User:Tbeusse085/Mass Communication

Information for Mass Communication Undergrads
What is Mass Communication?

∗ The process whereby media organizations produce & transmit messages to large publics.

∗ & By which those messages are sought, used, and consumed.

∗ The overall goal is to attract & hold as large an audience as possible for the purpose of advertising.

∘ Here's a quick summary & video of Mass Communication: Overview Video

Mass Communication Objectives

1. Defining communication, mass media, and culture.

2. Understanding/evaluating the relationship between communication & culture.

3. Providing an overview of current trends & theories in mass communication.

∘ Description of undergrad learning objectives can be read here: Learning Objectives

History of Mass Communication

• Mass communication traces its early roots back to the invention of the printing press.

• The modern study of mass communication began with: newspapers/radio/movies/comic books/propaganda.

• Mass communication develops as new mass media are developed, implemented & accepted.

∘ Major events in the history of mass communication can be found on this timeline: Timeline

Mass Communication prepares students who seek careers in the fields of:

• Broadcasting

• Journalism

• Advertising

• Public Relations

• Film

• Audio production/Video production

° More possible job opportunities can be found here: Job Interests

Basic Mass Communication courses will include:

• Introduction to Mass Communication-Introduction to social science research in mass communications.

-Emphasis on public opinion research, including sampling, survey research design & measurement.

• Writing for the Mass Media-Advanced writing across the media advertising, journalism and public relations.

• Visual Communication-Introduction to design for television, newspapers, advertising, public relations, magazines, film & video.

• Mass Media and Society-Mass communication and its relationship to society.

-Basic theories in mass communication, contemporary issues, and milestones in our understanding of media effects.

• Introduction to Public Relations-Principles, evolution, & professional practice of modern public relations.

-Concepts of planning and executing effective communication strategies.

• Media Law and Ethics-Principles and case studies of mass communications law and ethics.

-Constitutional guarantees, libel, privacy, contempt, privilege, free speech.

∘ More undergrad course descriptions can be found here: Course Descriptions

Mass Communication assignments will include:

∗Online study examples & sources are provided for each∗

o Annotated bibliographies Example

o Biographical profiles Example

o Blogs Example

o Journals Example

o Legal case briefings/analysis Example

o Literature reviews Example

o Print, broadcast, and online news stories Source

o Project proposals Source

o Public relations vehicles (brochures, Web sites, news releases) Source

o Radio scripts Example

o Reflection/reaction papers Example

o Research papers in topics of mass communications, theories, text analyses, etc. Example

o Mass communication texts Source

o Television scripts Example

Mass Communication Citation Styles

•Citation Guide

Mass Communication undergrads will expect to understand & interpret many theories.

Including the:

• Cultivation Theory-In its most basic form, suggests that television is responsible for shaping, or ‘cultivating’ viewers’ conceptions of social reality.

•Agenda Setting Theory-Is the creation of public awareness and concern of salient issues by the news media.

-Two basis assumptions underlie most research on agenda-setting:(1) The press and the media do not reflect reality; they filter and shape it.

-(2) Media concentration on a few issues and subjects leads the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues.

• Spiral of Silence Theory-The phrase "spiral of silence" actually refers to how people tend to remain silent when they feel that their views are in the minority.

• Dependency Theory-Proposes an integral relationship among audiences, media and the larger social system.

-This theory predicts that you depend on media information to meet certain needs and achieve certain goals, like uses-and-gratifications theory.

∘ More full theory descriptions, methods & models can be researched here:Theory Clusters

Mass Communication Methods will include:

• Communication Research books

• Content Analysis

• Mass Media Research books

• Qualitative & Quantitative Research books

• Survey design & interpretation

∘ Here's an online source for resource methods: Library of Methods

Major Communication Associations

• Students should look at the following link of associations & organizations.

∗ Why?

• Each association reflects the research being performed in the field of mass communication.

∘ Associations