Is the audience active and able to use the media for their own purposes or can an audience be influence by the media? This is called the Active or Passive debate.

Unit 4 Media Influence

So you want to debate if the Media can cause

violence?Where do you start?

It very complex and what’s the answer?

Forget it ! It’s a debate and the answer is there is no definite answer.

But there are media communication theories and arguments/proof as to the cause and effect relationship.

Can the media create a violent individual or

society?What is violence?

Define it as a starting point and the active Vs passive debate

Make a statement that there are numerous factors when assessing if the media has the power to influence an audience.

Defining Violence

Depending on your definition, violence may or may not include, for example, disasters, verbal threats, coercing or intimidating someone, and destruction of property. Defining media violence is a challenge faced by social scientists who try to quantitatively measure its effect on youths.

Discuss the general statement that the audience and audiences characteristics are important considerations.

The audience can be seen to be Active(empowered)or Passive(influenced).

Characteristics of an AudienceWhat makes up an Audience? If you’re going to

debate if the can influence, then a logical starting point would be defining the audience that is claimed to be effected.

Often the violence debate occurs around childrenOften the violence debate occurs around children

Audience-person or groupAudience-person or groupGender-male or femalePhysical-age, Mental ageEmotional- Psychological development Background-Family

So what forms does it take and for what purpose?

After discussing the debate (audience active/passive) and defining violence you should discuss the purposespurposes of showing violence:

Entertainment-film & DVD (heroes & fantasy, good vs. evil)

Right to know-(news reporting & real events)

Many text are made with a preferred or dominant preferred or dominant reading.reading.

Issues – a culture of violence

Problem aspects for childrenViolence in the media is all pervasive, and difficult to avoid. Frequently the violence is glamorised , and violent solutions offer the way to be powerful.

Mostly the heroes are male, and the victims are female, showing who does the violence and to whom it's done.

Media Products & FormPrivate ownership leads to profit motivations-violence & risk taking behaviour has become cool!

Violent media and products are actively marketed to children and young people. The products themselves are frequently in a classification not recommended for children. (e.g. M or MA). But this depends on my parents!

There is much cross promotion of violent products, e.g. by fast food chains and cinema links; toys and TV series; toys and cinema films.

Effects of Violence interaction

Opinions/insights from reliable sourcesThe Australian Psychological Society has this to say about

media violence:US researcher Craig Anderson

In summary, the research shows us that a diet of media violence can increase the risks that children will:

be more likely to choose to use violence to solve conflict be desensitised to use of violence by others (more callous) develop a mean and scary view of the world.

Gender issuesBoys seem to be more vulnerable to violent media portrayals than girls. This is seen to be because there are many male role models in the media, and most of these succeed by best at doing the violence. Boys are interested in seeing how to be powerful.

Criteria 4: Discuss the relationship between audiences, media forms and Criteria 4: Discuss the relationship between audiences, media forms and text(s)text(s)

Where does media violence occur?

Violence in the media is easily accessible to children. It occurs in cartoons, in news updates in family programs, in the news, in "cop shows", and in "blockbuster" movies screened at 8.30pm on TV.

There are often high levels of violence in M. MA15+, R18+ and classified cinema films and videos. Many computer games feature violent themes.

Trailers for forthcoming programs on TV often contain a collection of the most violent scenes. Parents often feel ambushed by these as they cannot be anticipated.

Characteristics of media formsThe characteristics of the media form may be able to be used as an argument for the extent of the influence.

Consider the availability of TV and DVD’s & Newspapers

Consider the production elements i.e. TV with colour, moving pictures, sound and its accessibility make it a powerful medium

Claims & Counter Claims

Research has failed to show a direct cause and effect relationship.

Areas of study have concentrated on :Areas of study have concentrated on :

Direct effects

Copy-cat effects

Desensitising effectsCatharsis-”audience is able to let off steam”

Arguments for and against !

What are the strengths or weaknesses of the evidence which are claimed to have effects on the audience. Discuss the claims with evidence or an expert’s name to reinforce your viewpoint according to your selected model.

See your articlesSee your articles

For example

You could define the uses and gratification model by say this view point was established in the 1960/70’s and claims that the audience will decided and the media has no authority.

That government regulation and the accessibilities of technologies like TV and the internet pose new problems.

While it is impossible to find a direct cause and effect relationship between

viewing violence on TV and violent behaviour, the program finds TV is having

an impact. Social scientists have found that people who watch a lot of television are more fearful of their world, become

desensitised to real violence, and diminish their creative capacity.

FrontlineStudent: Violence on television is okay because it's usually committed by the good guy trying to stop the bad buy.

Teacher: Why does television programming often make violence look like the most powerful and effective way to solve a problem? What other tactic could the good guy use to solve the problem?

Student: Violence in cartoons isn't violence. It's so unrealistic and the characters aren't real. That's just the way cartoons are!

Frontline

Teacher: Do little kids always understand the difference between what's real and what's pretend? How do they learn to tell the difference?

Student: When something violent happens to a character in a funny program, it's just funny.

Teacher: Some people say that television teaches people to laugh at other people's pain. What do you think?

Frontline

Student: Violent programs are exciting to watch -- they give me a thrill.Teacher: Watching violence tends to create a state of psychological arousal, where your attention level is high and you're in anticipation of what will happen next. It's important to understand the underlying reasons why we are attracted to different kinds of television shows.

The 70-minute documentary portion of the program, Bill Moyers facilitates a 15-minute discussion with a panel of experts who have studied how TV affects America's youths.

Does TV Kill?-Frontline America

Aired January 10, 1995 Through interviews with experts and the use of surveillance cameras placed in the homes of several families, the program uncovers some un-expected answers to the question, "Does TV Influence?"

Social Values- influence

The media can be an agent for provoking change and raising issues or reinforcing social values/beliefs.

Maybe discuss that the media can’t tell people what to think but can show them what to think about, through the “gate-keeping” (agenda setting function theory)

These include the criteria points for this outcome:

Analyse the arguments (quotes & theoretical view points for and against) and evidence about the nature and extent of media influence

The effect on audiences of particular texts

Discuss the relationship between audiences, media forms and text(s)

Issues when assessing if the media can influence an audience or not!

Claims & Counter Claims

Identify and describe key view points about the nature and extent of media influence

Identify and explain 3 communication theories & models

Arguments &Evidence

CharacteristicsOf media Forms

& Text

Audience/s &Effects on them

Issues for & Against when

Assessinginfluence

Theories &Models