mass-communication-theory

Compared to other forms of mass media content, advertising comes closest to
fitting older Marxist notions of ideology. It is intended to encourage consumption
that serves the interest of product manufacturers but may not be in the interest of
individual consumers. Advertising is clearly designed to intrude into and disrupt routine
buying habits and purchasing decisions. It attempts to stimulate and reinforce
consumption, even if consumption might be detrimental to individuals’ long-term
health. For some products, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and even fast food, successful
advertising campaigns move people to engage in self-destructive actions. In other
cases, we are simply encouraged to consume things serving little real purpose for us
or serving only the purposes that advertising itself creates. One obvious example is
when we buy specific brands of clothing because their advertising has promoted
them as status symbols. Clothing does indeed provide basic protection for our bodies,
but used clothing from a thrift store provides the same protection as do the most wellknown
brands.
THE MEDIA LITERACY MOVEMENT
media literacy
The ability to
access, analyze,
evaluate, and
communicate
messages
Chapter 11 Media and Culture Theories: Meaning-Making in the Social World 351
Implicitly or explicitly, communication scholars are responding to the many theories
and research findings discussed in this and preceding chapters. There is a growing
sense that the role of media for individuals and for society is problematic—but
not beyond people’s control. Many scholars feel that our current understanding of
the role of media for individuals and society is sufficiently developed that action
can and should be taken. This view is no longer restricted to critical theorists—it
is generally expressed by leading postpositivist as well as critical cultural researchers.
One way scholars are taking action is that they are helping to lead the drive
to improve media literacy.
The media literacy movement is based on insights derived from many different
sources. We list some of the most important here:
• Audience members are indeed active, but they are not necessarily very aware
of what they do with media (uses and gratifications).
• The audience’s needs, opportunities, and choices are constrained by access to
media and media content (critical cultural studies).
• Media content can implicitly and explicitly provide a guide for action (social
cognitive theory, social semiotic theory, symbolic interaction, social construction
of reality, cultivation, framing).
• People must realistically assess how their interaction with media texts can determine
the purposes that interaction can serve for them in their environments
(cultural theory).
• People have differing levels of cognitive processing ability, and this can radically
affect how they use media and what they are able to get from media
(information-processing theory).
From a postpositivist perspective, the best way to ensure functional (rather
than dysfunctional) use of media is to improve individuals’ media-use skills. From
a cultural studies perspective, we all need to develop our ability to critically reflect
on the purposes media and media content serve for us. We need to be able to
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