Media Academic Theory

Introduction Media has been present in societies for decades due to its importance in entertainment, enlightenment and provision of information. Consequently, its presence has attracted studies on how it affects the society. Research has proven that media has fundamental effects on its’ audiences behaviors and thoughts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media Academic Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Theories in various fields such as psychology, media studies, sociology and communication are called media effects. Some critics suggest that the media delimits an individual’s ability to be autonomous by linking the world to an individual, and reproducing a society’s self-image. Media content that are meant for newsworthy events usually have enormous control on the society. Media content are initially written in scripts before being relayed as finished contents to the audience. There are di fferent theories that people use to interpret and write scripts. This paper examines the strong points as well as the limitations of analyzing media theories through academic concepts (Kirsh, 2009, p. 56). Writing a script for the media refers to the act of conveying ideas in a reader’s mind through the use of words. A scriptwriter writes the words on a page so that the words create sounds and images, which the reader can understand (Dyer, 1993, p. 99). Theories of understanding media focus on approaches, concepts, debates and research, which helps readers understand why media content is the way it is. To understand scriptwriting, it is essential to focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of scriptwriting. Theories of scriptwriting provide more depth to the scripts as it gives the writer an opportunity to think deeply about what they are writing. It also makes them aware of their intended audience. Therefore, they can be confident that they will effectively communicate their ideas. Theory also helps writers think through their scripts, emphasizing on the important parts of the story. This makes writers grasp their own themes and ideas. Discussion Despite the importance of the media, there are conflicts on its analysis, especially, the effects of has on individuals. Through technological advancements and cultural improvements, media has gradually changed in content and complexity. This has encouraged the advancement of diverse theories to help analyze its scripts. To understand the effects of media, it is important to understand the approaches to different theories. Interpreting film and media scripts cannot depend on one theory, as people perceive concepts differently. However, in order to form a uniform understanding of scripts, academic concepts become useful.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One major benefit of using academic concept is that they offer background information into the history of scripts. This background information provides knowledge to scripts writers and audience, which makes it easier for them to understand the present trends. Theoretical approaches to media are greatly related to the social and political economies, as well as various studies. The second advantage of using such academic approaches is that they emphasize media reception and consumption. An example of this approach is ethnography, which provides a universal understanding of how language and people operate. Language and people refer to semiotics and psychoanalysis respectively. Most media theories are centered on Marxism ideas. Karl Marx came up with a theory that explained how the society’s economic base and conditions determine its beliefs, ideas and thoughts (Marx, 2001, p. 81). Different media approaches emerge from this theory, especially those that focus on the society’s super structure, on the societyâ€℠¢s base, and those that focus on the relationship between the two. Marx focuses on economies because he believed that people with ownership of the production of the means of production controlled all of the society’s ideas. Another advantage of using academic concepts in understanding film script is that they help in connecting different arms of the society, providing a better understanding of the functionality of our society. They also help us understand the relationship between various societal institutions such as the social and economic institutions. This importance is emphasized by the political economy approach. This approach seeks to understand ways in which economic issues affect media production and consumptions. This makes people aware of the relationship between consumption and media production, thus, they are able prevent the effects of media consumption. They also make audiences understand that meaning to any concept is relative; the way people use and understand words differ in different social and cultural context. For example, Ricky Gervais use of the word â€Å"Mong†. In those days, the word described people suffering from Down ’s syndrome or was used to describe a retard. However, many teenagers used the word to mean a â€Å"stupid† or a â€Å"foolish† person.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Media Academic Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The media picked this word and used it to stir protest from people over its use. These approaches concentrate in studying social relations, especially those that include the production, consumption and distribution of media resources. In other words, the approach looks at meanings, and how audiences interpret texts. It is advisable to choose words and texts carefully because peoples’ interpretations of words differ. In order to relay information to an audience, a scriptwriter must convey t heir intended meaning and close any possibility of misinterpretations. The limitation associated with linking different societies comes when there is moral decadence due to the integration. By connecting people, the media helps them share copy cultures, which may be dangerous. People may imitate harmful behaviors from other cultures, or harmful lifestyles (Moores, 1993, p. 88). This concept also connects how technologies, structures, government policies, and commercial support shape the content, communication systems and media. Because of these, political theories approach usually considers the contexts of media institutions such owners of media houses and their locations. To achieve maximum benefit from media and films, one must take advantage of the available opportunities such as through government policies, technologies, structures and commercial support. Media house owners also benefit by understanding how to build their communication systems as well as prevent government sanct ions. To capture the problems associated with the modern capitalist societies, The Frankfurt School came up with new mass media conceptualizations. Mostly, their approach dealt with the technological advancements and its affects on cultures. It placed more emphasis on media consumption rather than its production. Technology was allowing people to copy original art pieces, therefore, making them more accessible than before. This reproduction influenced multiple interpretations, which in turn affected media production (Bell, 2001, p.111). Gradually, there has been an exponential increase in accessibility and media outlets. Another approach to media theories is the ethnographic approach, which explores lived cultures. Media ethnographers investigate the multiple manners that audiences receive texts. The ethnographers base their investigations on empirical approaches by gaining evident statistics and data about people’s behavior. The approach also investigates the complexities of audience responses, focusing more on cultural consumption, rather than the reception of media content.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The gratification theory on the other hand, directly deals with consumption of media content. The theory is interested in how media audiences satisfy their needs through the media. To answer the question, the theory defines what possible needs people would have, which the media would satisfy. Psychologists define a â€Å"need† as a basic requirement that an individual may need to survive. Needs are also classified into â€Å"higher† and â€Å"lower† needs. Safety and biological needs are the lower needs, upon which human life depends on. Higher needs, on the other hand, are socially and culturally constructed. An example of a need is the need to â€Å"belong†. Gratification theory investigates the most appropriate way to fulfill this need, such as through social interactions. However, it emphasizes on media’s contribution to the fulfillment of this need. Studies suggest that people need the media for a number of reasons especially in terms of perso nal identity, personal relationships, diversion and surveillance (Deacon et al., 1991, p. 155). The same studies argue that the media usually fulfill these needs through escapism, providing the audiences with opportunities to have opinions, and identification with characters. It is important to understand that people’s needs vary; therefore, media cannot fulfill the needs the same way. For example, people whose need is to experience beauty, pleasure, curiosity or emotive needs differ from those who seek identification and belonging. Finally, psychoanalysis approach to media seeks to understand human behavior. This approach is widely applicable regardless of economic environments or social contexts. This approach is based on Sigmund Freud’s theories, which scrutinizes the conscious and the unconscious part of human minds. The knowledge that a human mind is divided into â€Å"id†, â€Å"ego† and the â€Å"super ego†, which are each responsible for ce rtain responses and behaviors (Weinstein, 2001, p. 63). Using this concept, media critics investigates how human beings respond to the media, how it satisfies their needs, how they relate to the content and the possible impacts media has on people. Psychoanalysis also explains the process of identity formation. During the formation of healthy relationships between the id, ego and super ego, and individual forms an identity. However, when the media interferes with this development, an individual may form a dysfunctional identity. Additionally, whatever appeals to an individual’s ego, or id, may affect their relationship. Psychoanalysis also explains an individual’s memory, and how people recall issues. While it is healthy to let go of hidden and harmful feelings, most people use the media to hide their feelings. This becomes dangerous in the end, as they are unable to handle certain issues (Nà ¶th, 1997, p. 71). Media practice is largely comprised of different types of languages. The media language includes written, spoken and a system of complex codes that rely on their contexts. Semiotic approaches examine the functionality of these languages. Semiotic refers to a common science of systems of signs together with the role of these signs in constructing and reconstructing meaning. In media studies, semiotic concentrated on the connotation of a given text. However, semiotics refers to a broad meaning of texts. Language consists of signs, which audiences can interpret as they occur. Additionally, audiences can interpret these signs using Saussure’s theories, which aid in interpreting visual signs that are present in the media. This theory argues that signs consist of â€Å"signified† and â€Å"signifier†. The signifier refers to the spoken sound, image or page writing. Whenever audiences hear or see the signifier, it influences them to have a mental idea or image of what it may represent (the signified). On the other hand, a sy mbol or a photograph may act as a signifier in a visual cognition (Balnaves, Donald, Shoesmith, 2009, p. 67). Semiotic approaches center their arguments on the interaction between various signs in creating meaning. Relationships between signifiers are important as they influence the audience’s understanding of text meaning. For example, people understand the word â€Å"young† due to its relation to â€Å"old†, â€Å"peace† to â€Å"war, and â€Å"black† to â€Å"white†. To understand this concept clearly, one must distinguish between â€Å"denotative† and â€Å"connotative† meanings. Denotative meaning is the literal definition of a concept, while a connotative meaning is the description that is culturally defined. By this, it is easy for media critic to examine a cultural text by looking at it in the denotative and connotative perspective. For a long time, semiotics has been the most common method of qualitative textual anal ysis. In the contemporary analysis, â€Å"sound† is a major consideration. Many films use sound to derive emotions from audiences. For example, watching a horror movie like â€Å"Halloween† directed by John Carpenter, an audience realizes that the director uses different soundtracks to derive different reactions from them. Audiences can hear the sound of a chain saw. While some may interpret this literally, others would find it scary and relate it horrifying images even before seeing the images (Perse, 2001, p. 65). Conclusion Finally, the benefit of using academic concepts while interpreting media scripts is that it helps in understanding social conflict and concerns such as feminism. Media has become a dominant way of approaching such issues, and seeking their solutions. Feminism directly deals with power relations among men and women, which structures all societal life such as politics, family, leisure, welfare, culture and education. A general assumption among femi nists is that there is a social construction and maintenance of unequal relations amongst the sexes in societies. This has influenced the emergence of feminist theories, which seek equality between the two sexes. The media’s weakness in the feminist issue is how negatively it portrays women. The media has also influenced discussions concerning cyber cultures, masculinity and globalization, as contemporary issues. In response to this, feminists investigate gender identity and related issues such sex roles. The semiotics used in media to refer to females also matters under this discussion. Language and choice of words is a concern among media critics, who argue that in most cases, films portray females negatively by giving them questionable roles in films. As described above, there are several benefits of the media, especially when understood under the academic concepts. The approaches discussed include gratification, psychoanalysis, political, and ethnographic. The media provi des entertainment, enlightenment and information to its audiences. It also connects people through sharing of events and information. In respect to academic concepts, media helps people understand the wider society in relation to its institutions such as the political systems, economy, families, and education. However, the media has certain negative impacts especially on the culture and psychological makeup of the audience. Through the media, audiences learn certain things that may be harmful in their lives. Media highlights the negative things while audiences imitate. This is especially harmful for young people, who form harmful habits such as poor dietary sequence. It also influences an individual’s outlook towards life as well as their self concept. By believing what the media portrays to be right, people slowly start identifying with these things, hence changing their own identities. To examine the contemporary media landscape, it is paramount to combine several approache s because one approach would be inadequate in covering all issues. Despite this, globalization of the media encourages studies of new technologies, which help in understanding the relationships between issues. The combination of the above approaches becomes useful in explaining these issues. References Balnaves, M., Donald, S., Shoesmith, B., 2009, Media theories and approaches: a  global perspective. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Bell, D., 2001, An introduction to Cyberculture, London: Routledge. Deacon, D., et al., 1991, Researching communications: A practical Guide to methods in  media and cultural analysis. London: Arnold. Dyer, R., 1993, The matters of images: essays on representations. London: Routledge. Kirsh, J. S., 2009, Media and youth: a developmental perspective, New York: John Wiley and Sons. Marx, K., 2001, A contribution to the critique of political economy, Chicago: C.H Kerr. Moores, S., 1993, Interpreting audiences: the ethnography of media consumption, New Yor k: Sage. Nà ¶th, W., 1997, Semiotics of the media: state of the art, projects, and perspectives, Boston: Walter de Gruyter. Perse, M. E., 2001, Media effects and society, London: L. Erlbaum Associates. Weinstein, F., 2001, Freud, psychoanalysis, social theory: the unfulfilled promise. New York: SUNY Press. This essay on Media Academic Theory was written and submitted by user Miranda K. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.