POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN MASS COMMUNICATION
CO 500: INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION THEORIES
COURSE OUTLINE
Course Units: 3
Contact hours: 3 Hrs
per week
Lecturer: Benson, A.
Lecturer: Benson, A.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to
the theoretical foundations of mass communication and its different paradigms. The
course will cover definitions of key concepts, communication models, theory
components and features, as well as tracing the historical development, eras
and paradigms of Mass communication theories. Furthermore, the course seeks to
develop students’ understanding and interpretation of communication theories and
improve their ability to apply them to their own research enquiries and endeavours.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course
students will be able to:
· define and explain different mass communication theories and models;
· define and explain different mass communication theories and models;
· articulate
the components of social science theories and steps involved in theory
building;
·
critique
the major communication theories in their application to Tanzanian media
setting;
·
apply
diverse mass communication theories to media research enquiries;
COURSE CONTENT
Weeks
|
Modules
|
Mode of delivery
|
1st & 2nd week
20 –
27/10/14
|
Module 1: Introduction to
communication and theories
|
Lecture
& seminars
|
2nd
& 3rd week
3-10/11/14
|
Module 2: Theoretical foundation
of mass communication
· Origin
of mass communication theories
· Eras
of mass communication
· Paradigms
of mass communication
· Approaches
ro studying mass communication theories
|
Lecture
& seminar
|
4th
& 5th week
17-24/11/2014
|
Module 3: Normative theories of
Mass communication
|
Lecture
& Seminar
|
6th
& 7th week
1-7/12/2014
|
Module 4:
Media effects Theories
· Understanding
media effects
· Types and
applications of Media effect theories
· Case
study
|
Lecture
& Seminar
|
8th
week
14/12/2014
|
Module 5: Audience theories
· Understanding
media audiences/users
· Types and
application of audience theories
· Case study
|
Lecture
& Seminar
|
18/12/2014
|
Test 1: covering module 1 – 4
|
|
9th
week
20th
Dec, 2014
|
Breather
|
|
10th&11th week
27-2/1/15
|
Module 6: Behavioural
and Attitude change theories
· Explanations
of behavioral/attitude change
· Types and
applications of behavioural & attitude change theories
· Case study
|
Lecture
& seminar
|
12th &13th week
5 – 12/1/15
|
Module 6: Critical/Cultural Theories
· Explanations
of critical/cultural studies
· Types
of critical/cultural theories and their application in the media
· Case
study from Tanzania
|
Lecture
& seminar
|
Submission of written
assignments
|
||
14th
week
|
Module 7: Development
communication Theories
· Theorizing
development communication
· Types of
development communication theories and their application
Case study from Tanzania
|
Lecture
& seminars
|
COURSE ASSESSMENT & GRADING
· 40%
Coursework:
- Test (15%);
- Written assignment (15%);
- Seminar presentations (10%)
- Test (15%);
- Written assignment (15%);
- Seminar presentations (10%)
· 60%
End of semester University Examination
REFERENCES
Baran, S. (2003), Introduction
to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture, 3rd
ed. New York, McGraw-Hill
Baran, S. J. &
Davis, D. K. (2003), Mass Communication Theory : Foundations
ferment & future, 3rd ed. Belmont CA, Wadsworth
Dominick, J.
(2002), The Dynamics of Mass Communication: Media Literacy in the Digital Age,
7th ed. New York, McGraw-Hill
Griffin, E. M.
(2009), A Fisrt Look at Communication Theory, 7th ed, New
York, McGraw-Hill
Littlejohn, S. W.
& Foss, K. A. (2008), Theories of Human Communication, 9th
ed, Belmont, Thompson Wadsworth
McQuail, D. (2005),
McQuail’s
Mass Communication Theory, 5th ed. London, Sage publications
Rosenberry, J.
& Vicker, A. L. (2009), Applied Mass Communication Theory: A guide
for Media Practitioners,
New York, Pearson
Severin, W. J.
& Tankard, J. W. (2001), Communication Theories: Origins, Methods
& Uses in the Mass Media, 5th ed, New York, Longman
West, R. &
Turner, L. H. (2004), Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis
and Application, 2nd ed, New York, McGraw-Hill
More Readings
Baran, S. & Davis, D. (...), Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment, and Future
McQuail, D. (2005), McQuail's Mass Communication Theory, 5th ed. London, Sage Publication
McQuail, D. (2005), McQuail's Mass Communication Theory, 5th ed. London, Sage Publication
Perry, D. K. (2002), Theory and Research in Mass Communication: Contexts and Consequences, 2nd ed. NY, Routledge
Littlejohn, S. W. & Foss, K. A. (....), Theories of Human Communication
Fourie, P. J. ed. (....), Media Studies: Institutions, theories, and issues
Dainton, M. & Zelley, E. D. eds. (.....), Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life: A Practical Introduction
Festinger, L. (1957), A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, California, Stanford University Press
Festinger, L. (1957), A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, California, Stanford University Press
Jansen, S. C. (2002), Critical Communication Theory: Power, Media, Gender, and Technology, Oxford, Rowman & Littlefield
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ReplyDeleteGovernment as the ruling body of the state, control Media and act most powerfully to the Nation rather than owners, Advertiser, or Audience.
ReplyDeleteGovernment control and power Media in term of some decisions which Government make restriction even to the owners, advertiser or audience do not have a power to decide or say anything. That’s why Government appears to be more and royal to the media rather than other controller.
The registration Framework restrict Media to perform their works in a way that makes even journalist do not do their work properly, this due to Government power over the Media in Tanzania.
Presence of Media Laws and Institutions also make on other way the Government to be seen most powerfully to the media.
According to online material from www.fes-tanzania.org Tanzania News Agency Act, No 3 of 1976, led to the establishment of a state owned News Agency to be only collector and disseminator of news and information within and outside the country.
Tanzania Communication Regulation Authority (TCRA) is the technical Authority of the Government that oversees proper operation of the media as far as law will be adhered. It was established by the TCRA Act no. 12 of 2003.
Newspaper Act of 1976
It contains things that newspaper has to be registered. Act authorize the minister to define important specific of the content of media freedom, also journalist must have a press card.
Broadcasting Service Act of 1993 replaced 2003 by the communication Regulation Authority Act.
Government authorized to regulate the Media in case the national security is jeopardized, through broadcasting Act, Communication Act and Communication Regulation Act.
According to Constitution of United Republic of Tanzania Article no 18: every person has the right to freedom of expression and to seek, receive and impart or disseminate information and ideas through any Media regardless of the national frontiers.
Some of the legislation limits freedom of Media and society at large, for example Penal Code of 1945; the National Security Act of 1970 makes it unlawful to publish any classified government materials.
According to E.Kilimwiko and O.Mapunda say in National Security Act according to section 13(1), a person suspected of any offence in the Act can be arrested without warrant while section Those restrict journalist
Those restrict journalist to enter the so called protected places and have in hand the classified 19 denies him the right to bail.
ReplyDeletedocuments, while journalist suppose to look for news and handle public document. So military issues it hard for journalist or a Media to publish because also as government put some of limitations.
Regional Administration Act of 1997 allow regional and district commissioner to ban people like journalist from operating in certain district.
Therefore those examples shows direct how Government has a power to the Media rather than those owners or advertiser those follows government.
Matter of censorship can also make me to judge government as the most powerfully over the Media because they involve shaping Media.
Censorship according to E.Mrutu is the systematic control of the content of any communication medium by means of constitution, judicial, administrative, financial or purely physical measures. It can be imposed direct by the ruling class or indirect way.
Censorship make Media prevented from thinking critically as media so most of media ending to give up their facts and do what the ruling laws say. This even prevent their faculties from functioning properly.
The following are some example of the problems which some Media or journalist faces due to the power of the government in Tanzania. According to Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
Photojournalist Athuman Hamis of Zanzibar from the Guardian Detained by police because of taking pictures of Zanzibar President Salmin Amour and Vice- President of Tanzania Omar Ali Juma when they shaking hand. Police claim that CCM area is the one of the “sensitive places”. Happen February 16, 2000.
Police follow Act 13 no 1 which offence journalist.
On February 26, 2000 the government threatened to shut down all newspaper that published stories or cartoon that defamed the President or were found to be seditious. This made by Director of Tanzania Informational Services (TIS) Kassim Mpenda.
Therefore my own view according to law we have show how much the government is power on the Media, thus limit our journalist even they work on private media or government to touch in deep the government though they try for their level best to say what really happen in the society and government at large.
Reference
Kilimwiko.E and Mapunda.O (1998), A HANDBOOK ON THE STATE OF MEDIA IN TANZANIA,Friedrich Ebert Stiftung , Nairobi Kenya.
MEDIA ISTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (2000), SO THIS IS DEMOCRACY? The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Namibia.
Mrutu.E, MEDIA AND SOCIETY IN TANZANIA, Ecoprint Ltd, Dar es Salaam.
www.https://fes.org/tanzania.com , Media and State, 2013/10/2011,
www.https://juduciary.go.tz
KIHUNDO, HAPPY A - 2013-04-03312
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMedia are diversified techonology that are intendend to reach large audience, media helps in reaching information from one place to another.media helps in educating,entertaining and mainting a certain culture by using mass communication like television,radio,newspaper,.there are some advertisers who tried to show the influence on the content and the key to operate on the media.
ReplyDeleteJohn Fiske,was born in 1939 as a media scholar who has taught around the worldhis area of interest include popular culture,mass culture,media semiotics and television studies.he is the author of ten books one of it is power plays,power work(1993) and he used to act as a media critic examining how culture is created in american society.and how issues like race are handled in different media,these shows how advisetisers influence media in the society
Pierre bourdieu, he is a French media critic who is a socialist he wrote the books on the television (new press 1999 bourdieu is that television provides farless autonomy or freedom than we think and his view the market which implies the hunt for hire advertising revenue not only imposes informality and banality but also a form of invisible sensaship for example before anything to be published, they doa pre interview in order to cross check the program that is to be sent on the air
Andrew crisell, is a media chancellor who studied in UK on media studies and he tried to say that in any media work there must be research and one who is doing that particular research must be educated. Due to that any any other media source they must conduct a research that’s how the advertiser control or influence the media
Henry genkins, he graduated in media studies program and also contributed much in humanity studies program he emphasise on coparative media where by media should communicate to one another in documentary,mobile design, computational media and he uses to provide graduate students with research to cover living expenses
Siva vaidhyanathan, a culture historian and a media scholar as well as the inaugural veklin media policy and ethics in 2010 the group of undergraduate students in the media studies department established movable type academic journey the department is expanding rapidlyand doubled in size in 2011 that shows the media is growing influence the society
Reference,
Reading television. J.fiske and J. Hartley (1978) ISBN 0-415-04291-7
Baran S.J (2006) introduction to mass communication, Mcgraw hill, USA
MEGELWA RADHIA 2013-04-03328
Media are communication channel through which messages are disseminated. Also media are collective communication outlets or tools that are used to store and deliver information.
ReplyDeleteMedia is like an agent, this is because it allows sharing of culture in the society, and people of different culture are becoming able to intermingle.mass media is a group that constructs messages with embedded values, and that disseminates those messages to a specific portion of the public in order to achieve a specific goal.
Letanalyze this definition.
“A group” – When referring to the mass media as a “group,” it's to say that newspapers, movie studios, television networks, radio stations, and so called “media conglomerates” are all a part of this group of people and companies related to the collective we call “the media.”
“That constructs messages with embedded values” – The media do not only create messages, but they create messages with embedded values. “constructs” was used instead of a word such as “creates” or “produces.” The notion that media messages are constructed means that one or more persons made a conscious effort to build the message you’re viewing, listening to, or reading. “And that disseminates those messages” – In order for the media to be the media, and not someone’s own personal journal that no one elsdisseminated .“to a specific portion of the public” – Since we know that media messages are constructed, and that they all have embedded values, it’s also important to know that the people and companies creating these messages target them.
“In order to achieve a specific goal” – This last part of the definition is perhaps the most important of all. The media constructs a message, disseminates it into society, and targets specific people in order to achieve an end result.
As we’ll soon discover, the media is a business selling a product (the message), to a set of consumers (the audience).
• STATE OWNED MEDIA
As taking Tanzania in media ownership, there is state owned media for example there is television (TBC 1, TBC 2) who owned by state and radio (TBC taifa) as well as newspaper. So as to serve the interest of the public in general.
Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation:
Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation:
ReplyDeleteThe primary form of public broadcasting in Tanzania is that of the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), which initially evolved from Televisheni ya Taifa in 2007, and the radio form under th TBC name.
zanzibar Public Broadcasting
The other form of public broadcasting in Tanzania is TV Zanzibar (TVZ) and the Voice of Tanzania-Zanzibar radio station. The TVZ was inaugurated in 1973 by the then President of Zanzibar Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume and is a broadcasting station that produces and transmits development-oriented programs in Swahili and English.
Other Forms of Public Broadcasting.
The government of Tanzania also operates Parapanda Radio Tanzania; a radio station set up to counter the attraction of younger generations listening to private commercial radio. The Orkonerei Radio Service (ORS) is another form of community radio that is operated by a non-government agency but under the supervision of the government.
Tanzania Standard Newspapers Ltd.
The primary form of public newspaper production in Tanzania is that of Tanzania Standard Newspapers Ltd (TSN).
STATE-OWNED:
• TV
o Televisheni ya Taifa (TVT) formed into Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) – state-run
o TV Zanzibar – state-run
o Radio
Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) – state-run
Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam
Newspaper
Daily News – government owned, Tanzania’s oldest newspaper (since the 30’s
ACCORDING to Simeon Djankov, caralee Mc Liesh et al, june,(2001). A very large proportion of the world's media - especially radio and television - are owned by the public or the state.
According to Pigouvian theory (public interest theory), The Government/state ownership cures markets failure and public choice that means the state help the media industry in one way or another.
• A license fee paid by television viewers and government budget.This evidence is broadly consistent with the ideas developed by Demsertz (1989) and Demsertz and Lehn (1985)
Also Tanzania ,the state owned media because, for example (According to Public choice theory) state owned media would manipulate and distort information in favor of the ruling party and entrench its rule while preventing the public from making informed decision, this will prevent private to provide alternative voices allowing individuals to choose politicians ,good services. As we can see in our country the state is much favor the rulling party because of the power it has and that power intervene in media.
• State owned media are media for people. It is not an individual who holds the authority, and hence, it is not guided by an individual interestrequire maximum attention. • It serves a particular interest group, not general people.
REFERENCES;
Djankov and Simeon, Who owns Media? World Bank publication (2002)
www. Understand Media.com, 12:00 pm, 22/11/2014Wiki.answer.com. Sunday, 1:05 pm
http://www.tanzania.at/mht/The_Media_History_of_Tanzania.pdf
MSEJA CHRISTINA, 2013-04-03321
Mlonganile Alfred - 2013-04-03297
ReplyDeleteFor what I think, between the government, audiences, advertisers and
the owners, both have power and influence to the media as each of it,
plays a great part for the media to operate.
The influence of the government to the media is as follows;
A substantial literature ties media freedom to good governance. First,
less is known about the
determinants of media freedom itself. Although correlated with the
presence of democratic
institutions, political institutions alone do not determine media
freedom. Many non democracies have higher levels of media freedom than
many democracies,
and among the least democratic countries there is little obvious
relationship between political
institutions and media freedom. Second, Moreover, media freedom often
fluctuates within countries
even as political institutions remain unchanged. So the influence of
the government can be measured by the power vested on it.
And about the power of the owners has the influence on
content. And also the owner has the power to choose what to
be broadcasted and what not to be published, because
media is now operating for profit as far many of these media under
private ownership as an example are commercial media. Owners
produce for their own interest and not for the public
interest.
And on the influence from the advertisers, the size of the advertising
market, which may be influenced by such factors as
media technology and economic regulation, determines the opportunity
cost of lost consumers
due to bias in reporting. In the words of a Mexican journalist working
in the 1990s at
the independent La Jornada, “telling the truth is good business”
(Lawson, 2002, p. 89),
though the extent to which that is the case depends on the
responsiveness of advertisers to
circulation, viewer ship, or listenership. Consistent with the
findings of an emerging empirical
and theoretical literature,4 we show that private media are generally
less biased when the
advertising market is large, as purchasing influence through
subsidization or outright bribery is relatively expensive for the
government. Holding ownership
constant, growth in the advertising market reduces media bias,
regardless of whether the
media are private or state-owned. However, the same growth may prompt
the government
to seize direct control of the media, which leads to a discontinuous
jump in media bias.
To open up a debate is easier than to resolve it, and disagreement
remains over whether the
hopes for a broader theoretical convergence across diverse traditions
in media research has
been as successful as the body of empirical audience reception studies
generated in the
attempt (Curran, 1990). It is not even clear whether such convergence
is possible or
desirable at all (Ang, 1990a; Grossberg, 1994).
One of the function of the media is agenda setting where by Media
tenor compares the relationship between reality and the media's
selection of reality and the influence of these on public perception.
Its applied agenda setting research has proven that media shapes
people's minds, especially those with no direct connection to
newsworthy events. Consequently, topics not discussed in the media
have proved to be irrelevant or less relevant to the public.
In that case, the media need those power from the government, owners,
advertisers and without forgeting that, if there is no audience, there
is no media.
Reference,
Reading television. J.fiske and J. Hartley (1978)
ISBN 0-415-04291-7
Hyden G, Leslie M, Ogundimu F. (2002) Media
and Democracy in Africa, Brunshick, New Jersy.
Baran S.J (2006) introduction to mass
communication, Mcgraw hill, USA
Lawson, Telling the truth os the good business (2002)
Hyden G, Leslie M, Ogundimu F. (2002) Media
and Democracy in Africa, Brunshick, New Jersy.