Assignment #3 (Radio by Institution)

The institutional factors are without a doubt the most influential forces behind radio in its early days, in that they determined the manner in which radio was to operate.

Institutional factors refer to the driving forces behind radio: the broadcasting companies, regulatory agencies, and advertisers. They controlled the fate of radio simply because they were the ones who decided what to put on. They produced the programs, promoted the ads, and delved out the frequencies. Their priorities and goals were what guided the development and purpose early radio.

Where this really begins is with AT&T, they were the first institution to consider how consumer rad
io was to be financed. They debated between imposing fees or having it sponsored by advertising, but they soon backed out of radio to maintain their telephone monopoly due to regulatory pressures. The baton was passed to CBS and William S. Paley, a tobacco man. He realized early on the true commercial potential for radio advertising and began to exploit it. Before long advertising became the bread and butter of early radio. They even produced many of the programs themselves. These programs served not only to entertain, but to promote products with blatant placements. What had happened is that the institutional factors led radio to become an entertainment medium (as opposed to primarily educational as the BBC) funded by advertising. This made early radio consumer oriented and free to use, a perfect formula to promote prolific nationwide use. That is, until TV’s rise to power…

Picture from: http://zeltser.com/radio-history/

Assignment #2 (Social Learning)

Of all the concepts that discussed in depth, the social learning theory has the most notable effect on people and therefore warrants attention.

The social learning theory refers to how we take in media and make conclusions about our world from it. It is the concept that media helps to define what is acceptable and what isn’t, what is to be desired and what is to be abhorred, and what is happiness with what is sorrow. The basis of the theory is that we tend to imitate people we connect with. Its importance in media is paramount, in that the scope of mass media allows for massive coverage. The sheer prevalence of characters, which are often designed to be easy to connect to for the sake of holding audience attention, makes for a near inevitability of imitation. It is simply far too prevalent not to have an effect.

Though, the sheer volume produced by media would not be such a concern if not for the proven potency of even the basest characters. There are few better examples than the Bobo Doll Experiment. In 1965 Albert Bandura conducted an experiment in which children were shown a short video of a person pummeling a clown ‘bop doll’ and experienced various consequences. After the viewing, the children were then let loose with the same ‘bop doll’. Those children who saw the result in which pummeling the doll was rewarded fully reenacted the beatings whole-heartedly. Those who saw the neutral result tended to react with the same degree of hostility, though with less confidence. Thought the experiment was simplistic, it does prove that people imitate behaviors learned by media.

Social learning can be attributed to a basic instinct in all of us that drives us to imitate proven behaviors for the sake of survival. It fits the sentiment of ‘survival of the fittest’, though in the modern day social learning may prove to be more the liability. It all depends on the messages and role models produced and promoted by media, because is inevitable that their effect goes beyond its medium.

Image citation:

Bobo Doll Experiment. Digital image. Sal2009.com. 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2010.

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Assignment #1 (Framing Fun =D )

Media profoundly affects us all; it is simply too prominent in our society not too. Those who control it know this, and are acutely aware of the implied potential; and they make use of this potential by framing. This framing is the single most effective way in which media influences us.

Framing is the presentation, or omission, of information in a way that makes us feel a certain way towards what is shown. It is the lighting, the coloring, the positioning of a thought or object to elicit a particular reaction by the viewer. It is often subtle, since, in this way, it is far more effective. If the masses easily recognized when their media framed for a specific purpose, its credibility and potency would be lost. However, if it is subtle enough, the consumer will be led to view an idea in a predetermined way, and under the belief that it was their consciousness that spawned the judgment. If such views appear to be self-inspired, the attachment and belief in them is far greater.

Advertising is notorious for such persuasive framings, but a more poignant example is the famous photo of the soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Here the photographer shows us a cohesive group of men raising the flag over the island. The act causes us to believe that this is an image of victory, that the battle is won. The bareness of the landscape around them also instills the viewer with a sense of peace; the fighting is done, all is well. However, at the time the photo was taken the fight was far from finished. In fact, three of the photographed soldiers were killed soon after the picture was taken. The state of the island was one of chaos, Japanese soldiers entrenched, hidden inside the island were giving the US troops hell from all sides. By no means was a peaceful scene of victory. The photograph instilled in the viewer an understanding of the situation contrary to the truth. The question then is why the deception? A simple explanation was that the US government was looking for a way to boost the morale of the citizens. As time tells us, it does not take long for nation to become weary of war, and the govt. needs popular support for an effective war effort. What the people needed was to feel as if the war may soon end and that they could hope for their sons’ safe return. This piece of media fulfilled that desire. It did so by framing, by the intentional omission of the true horrors of the Pacific and misrepresenting just how well the fight was going; and it worked. This image continues to instill patriotism, and is widely used from school reports to advertising campaigns.

Framing is an effective way to influence masses, it can be used to sell soda or promote a war. It can because we are a visual people. When we see certain things that make us feel certain ways. The media powers that be learned this, and use to influence us for better or worse.

*(Image citation):

Vic. The Flag Raising at Iwo Jima. Digital image. Art & History Tour. PBS Art, 29 May 2010.

Web. 12 Sept. 2010. .