Arguing for a General Framework for Mass Media Scholarship

417 Pages·2008·1.79 MB·English

by  W. James Potter

Arguing General Framework
for a for

Arguing General Framework
for a for
W. JAMES POTTER
UniversityofCalifornia, SantaBarbara
Copyright©2009bySAGEPublications,Inc.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedorutilizedinanyformorbyany
means,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformation
storageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
Forinformation:
SAGEPublications,Inc. SAGEPublicationsIndiaPvt.Ltd.
2455TellerRoad B1/I1MohanCooperative
ThousandOaks,California91320 IndustrialArea
E-mail:[email protected] MathuraRoad,NewDelhi110044
India
SAGEPublicationsLtd. SAGEPublicationsAsia-PacificPte.Ltd.
1Oliver’sYard 33PekinStreet#02-01
55CityRoad FarEastSquare
LondonEC1Y1SP Singapore048763
UnitedKingdom
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Potter,W.James
Arguingforageneralframeworkformassmediascholarship/W.JamesPotter
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-1-4129-6470-8(cloth)
ISBN978-1-4129-6471-5(pbk.)
1. Massmedia—Research—History. 2. Massmedia—Research—Methodology. I. Title.
P91.3.P6822009
302.23072—dc22 2008028743
Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper.
08 09 10 11 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
AcquisitionsEditor: ToddR.Armstrong
EditorialAssistant: AjaBaker
ProductionEditor: AstridVirding
CopyEditor: GillianDickens
Typesetter: C&MDigitals(P)Ltd.
Proofreader: ScottOney
Indexer: KathyPaparchontis
CoverDesigner: CandiceHarman
MarketingManager: CarmelSchrire
Brief Contents
Preface xiv
PART I: INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1: Why Do We Need a General Framework? 2
Chapter 2: Introduction to the General Framework 27
PART II: EXPLAINING THE MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS FACET
Chapter 3: Mass Media Organizations Line of Thinking 46
Chapter 4: Business Strategies 59
Chapter 5: Marketing Strategies 72
Chapter 6: Employment Strategies 82
PART III: EXPLAINING THE MEDIA AUDIENCES FACET
Chapter 7: Media Audience Line of Thinking 96
Chapter 8: Audience Cognitive Algorithms 115
Chapter 9: Audience: Filtering Media Messages 141
Chapter 10: Audience: Meaning Matching 161
Chapter 11: Audience: Meaning Construction 174
PART IV: EXPLAINING THE MEDIA MESSAGES FACET
Chapter 12: Media Message Line of Thinking 190
Chapter 13: Message Formulas and Conventions—General 198
Chapter 14: Message Formulas and Conventions by Genre 208
Chapter 15: Critique of Media Message Scholarship 229
PART V: EXPLAINING THE MEDIA EFFECTS FACET
Chapter 16: Media Effects Line of Thinking 242
Chapter 17: Conceptualizing Media Influence and Media Effects 260
Chapter 18: Designing Media Effects Studies 290
PART VI: CONCLUSION
Chapter 19: Integration of Explanations 316
References 326
Author Index 367
Subject Index 379
About the Author 394
Detailed Contents
Preface xiv
PART I: INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1: Why Do We Need a General Framework? 2
Generating-Findings Perspective on the Mass Media
Growth of Mass Media Research
Inductive Process
Debates
Large, Fragmented Literature
Critique of the Generating-Findings Perspective
Mapping-Phenomenon Perspective on the Mass Media
Shaping Findings Into Knowledge
Getting Past Categorical Thinking
Focusing on Depth Over Breadth
Favoring Convergence Over Divergence
Focusing on the Big Picture
Evolving
Conclusion
Chapter 2: Introduction to the General Framework 27
The Hub
Problems in the Hub
Developing the Hub
The Spokes
Problems With the Spokes
Developing the Spokes
The Rim
Problems With the Rim
Developing the Rim
Conclusion
PART II: EXPLAINING THE MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS FACET
Chapter 3: Mass Media Organizations Line of Thinking 46
Definitions and Perspectives
Fundamental Goals
Value Goal
Operating Goal
Strategies
Introducing the Business Strategy
Introducing the Marketing Strategy
Introducing the Employment Strategy
Criticism of the Economic Goal
Main Themes
Analyzing the Criticism
Conclusion
Chapter 4: Business Strategies 59
Maximizing Resources
Value
Increasing Revenue
Decreasing Expenses
Reducing Risk
Increasing Economic Power in the Marketplace
Economies of Scope
Consolidation
Pyramid of Power
Dynamic Nature
Changing Structures
Changes in Business Practices
Conclusion
Chapter 5: Marketing Strategies 72
Audience Delineation
Identifying Existing Needs
Niche Orientation
Differential Value
Crafting Messages
Placing Messages in Environments to Attract Audiences
Audience Conditioning
Conclusion
Chapter 6: Employment Strategies 82
Selection of Workers
Skills and Talent
Existing Values
Demographics
Socialization of Workers
Structural Characteristics
Professionalism
Routines
Media Logic
Learning Values
Learning Processes
Shaping the News Formula
Conclusion
PART III: EXPLAINING THE MEDIA AUDIENCES FACET
Chapter 7: Media Audience Line of Thinking 96
Conceptualizing the Audience
Three Perspectives
Big Questions
Defining Exposure
Media Exposure Research
Exposure as Filtering
Defining Attention
Scholarly Literature
Exposure States
Importance of Considering Exposure States
Information-Processing Tasks
The Media Exposure Model
Conclusion
Chapter 8: Audience Cognitive Algorithms 115
Organization of the Human Mind
General Structure
Units
Critique of Scholarship
Processes of the Human Mind
General Processes
More Specific Processes
Types of Learning
Explicit Versus Implicit Distinction
Active and Passive Learning
Essential Nature of Automatic Processes
Introducing the Construct of Algorithm
Definition
Essential Characteristics
Origin of Algorithms
Use of Algorithms
The Set of Algorithms
Conclusion