MDST  1010    AN  INTRODUCTION  TO  MEDIA  STUDIES  I  

Professor  Jeppesen  

Chapter  3:    Media:  History,  Culture,  and  

Politics  

The  greatest  power  of  the  media  is  the  power  to  ignore.    

     —  Sam  Smith  

The  European  Roots  of  Media  and  Western  Society  

•  Middle  Ages:  feudal  society  and  the  dominance  of  the  Church  

•  Renaissance:    –  Return  to  the  classical  teachings  of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome,  the  emergence  of  humanism    

–  Marked  by  the  development  of  Gutenberg’s  prinGng  press  (1454)  

Gutenberg  Press  •  PrinGng  press  

disseminated  ideas  and  spread  literacy  among  the  masses  

•  New  ideas  from  other  regions  could  lead  to  social  change  or  even  destabilizaGon  of  states  

PrinGng  press  tension  

control  •  state  &  church:  desire  to  

control  informaGon  and  maintain  elites  in  power  

free  speech  •  the  public:  desire  for  

development  of  voices  represenGng  different  interests,  new  ideas  

The  European  Roots  of  Media  and  Western  Society,  cont’d.  

•  ReformaGon:  MarGn  Luther  criGcized  the  Catholic  Church  and  advocated  a  more  individual  relaGonship  with  God  –  PrinGng  made  Bible  more  accessible,  weakening  power  of  Church  

•  Counter-­‐ReformaGon:  re-­‐establishment  of  power  of  Church  and  state;  state  control  and  censorship  of  prinGng  and  publishing  –  John  Milton’s  anG-­‐censorship  essay  Areopagi)ca  (1644)  

The  European  Roots  of  Media  and  Western  Society,  cont’d.  

•  Age  of  Reason/the  Enlightenment:  return  to  humanism  and  scienGfic  approach  –  Philosophers:  Locke,  Voltaire,  Rousseau,  Adam  Smith  –  Expanding  elite  class:  the  bourgeoisie  –  Spread  of  ideas  through  printed  tracts  allowed  people  to  challenge  aristocracy  

The  Industrial  Revolution,  Communication,  and  Social  Form  

•  Industrial  RevoluGon  led  to  development  of  ciGes  and  need  for  improved  communicaGon    

•  Social  changes:    –  shi\  to  nuclear  family    –  disGncGon  between  work  and  leisure  Gme  

•  The  telegraph  and  telephone  ‘shrank  space  through  Gme’  

The  Industrial  RevoluGon,  CommunicaGon,  and  Social  Form  

•  The  commodificaGon  of  communicaGon  and  informaGon:    –  a  key  factor  in  economic  growth  and    –  a  divide  between  ‘haves’  and  ‘have-­‐nots’  

•  How  does  it  change  the  way  we  interact  and  organize  our  social  lives?  

Photography  •  Created  connecGons  to  

people  and  events  in  far-­‐away  places  

Film  •  MoGon  picture  industry  found  

a  niche  among  urban  workers  with  newfound  leisure  Gme  and  disposable  income  

•  A  Brief  History  of  Film  

Beginnings  of  Modern  Press  

– Progression  of  ownership:    a)  aligned  with  (or  owned  by)  

poliGcal  parGes  b)  owned  by  corporaGons  

•  Newspapers  as  communicaGons  hub:    a)  between  individuals  b)  between  industry  and  

individuals  

Press  =  news  media;  sector  of  mass  media  that  presents  current  news  to  the  public  

Modern  Press  cont’d.  

•  Newspapers  shi\  away  from  poliGcal  alliances  as:    a)  readership  expands    b)  adverGsing  becomes  major  source  of  revenue  

•  As  newspaper  readership  increases,  journalism  shi\s  from  parGsan  to  ‘objecGve’  reporGng.  

•  Abempt  to  abract  more  readership  through  photos,  headlines,  entertainment  

 

Modern  Press  cont’d.  •  3  models  of  press  ownership:  

1.  private  corporaGons    •  e.g.  CTV,  Globe  and  Mail  

2.  public  or  state-­‐owned    •  e.g.  CBC/  Radio  Canada  

3.  independent  media    •  e.g.  the  Media  Co-­‐op,  campus  radio  staGons,  etc.  

CompeGng  interests  

Publishers  •  desired  to  pursue  

profitability,  free  from  state  restricGons  

Journalists  •  desired  to  pursue  unbiased  

reportage  

PerspecGves  on  the  Press  

•  The  press  is  the  ‘fourth  estate’:  poliGcal  watchdog  to  guard  ciGzen  rights  

•  Freedom  of  the  press:  in  the  Canadian  Charter  of  Rights  and  Freedoms,    the  US  ConsGtuGon,  and  the  UN  Universal  DeclaraGon  of  Human  Rights  

•  Is  the  press  becoming  dominated  by  corporate  interests?  

Perspectives  on  the  Press  •  Social  and  poliGcal  role  of  the  press  –  Liberal  theory:  The  role  of  mass  media  is  to  preserve  liberal  democracy  by  disseminaGng  informaGon.  

– Marxist  theory:  Mass  media  promote  the  interests  of  the  dominant  class  to  maintain  exisGng  poliGcal  systems  (i.e.  capitalism).  

–  CriDcal  theory:  Media  can  be  biased  or  self-­‐interested,  but  generally  provide  mulGple  perspecGves  on  issues  and  events.  

Who  owns  &  controls  media?  

•  who  owns  and  controls  the  media  in  Canada?  

•  what  are  some  of  the  possible  problems  with  certain  sectors  of  society  owning  media?