Key Themes in Media Theory

249 Pages·2007·1.45 MB·English

by  Dan Laughey

Key Themes in Media Theory
“Key Themes in Media Theory is wonderfully wide-ranging and deservedly
destined to become a key text for students of Media Studies.”
Professor John Storey, Centre for Research in Media and
Cultural Studies, University of Sunderland, UK
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What is media theory? y

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How do media affect our actions, opinions and beliefs? h
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In what ways do media serve powerful political and m
Themes in
economic interests? e
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Is media consumerism unhealthy or is it empowering? i
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Key Themes in Media Theoryprovides a thorough and critical introduction M
to the key theories of media studies. It is unique in bringing together different e Media Theory
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schools of media theory into a single, comprehensive text, examining in depth i
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the ideas of key media theorists such as Lasswell, McLuhan, Hall, Williams,
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Barthes, Adorno, Baudrillard and Bourdieu. h
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Using up-to-date case studies the book embraces media in their everyday o
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cultural forms – music, internet, film, television, radio, newspapers and y
magazines – to enable a clearer view of the ‘big picture’ of media theory.
In ten succinct chapters Dan Laughey discusses a broad range of themes,
issues and perspectives that inform our contemporary understanding of media
production and consumption. These include:
Behaviourism and media effects
Feminist media theory
Postmodernity and information society
Political economy
Media consumerism
With images and diagrams to illustrate chapter themes, examples that apply
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media theory to media practice, recommended reading at the end of every a
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chapter, and a useful glossary of key terms, this book is the definitive guide
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to understanding media theory. a
u
g Dan Laughey
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Dan Laugheyis Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at Leeds Metropolitan e
y
University, UK.
Designed By Grosvenor (Northampton) Ltd.
KeyThemesinMediaTheory

KeyThemes in MediaTheory
DanLaughey
Open University Press
Open University Press
McGraw-Hill Education
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Firstpublished 2007
Copyright #DanLaughey 2007
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Contents
List ofillustrations ix
Acknowledgements xi
1 Whatis media theory? 1
Whatare media? 1
Whatistheory? 3
Whatismedia theory? 4
How touse this book 5
2 Behaviourism and media effects 7
Introduction 7
Lasswell’s chain ofcommunication and propaganda technique 8
Wertham: Seductionof theInnocent 12
Cantril: TheInvasion from Mars 16
Cultivation theory 20
Agenda-setting and socialfunctions ofmedia 21
Two-step flow andthephenomenistic approach 23
Usesand gratifications theory 26
Summary 27
Further reading 28
3 Modernity and medium theory 30
Introduction 30
Innis:TheBias of Communication 31
McLuhan:themedium is themessage 33
Benjamin: art andmechanical reproduction 38
TheLeavises and theLynds 41
Riesmanand Hoggart: other-directed characterand its uses of
literacy 44
Williams: technology and cultural form 46
Habermas: mediaand thepublic sphere 48
Summary 52
Further reading 53
vi CONTENTS
4 Structuralism andsemiotics 54
Introduction 54
Saussure and Barthes: language and myth 55
Hall: Encoding/Decoding, ideology andhegemony 60
Glasgow Media Group: theideology of news 65
Williamson: theideology of ads 67
Morley: theNationwide audience 69
Hebdige: Subculture 71
Foucault: discourse and disciplinary society 73
Summary 76
Further reading 76
5 Interactionism and structuration 78
Introduction 78
Goffman: self-presentation 79
Meyrowitz: NoSenseof Place 84
Horton and Wohl:personae andpara-social interaction 86
Thompson: mediated quasi-interaction 88
Labelling theory and moral panics 91
Giddens: structuration theory 96
Summary 98
Further reading 99
6 Feminismsand gender 100
Introduction 100
Radical feminism 101
Mulvey: themale gaze 102
Modleski and Radway: mass-produced fantasies for women 105
McRobbie: theideology of teenagefemininity 107
Ang: pleasureand theideology ofmassculture 111
Butler: GenderTrouble 113
Postfeminism and thethirdwave 115
Masculinity in crisis 117
Summary 120
Further reading 120
7 Politicaleconomy and postcolonial theory 122
Introduction 122
Adorno: culture industry or cultural industries? 123
Media and cultural imperialism 127
Herman and Chomsky: ManufacturingConsent 130
Critical political economy 134
Said: Orientalism 138
CONTENTS vii
‘Thepostcolonial’ and race 142
Summary 144
Further reading 145
8 Postmodernity and theinformation society 147
Introduction 147
Baudrillard: hyperreality andsimulation 148
Boorstin and Debord: theimage and thespectacle 152
Jameson: pasticheand intertextuality 154
Lyotard: thedecline ofmetanarratives 157
Theinformation society 160
Ritzer: McDonaldization 165
Summary 167
Further reading 168
9 Consumerism and everyday life 169
Introduction 169
Fiske: consumerresistance 170
DeCerteau: everyday tactics 173
Textual poachersand fandom 176
Silverstone: thecycle of consumption and mediated experience 179
Thediffused audienceand consumer authority 182
Bourdieu: thehabitus and fieldtheory 186
Summary 192
Further reading 192
10 Debating media theory 194
Glossary 199
Bibliography 206
Index 223

Listofillustrations
Figures
2.1 Lasswell’s chainof communication 9
2.2 WW1British propaganda courtesy ofGettyImages 11
2.3 Crime comic image 13
2.4 Agenda-setting roleof themassmedia 22
3.1 Characteristics of modernity andpre-modernity 30
3.2 Hot and cold media 34
3.3 Mona Lisa 39
3.4 Majorityand minority audiencesfor popular music 45
3.5 Habermas’s history of newsprintproduction 50
4.1 Syntagmaticand paradigmatic dimensions of semiotics 57
4.2 Saussure’s semiotic theoryof language 57
4.3 Barthes’s semiotictheoryof language and myth 57
4.4 The Encoding/Decoding model 62
5.1 Deviancyamplification model 93
5.2 Newspaperfront page courtesy of CorbisImages
UK Ltd 95
6.1 Jackie front covercourtesy of Carlton Books 108
7.1 Horizontal integration 136
7.2 Vertical integration 136
7.3 The Westversus theOrient 139
7.4 Abu Hamza (aka CaptainHook),Islamic extremist courtesy
of GettyImages 141
8.1 Postmodernity and theempowered masses:some reasonsfor the
decline of modernismand elitist ‘highculture’ 148
9.1 Fiske’s twoeconomiesof television 171
9.2 Star Trek fanart courtesy of NewEye Studio 178
9.3 Silverstone’s cycleof consumption 180
9.4 Some occupational classifications basedon levelsof economic
capital(EC) andcultural capital(CC) 188
Tables
3.1 McLuhan’s mediahistory ofmodernity 35
4.1 Homologies of youthsubcultures 72
8.1 Baudrillard’s threeordersof simulation 149
8.2 Radical differences betweentheindustrialand post-industrial
societies 161