Social Character and Differential Preference for Mass Communication

1965 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold H. Kassarjian

The basic hypothesis of this study is that a meaningful typology of consumer behavior may be segmented along the lines of social character delineated by David Riesman. Under experimental conditions inner- and other-directed subjects indicated a differential preference for specially created advertisements developed to appeal to these two character types. Further, the study analyzed differential exposure to mass media and differential preference for mass media content.

2021 ◽  
pp. 73-86
Author(s):  
Dmitrii Nikolaevich Barinov

This article reviews the peculiarities of representation of COVID-19 pandemic by the Russian media. The theoretical-methodological framework is comprised of the philosophical and sociological concepts of fear, social emotions, social feeling, as well as information and mass communication theory. The empirical basis employs media content of the Internet resources, media discourse of news broadcast, and the nationwide sociological surveys. The article traces the dynamics of information materials related to coronavirus infection for the period from January to June 2020, which indicates the escalation of fearfulness of the media content. Such dynamics is compared to changes in in social emotions of the Russians, which reflect increase of anxiety and concerns, including the fear of getting infected with coronavirus. It is noted that the leading role in development of the fear of coronavirus is played by the traditional media, such as television. Characteristic is given to the information entropy in mass media, emerging as a result of the absence of accurate scientific records on the novel coronavirus infection. The author highlights the key contradictory theses of the Russian mass media related to coronavirus during the first wave of the pandemic. It is underlined that information entropy is a psychotraumatic factor that promotes mass fears and anxieties, and simultaneously, distrust in the official information provided by media. The peculiarity of representation of COVID-19 pandemic in the Russian media is also viewed in the context of interaction between the traditional media and Internet resources. It is demonstrated  that the materials on coronavirus posted on the social media are used by the traditional media as a factor of increasing the validity of media content dedicated to coronavirus infection, and as proof of actual threat of the outbreak of coronavirus disease.


Author(s):  
Maksym Khylko ◽  
Vitalii Kornieiev

With aim to study the influence of the mass media content on Ukrainian society, the anonymous sociological survey was held, the field phase of which took place in December 2013 and January 2014. It was found that the greatest influence on Ukrainian society is made by such channels of mass communication as TV, online news resources and social networks. The study proved a low level of influence of books and printed press, less than those of advertising. We disclosed the main factors, which prevent a large part of the respondents from buying and reading more output of Ukrainian publishers, while the content of the latter is mainly consistent with the readers’ needs and interests. We developed a hypothesis on the survey results, that the readers comprehend worse the contents of electronic books received in illegal manner, than the content of legally purchased books.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Bolu John Folayan ◽  
Olubunmi Ajibade ◽  
Olubunmi Dipo Adedoyin ◽  
Toyin Segun Onayinka ◽  
Toluwani Titilola Folayan

The mass media play at least five basic functions which include news dissemination, surveillance of the environment, correlation of the components of the society, entertainment and transmission of social heritage.  Sometimes, disruptions and impairments do occur in the performance of these roles and some of these basic functions become dysfunctions, which turn the media into purveyor of negative values. The present study investigates how popular the Nigerian TV reality show, Big Brother Naija (BBN), is perceived by its viewers. Three hundred heavy viewers of the programme were surveyed from Lagos and Ede, South-West Nigeria, and their opinions and attitudes were sought regarding; why they like or dislike the programme; the gratifications that those who like the programme derive and whether the BBN, as media content, is generally functional or dysfunctional to the society. Sixty-six per cent 66 (33.7%) of respondents like the programme because it entertains. Half of the respondents, 99(50.5%) dislike ‘immoral aspects’ of the programme. The viewers affirm that the eviction part of the programme was their highest form of gratification.  Most respondents, despite public outcry against the programme, consider the programme to be “functional”. Findings reinforce the postulation that TV viewers are not passive consumers of media contents.


Author(s):  
Victor Shaklein ◽  
Maria Belova ◽  
Svetlana Mikova

Arising and active development of innovative information channels, forming net thinking, require non-standard forms of presenting material in mass media. One of the solutions to this problem is increasing the number of creolised texts not only in electronic, but in printed media as well. Such texts containing verbal (heading, subscript, text comprising of more than one sentence) and non-verbal (image, scheme, table, font, colour) parts are widely spread in mass media because they allow the reader to precisely understand the author’s intention and the intention can be expressed in an implicit way. Such texts correspond to mass communication general trends towards information visualization, raising the effectiveness of the text impact on audience thanks to double coding, compact presentation of the material. These are the reasons of growing scientific interest in creolized texts in psychology, literature studies, linguistics, journalism. However, the terminology of the scientific sphere is not conventional: different terms “creolized text”, “semantically complicated text”, “polycode text”, etc. are all used in similar meanings in scientific papers. The authors of the article characterize terms used in Russian and foreign articles and monographs, assess their frequency and semantic scope. The specific features of creolized texts are pointed out, different types of such texts depending on metagraphic and iconic sign systems included in them are described. We distinguish three phases in reading such texts (preliminary stage, organised perception, final stage) and the role of visual and verbal components in the process. By the example of caricatures we show the importance of background knowledge for adequate decoding of creolized texts. Linguistic and cultural universals are an optimal source of objects whose meaning is evident to the representative of a certain culture. This makes the creolized text decoding easier in linguistic culture of its origin. On the other hand, texts based on linguistic and cultural universalia (realia, idioms, homophones, homographs, etc.) present extra difficulties for non-natives. The material of the research is caricatures of the late 20th — early 21st centuries by A.Merinov. Each of the caricatures is based on a certain linguistic and cultural universal.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Nikolaevna Kasperovich-Rynkevich

This article explores cost-effective mass media technologies. The experience of the use of paid access to the media content of Belarus was studied, the author also made the forecast on its future functioning. The paper provides global media industry trends and focuses on the use of messagers to promote content and increase the target audience of mass media. The research used the methods of content analysis and a written survey. During the study the author revealed that the media economically oriented technologies help to make a profit through distribution of content and formation of a loyal mass media audience.


Author(s):  
Antonio Sandu ◽  
◽  
Polixenia Nistor ◽  
◽  

Mass media affects its consumers primarily in their cognitive dimension, by changing the image of the world - in this sense that the media becomes a vector of social influence, by changing the cognitions of individuals - but also by changing the shared social constructs within membership groups. The stated role of the media is to inform target audiences about events of interest in the field-specific to the activity of the media trust, but also to convey opinions, ideas, and views on those events in a way that is as complete and as complex as possible, allowing recipients to build their own opinions or adhere to one or another of the opinions expressed. This article deals with the ethics of mass communication when faced with a window of opportunity which allows an easier promotion of ideas or interests, taking into account the theory of life as a spectacle promoted by Erwin Goffman.


Author(s):  
M. Zulkarnain Yuliarso

The research was aimed to 1) to research house wife’s behavior in using mass media as information,   2) study of  factors that related to house wife’s behavior in using mass media. The data were collected in August 2009 at Pondok Besi dan Berkas. Sample number in this research were 40 people was taken by simple random method.  In explaining the first purposes were use the descriptive analysis, and the second purpose was analyzed with Spearman Rank correlation test. The information which was gained from mass media especially the things related to entertainment, health, and religion could be helpful for daily life both for their personal and social life. The result of statistical analysis showed that the formal education, number of working hour, household income, their perception on information and attitude to living change, were apparently related to using mass media.Key words: mass communication, house wife’ behavior, fisherman


Author(s):  
D. I. Chistyakov

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the social issues caused by mass-media impact on individuals and society. The author bases on reflection of sociological theories and discourses of late modern and postmodern and thus shows the transformation of media and their audience on the society’s way to the postmodernity. Postmodern media are viewed as a specific social institution of postmodernity; the author also emphasizes the basic peculiarities of its institutionalization. Structural integrity between mass-media and society is ensured through mass communication in its one-sided direction of the only communicator to the masses, often turning into an influence on recipients. The article stems from the premise that a modernday person is included in qualitatively and quantitavely other communications than in a preceding era of late modernity. Mass-media’s influence on society is thus specific. Messages, images, symbols, signs created by media not only form our perspective, but also serve as keys to the perception of reality. A subject today is involved in endless interconnected streams of information, hence a subject doesn’t consume information in discreet blocks anymore. Rather, we can imagine a subject standing knee-deep in a vast stream grabbing whatever he or she may find interesting. Under the certain conditions the very reality is being substituted by the virtual reality. The author shows and analyses the communication model of the basic information producers and recipients.


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