Communication theories that may help in better understanding of media

construction and deconstruction.

GATEKEEPING THEORY
I. Definition
- Gatekeeping is the process of selecting, and then filtering, items of media
that can be consumed within the time or space that an individual happens
to have.
- Gatekeeping falls into a role of surveillance and monitoring data.

● Factors of Gatekeeping

The factors that influence gatekeeping are:

1. Individual
2. Routine
3. Organization
4. Extra-Media
5. Ideology

II. Example
An international news channel receives numbers of news items within day like
international terror issues, UN discussions, Texas bull fighting and religious
abuse on international community.

News items:
N1: Texas bull fighting, N2: International terror issues, N3: UN discussions, N4:
religious abuse on international community

Gatekeeper:

Chief Editor

Selected News Items:

 N2: International terror issues, N3: UN discussions,

Discarded News Items: (on popularity)

N1: Texas bull fighting

Discarded News Items: (on policy)

N4: Religious abuse on International community

III. Strengths of Gatekeeping theory

- In a world where “fake news” often competes with “real news,”
gatekeeping can be programmed to tell the differences between the
two types of content so that only the preferred data points are
consumed by each individual.
- Gatekeeping may also hold influence on policies and procedures,
playing the role of a watchdog within society or simply playing into
the audience’s confirmation bias.

IV. Criticisms of Gatekeeping Theory

- The theory suggests there is only one gate, but in reality, there might be many.
- Editors and other gatekeepers change the priority of news causing influence in
society like racism, sexism, classism, etc.
- It can cause negative presentations and abuse of power.
- The reality might not be shown as it is.
- The theory also has appeal as well as plausibility and applicability.
- Gatekeeping has become less in today’s news broadcast due to internet media
and people posting anything and everything.
INFORMATION-PROCESSING THEORY
I. Definition
- George Armitage Miller was the first to put forth the idea of the theory of
information processing. He was one of the original founders of cognition
studies in psychology. His studies are based on Edward C. Tolman’s sign
and latent learning theories, which propose that learning is an internal and
complex process which involves mental processes (Çeliköz, Erişen, &
Şahin, 2019).
- Information processing theory is an approach to cognitive development
studies that aims to explain how information is encoded into memory.
● Elements of Information Processing Theory
- Information Stores - The various areas of the mind where information is
kept include sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory,
semantic memory, episodic memory, and more.
- Cognitive Processes - The various processes that transfer memory
among different memory stores. Some of the processes include
perception, coding, recording, chunking, and retrieval.
- Executive Cognition - The awareness of the individual of the way
information is processed within him or her. It also pertains to knowing their
strengths and weaknesses. This is very similar to metacognition.
● Models of Information Processing Theory
- Sensory Memory
- Short-Term Memory
- Long-Term Memory
II. Example

Repetition
- We undoubtedly found repetition helpful when learning to ride a bike, memorizing
a script, or studying for a test. Repetition is one of the primary methods by which
information is transferred from our short-term memory to our long-term memory,
as per the theory of information processing. Something is more likely to get
 ingrained in your brain the more times it is cycled through your short-term
memory. Particularly when it comes to creating employee training programs, this
information is quite helpful.

Break Information Into Parts

- Divide the presentation into sections if you want the audience to comprehend
and remember the material. Break down that part as well if it is particularly long.
Also, move slowly. Give your audience plenty of brief interludes so they can
assimilate the information. When conducting workshops or training, the same
rules apply. Even better results can be obtained by moving at a slow speed with
frequent rests.

III. Strengths of Information Processing Theory

- Corporate training can be organized using the Information Processing
Theory as a framework. It gives you a method for guaranteeing that your
students receive more than a cursory understanding of the information we
present to them. It makes sure that it is stored in their long-term memory
for retrieval at any time.
- IP theory sufficiently explains the basics of how knowledge is acquired
IV. Criticisms of Information Processing Theory
- While technology has proven itself through its various achievements and
feats in making our lives easier, most especially in the process of
circulating information, it is still incomparable as to how humans actually
think because our difference is that our thought processes are influenced
by certain factors that do not affect computers and technology. A few
examples are how human emotions come into consideration, or how we
are motivated to learn, or even our physical conditions limit (or extend, in
some ways) our thought processes. Mayer(1996), information processing
theory fails to acknowledge that humans process information for a
purpose. It is further suggested that IP theory ignores the emotional,
motivational, and social aspects as well as the cultural, biological, and
 physiological components of learning by focusing on the rational side of
human cognition.
- Moreover, philosopher John Searle argues that the IPT makes
assumptions about the human mind. He basically stated that while a
computer can produce an information model of a particular event or
phenomenon, that doesn’t mean that the corresponding event is in itself
an information processing system and that human experiences are
different. It has a more meaningful context than how computers process
information.

RECEPTION THEORY
I. Definition
- developed by Stuart Hall, the reception theory points out that media texts are
encoded and decoded which allows the audience to understand the text
conveyed by the media.
- Stuart Hall suggested that media texts encoded (made/inserted) by producers
and then decoded (understood by the audiences contain a variety of messages.
In that sense, what producers want us to see becomes what we call a
‘re-presentation’.

● Three positions that an audience may adopt when perceiving the text:
1. Dominant, or Preferred Reading - is how the producer wants the audience
to see the work. E.g. Reading Media Content about how to play tennis
correctly and actually interpreting that content to achieve the right way of
playing tennis.
2. Oppositional Reading - is when the audience has no acceptance of the
author’s takes on a subject and interprets the work in a way that will fit an
“alternative framework of reference”. E.g. In the past, contracting parties
would perform sanduguan, an ancient ritual practiced in the Philippines, to
 seal a friendship or treaty or to validate an agreement. They would cut
their wrists, pour their blood into a cup of liquid, such as wine, and then
drink the mixture. However, in reality, cutting wrists and drinking blood that
has not been collected hygienically can increase the risk of infection and
other illnesses.
3. Negotiated Reading - is when the audience combines both the dominant
and oppositional reading. It is where part of the views of the producer’s is
accepted by the audience while still believing their own views or
understanding of the work. E.g. Movies and television shows depict
scenarios in which parents leave their child at a young age in order to
work overseas. It is very painful and unsettling to leave a child alone as he
or she grows up, but working abroad also means more opportunities to
give children a better life.

● Factors that could affect the audience from choosing among the three
positions when understanding the text:
- Age
- Beliefs
- Culture
- Gender
- Life experience
- Mood at the time of viewing

II. Example

1. A simple food advertisement has the potential to divide people's opinions.

For example, a well-known fast food restaurant advertised their new
burger on the menu. Some people would easily interpret the
advertisement and reward themselves with that burger after a long and
tiring day at work. Some may want to go have one, but they must eat
healthily, so they will have to wait until another day. And some people
 would object to this advertisement because they believe fast food is
unhealthy.

2. Depending on their political persuasion and stance, audiences will either

agree, partially agree, or completely disagree with the messages when
watching or reading political speeches.

III. Strengths of Reception Theory

- The reception theory provides the means to better understand media text
and how it is perceived by the audiences.
- It allows us to understand the active role of the audience when it comes to
the construction and interpretation of the media texts.
- It discusses the factors that may influence the audience's reaction when
understanding the media text.
-
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