CMNS textbook Ch.1 Flashcards
Define spin
Spinning is about controlling the media narrative around an event or issue, so that your preferred version becomes the broadly accepted truth
(Ex. A politician might spin an event such as a natural disaster so that the media coverage casts him in a positive light)
What is Media Saturation?
- Known as the mediation of everything
Media Saturation refers to the fact that so many everyday practices (I.e. standing at a bus stop, going to a bank) have mediated elements or are accompanied by media use
- You can use it to refer to a situation in which an area is heavily filled with media
What is the political economy perspective on media?
The political economy perspective on media is all about power, especially the power that different institutions have to influence the way media cover things to their own advantage
Define consumerism
Refers to the fact that a lot of what we do for fun, relaxation, in our relationships, and in expressing who we are, involves buying things
What is the Media Practice Theory?
It starts from the premise that what really matters about media cannot be read from media texts, but instead from what people do with media: making it, consuming it, ignoring it, talking about it
To put into simple terms:
Media practice theory is all about understanding that the most important stuff about media doesn’t come from what’s in the media itself, like TV shows or news articles. Instead, it’s about what people actually do with media, like making videos, watching TV, or even chatting about it with friends. That’s where we find out what media really means to people.
What is representation in media?
Representation is about norms: the way that certain images of different people and phenomena become so entrenched that it is taken for granted that they are realistic.
In simple terms:
It’s like showing things in a certain way that becomes so common that people think it’s the way things really are
What is social reproduction?
Social reproduction means how all the differences and rankings in society keep happening day after day and year after year. Functionalists believe that things like media exist mainly to maintain the way society is right now, including all the unfair differences between people.
Social reproduction could not happen without the things we do in our everyday lives.
What are Steven Luke’s three Dimensions of power?
- The overall media you consume, or even particular media texts, exert power over you if they represent things in a way that is opposite of your interests
- About agenda setting. The media wield power when they keep things out of the spotlight that are very important to you
- Media shape your interests and desires. You might think the things you want and believe come from inside you, but actually they have been inculcated over time through the media you pay attention to
What are media omnivores?
Just like actual omnivores eat, media omnivores consume a bit of everything - news and entertainment, high brow and low
Define Hegemony
Hegemony is about the dominance of one group over others, but it is more subtle than them bossing people about. Instead, it refers to how their power is secured through all of the structures that make up a society: economics, politics, culture… and media
Example: The government nudging you to go along with the current state of affairs just because that is the way things are done
Define Neoliberalism
The proposition that whatever is best for business is best for society (often criticized by media scholars)
Explain Karl Marx’s philosophy
- He writes about economics not media, but the logic is the same
He talks about how the question is not how media influence you, but how that very notion of “you” arises in large part through mediated practices. This means we can set aside the question of whether you are being corrupted by the media you consume, and instead focus on what kinds of “you” are formed through your engagements with media.
What are moral panics?
Moral panics are episodes of media-fuelled fear and anxiety about perceived threats to our way of life. The word moral is key here: it’s about things that threaten shared social values. (Ex. Common decency, family life, the innocence of children).
Moral panics matter because they are inherently conservative and discriminatory: the solution to a panic is always a return to traditional values, to the way things used to be.
What is ambient attention?
Sometimes you barely notice media but it seeps into your awareness anyway. (Ex. A billboard you pass by everyday, a song that’s always playing in the background)
What are filter bubbles?
- unintended consequence of one digital media’s most valued features: personalization
Algorithms try to guess what you are looking for based on your location and your past behaviour.
