the minimal effects model, and the uses and gratifications model. Our book states, the hypodermic-needle model “suggests that the media shoot their potent effects directly into unsuspecting victims” (526). The Minimal-effects model is also known as the limited model because it suggests that people only retain the information from the media that matches up with their beliefs. Uses and gratifications never became a major theory. This text goes on to state when talking about the research done by this method, “researchers noted that some individuals used the media to see authority figures elevated or toppled, to seek a sense of community and connectedness, to fulfill a need for drama and stories, and to confirm moral or spiritual values” (528). I found this information slightly concerning because I feel that people should not have to rely on the media for important concepts like religion.

From:http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/fd/1f/5b/fd1f5b3d137b7efa7863e6b68f43521d.jpg
I though this saying matched perfectly with the minimal-effects model.

Many experiments, studies, and surveys were conducted such as random assignment, longitudinal studies (the comparison of old and new studies), and content analysis. Researchers came to the conclusion that the five most modern theories are social learning theory, agenda- setting, the cultivation effect, and the spiral of silence.

            Cultural approaches to media research focuses more on cultural research than scientific research. Daily experiences are a big focus of the cultural approach. Textual analysis is used to determine the cultural messages in books, television, and movies.

Media research and democracy essentially states the media has failed at connecting with the average every day person. Even intellectuals in the media field have had a difficult time connecting with one another.

It is troubling that the connection seems to at times be lost with the average person. This chapter allowed me to lean about the different theories used to determine what effect media has on its audience. People are concerned about the effects of media because there seems to be a strong connection between what is presented in the media and the behavior of young people.