MEDIA, CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Political Culture and agenda setting, Cultural flows in an Age of Convergence

Media dynamics
- Thus, agenda-setting theory was, built on the notion that the mass media sets the agenda
for what people should care about.
- It was first introduced in 1972 by college professors, Maxwell McCombs and Donald
Shaw. In a survey, they found that during the 1968 U.S. presidential election North
Carolina voters that what people thought were the most important issues were what the
mass media reported as the most critical.
- People attach importance to what the media highlights.

Core Assumptions
The agenda-setting theory rests on two basic assumptions.
1. The first is that the media filters and shapes what we see rather than just reflecting stories
to the audience. An example of this is seeing a sensational or scandalous story at the top
of a broadcast as opposed to a story that happened more recently or one that affects more
people, such as an approaching storm or legislative tax reform.
2. The second assumption is that the more attention the media gives to an issue, the more
likely the public will consider that issue to be important. Another way to look at it:
3. Mass media organizations aren’t telling us what to think or how we should feel about a
story or issue, they give us certain stories or issues that people should think more about.
4. There is psychological and scientific merit to the agenda-setting theory. The more a story
is publicized in the mass media, the more it becomes prominently stored in individuals’
memories when they’re asked to recall it, even if it doesn’t specifically affect them or
register as a prominent issue in their minds.

Types of Agenda Setting

There are three types of agenda setting:
 Public agenda setting: when the public determines the agenda for which stories are
considered important
 Media agenda setting: when the media determines the agenda for which stories are
considered important
 Policy agenda setting: when both the public and media agendas influence the decisions of
public policy makers

Criticisms
One of the issues with the agenda-setting theory is that it is difficult to measure.
Research on the theory has been largely inconclusive in establishing a causal relationship
between public prominence and media coverage. And in 2018, with the worldwide influence of
the internet and social media, where almost everyone can find news they’re looking for instead
of being constrained by just relying on one or two sources, it’s harder to convince others that the
mass media is setting the agenda.
In addition, the theory doesn’t work for people who have already made up their minds. For
example, someone might believe that his or her elected official was the right choice for office,
despite numerous compelling reports to the contrary presented by the mass media

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Mediatization theory
The materialist school of mediatization theory is studying how society to an increasing degree
becomes dependent on the media and their logic. The studies are combining results from
different
areas of science to describe how changes in the media and changes in society are interrelated.
Media are institutionalized as resources of interaction.
The media are the tools that enable, limit, and structure communicative interaction
and view of the individual actor, person or organization,
Mediatization, denotes the ‘long-term interrelation processes between media change,
social and cultural change on the other’.
The media has an integral role in the interactions between religious actors and organizations
and the wider culture and society

Mediatization of religion denotes the processes ‘through which religious beliefs, agency, and
symbols are becoming influenced by the workings of various media’ (Hjarvard 2016, 8). Such
changes take place at both a structural level, i.e. the interdependencies between institutional
domains, such as religion, politics, and the media, and at the level of social interaction, i.e. the
practices of individuals and organizations.

- Mediatization theory, explains the question of the influence of media on social

interaction, more aptly the ways in which the integration and presence of media in social
and cultural domains come to condition, but not determine, the encounters between actors
in everyday life.
- Mediatization theory helps us to understand the influence of various media dynamics in
social and cultural conflicts involving religion (Eskjær, Hjarvard and Mortensen 2015;
see also Driessen et al. 2017). By using the word ‘influences’ in relation to the media we
are explicitly avoiding the term ‘media effects’, i.e. the idea that media, at the level of
individual messages, may have a definitive influence on audiences’ opinionand
behaviour.
- Mass media and social media afford a communicative environment providing a horizon
of orientation for citizens about conflicts relating to religion, politics and many other
issues and provide social actors with the tools to engage in such conflicts. Media may
insert various dynamics into conflicts and may occasionally become actors themselves in
contestations over such issues.
1. media’s ability to amplify the communication and the ramifications of the reported
events,
2. how the world is represented, framed, in the media, and the ways in which the media
bestow the communication of events with a certain narrative and drama and work as
arenas for the performance of various involved actors, and
3. the various ways in which media as social and communicative environments come to
co-structure communication and actions

There are three different media dynamics:

(1) amplification,
(2) framing and performative agency, and
(3) co-structuring.

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Each of the different metaphors of the media, focusing on different aspects of their workings:
1. Considering the media as conduits draws our attention to the media’s ability to influence
the magnitude of communicative interactions;
2. looking at the media as languages addresses the media’s formatting of meaning during
conflicts; and
3. considering the media as an environment focuses our attention on the structural
influences of the media environment, for instance, as regards access to communicative
resources (Meyrowitz, 1993).

Media Metaphor Dynamics Influence

Media as conduits Amplification: Volume, speed, reach, level of involvement

Media as language Framing and performative agency: Representation, performance, and

dramaturgy.

Amplification If we look at the media as conduits or channels of communication, an

important dynamic of the media is their ability to amplify not only
communication, but also the ramifications of the reported events.

Framing and Performative Agency

The second media dynamic reflects the fact that the media are not neutral vehicles of information
exchange, but involve a particular construction of the message in terms of meaning and
aesthetics.
In a metaphorical sense, the media are also languages through which the world is represented,
framed, in particular ways at the same time as the media bestow the communication of events
with
a certain narrative and dramaturgy, and also work as arenas for the performative agency of
various
involved actors.

Co-Structuring
Media as environment Co-structuring Media practices both embedded in, and constitute,
structural
relations of power. If we finally look at the media as social and communicative environments we
can discern various ways in which media come to co-structure communication and actions. The
media may be understood as resources for interaction, but media resources are not evenly
distributed though they are embedded within power relationships.

The ability to influence the agenda of news media thus depends on your prominence as a news
source, and, as many studies have demonstrated, political elites and other power holders in
society typically have much easier access to the news media if compared to other sources. These
power relationships are, for instance, conceptualized in the elite-driven media (Stig Hjarvard,
Knut Lundby theory (Hallin 1986), and this may, in the present case, explain why the
mainstream press in Europe was very strongly aligned with the mainstream political parties.

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Globalization
The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start
operating on an international scale. Globalization, or globalisation, is the process of interaction
and integration among people, companies.

- Globalization has provided a tremendous impact on traditional values, structure and

knowledge base of society, with increasing external pressures and changing internal
dynamics. Capacity development in practice only focuses on the approach to the transfer
of knowledge and technology as a solution, but it does not support communities in
developing their own capacity.
- Globalization has had negative impact on social change and economic decline in rural
areas as shown by the high levels of unemployment and foreign investment
- Converged communications has positively and significantly influenced by improving
access to information. The communication behavior is influenced by the social and
cultural dynamics.
- Increased social and cultural dynamics have improving the communication behaviour of
business, and developed the capacity of the business.
- The convergence of communication has improved:
1. capacity building
2. common understanding between business actors,
3. the knowledge of business
4. knowledge of business by communicating effectively, improving quality of
service information, social interaction, participation in the network and the
ability of business.

More specific patterns of influences from media. Recently, several studies in the have examined
how social network media may influence the ways that users engage with controversial issues in
such media USA (Hampton et al. 2014), Denmark (Kulturstyrelsen 2015), and Norway
(Fladmoe
and Steen-Johansen 2017). These studies are methodologically fairly similar and provide
empirical
evidence for the existence of a ‘spiral of silence’ in relation to social network media.
The ‘spiral of silence’ is a middle-range theory that was developed by Noelle-Neumann (1984),
which suggested that citizens’ willingness to participate in debates about controversial issues
depends on their perception of the extent to which others share their opinion
on the issue.

Media Dynamics and Human Agency

- media may bring various dynamics into conflicts and media may themselves sometimes
become actors in contestations over religious and issues. In these ways, media may
condition conflicts about religious issues, but they neither determine the particular
framings of the conflicts nor the outcomes. Instead,
- the media afford a communicative environment that provides an important direction of
orientation for citizens about these conflicts

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 - Media provides partisan social actors with the tools to engage in such conflicts in order
to push the public agenda in directions that are suitable to their standpoints, politically,
religiously, or otherwise.

Convergence

Search engine optimization (SEO) for is the practice of increasing both the quality and quantity
of website traffic, as well as exposure to your brand, through non-paid (also known as "organic")
search engine results. Despite the acronym, SEO is as much about people as it is about search
engines themselves.
Social media is used in various business functions.

Marketing
Marketing is one of the most important and common use of social media in business. It works
because today every brand has a target section of online audience.

HR
Is great for identifying and engaging the talent directly. HR helps company to showcase their
employee benefits and culture of the company to outside world.

Creative
IT share enables art, copy and design teams to invent new ideas which is useful for company to
achieve goals.

Operations/strategy
Many of the sites like LinkedIn help the business by connecting with the experts who can share
some strategic plans.

Business Development
Professional networking sites can be used to connect with clients

Impact of Social Media

• Social media includes social networking sites and blogs where people can easily connect
with each other.
• Social media is important in everyday life from shopping to electronic mails, education
and business tool.
• Social media plays a vital role in transforming people’s life style.
• Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have emerged as key tools for news.
These sites have become a day to day routine for the people.

Impact of Social Media on Education

A research conducted on the Purpose of Internet Usage inn education produced the following
reults:
Usage of social media on education
Mail 33
Surfing 26.8

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Chatting 18.7
Social Networking 17
Other 4.5
Total 100

It also established that

1. 90% of college students use social networks.
2. Rapid development of technology has introduced small communication devices that can
be used to access social networks any time anywhere. These gadgets include pocket
computers, laptops, iPads and even simple mobile phones (which support internet)
3. For the purpose of education social media has been used as an innovative way. Students
have been taught using this tool in virtual classes instead of using media just for
messaging or texting
4. Social media has increased the quality and rate of collaboration for students. With the
help of social media students can easily communicate or share information quickly
through various social sites like Facebook, Orkut, and Instagram etc.
5. It is also important for students to do some practical work instead of doing paper work.
They can also write blogs to enhance their knowledge skills
6. Social networking sites also conduct online examinations which play an important role to
enhance the students’ knowledge.

Positive Effects of Social Media on Education

- Social media gives a way to the students to effectively reach each other.
- Some students who do not take an interest consistently in class might feel that they can
express their thoughts easily on social media [
- Teachers may post on social media about class activities, events, assignments
- It is seen that social media marketing has been emerging as a career option. Social media
marketing prepares young workers to become successful marketers.
- The access of social media provides the opportunity for educators to teach good digital
citizenship and the use of Internet for productivity

Negative effect of Social Media on Education

- Distraction to the students present in class
- Posting personal information on online sites is the biggest breakdown of social media in
education and encroachment of privacy
- There is a lot of inappropriate information posted which may lead the students to the
wrong side.
- Because of social media students lose their ability to engage themselves for face to face
communication.
- Many of the bloggers and writers post wrong information on social sites which leads the
education system to failure.

Impact of Social Media on Business

- Social media is the new buzz area in marketing that includes business, organizations and
brands which helps to create news, make friends, make connections and make followers.

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 - Businesses use social media to enhance an organization’s performance to accomplish
business objectives, increase annual sales.
- Social media provides the benefit as a communication platform that facilitates two way
communication between a company and their stock holders
- Business can be promoted through various social networking sites. Many of the
organization promotes their business by giving advertisement on the social media in
order to attract maximum users or customers.
- Customers can connect and interact with business on a more personal level by using
social media.
- If an organization has established a brand, social media may help this organization to
develop the existing brand and give the business a voice. With the help of social media
organizations can make their strategy to promote their organization.

Positive Effect of Social Media on Business

- Social Media helps to better understand the audience by their likes and dislikes
- It helps the business for promotional activities.
- Social networking sites help to make new customers by providing useful facilities.
- Helps to enhance market insight and stretch out beyond rivals with online networking
- It also helps to increase awareness among brands and reach with little to no budget

Negative Effect of Social Media on Business

- Social media is not entirely risk free because many of the fans and followers are free
to post their opinion on a particular organization, the negative comment can lead the
organization to failure.
- Many of the large organizations have fallen victim to hackers.
- The wrong online brand strategy can doom a company, and put it at a huge viral
social disadvantage
- Getting involved with Social Media is very time consuming. As an organization you
should assign a person to always bolster your pages and profile with significant
substance
- Most companies have difficulty measuring the results of social media advertising

Impact of Social Media on Society

- Social media that has an enormous impact on our society. Many of the social media
sites are most popular on the web.
- Some social media sites have transformed the way people communicate and socialize
on the web.
- Social networking sites render the opportunity for people to reconnect with their old
friends, colleagues and mates. It also helps people to make new friends, share content,
pictures, audios, videos amongst them.
- Social media also changes the life style of a society.

Positive Effects of Social Media on Society

- Social Media helps to meet people they may not have met outside the social media
forums.

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 - It also helps to share ideas beyond the geographical boundaries.
- It provides open opportunity for all writers and bloggers to connect with their clients.
- Social networking sites unite people on a huge platform for the achievement of
specific goals. This brings positive change in the society.
- Social media provides awareness among society like campaigns, advertisement
articles, promotions which helps the society to be up to date with the current
information

Negative Effects of Social Media on Society

- One of the negative effect of social media is that it make people addicted. People
spend lots of time in social networking sites which can divert the concentration and
focus from work.
- Social media can easily effect the kids, the reason is sometimes people shares photos,
videos on media that contain violence and negative things which can affect the
behaviour of children or teenagers.
- It also abuses the society by invading on people’s privacy.
- Social ties such as family ones also weaken as people spend more time connecting to
new people.
- Some people uses their images or videos in social sites that can encourage others to
use it false fully.

Impact of Social Media on Youngsters

- Social media has become a new set of cool tools for involving young peoples. Many
young people’s day to day life are woven by the social media.
- Youngsters converse and communication with their friends and groups by using
different media and devices every day.
- In past youngsters were in touch with only friends and their groups in schools and
colleges. Today youngsters are in contact not only with known friends but also with
unknown people through social networking sites, instant messaging etc.
- Throughout the country teenagers frequently use the web, mobile phones, online
games to communicate and gather information from each other.
- A survey done in California shows that social media impacts the behavioural health
of California’s adults

Usage of Social Media by Youth

Text Messaging Cellphone feature
75% of all teens own a cell phone,
88% of cell phone owning teens text,
72% of all teens use text messaging Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace
73% of online teens have used a social networking site Online video sites Youtube.com
63% of online teens watch online videos Online gaming SecondLife.com
61% of online youth play games online, including multiplayer online games Blogging
with in social networking sites Facebook or MySpace feature
52% of online teens have commented on a blog

Positive Effects of Social Media on Youngsters

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 - Social media helps youngsters to stay connected with each other.
- Useful information can be exchanged over social networking sites.
- Social networking sites can allow teens to find support online that they may lack in
traditional relationships, especially for teens
- In a Critical Development period youngsters also go for social networking sites for
advice and information.
- Youngsters can look to social media for getting the answers related to their career
objectives.

Negative Effects of Social Media on Youngsters

- Today it’s not clear who the “strangers” are especially in the field of social media.
- Kidnapping, murder, robbery can be easily done by sharing details on social media.
- There are many cases registered in police station where adults target young children and
lure them into meeting them.
- Mostly youngsters waste lots of time on social sites like chatting which also effects their
health.
- Some useless blogs influence youth extremely that they become violent and can take some
inappropriate actions.

Impact of Social Media on Medical and Health

- Social media provide Health Care Professionals with tools to share information and to
promote health behaviours, to engage with the public, and to educate and interact with
patients, students, and colleagues.
- HCPs can use social media to potentially improve health outcomes, develop a professional
network, increase personal awareness of news and discoveries, motivate patients, and
provide health information to the community. Physicians most frequently join online
websites where they can read news articles, listen to experts, research medical
advancements, discuss with colleagues concerning patient issues, and network.
- They can explore and share ideas, discuss practice management challenges, make
referrals, disseminate their research, market their practices, or engage in health advocacy.
- A large number of physicians also use social media to converse directly with patients to
enhance clinical care.
- Social media is having a distinct consequence on healthcare systems, its impact is relevant
both in the developed and developing worlds.
- Healthcare consultants provide improved healthcare to a larger number of citizens, while
clients are able to use it to empower themselves, their families and their communities.

Positive Effects of Social Media on Health

- Sharing of Doctors prescriptions to friends, relatives and colleagues.
- Consulting Doctors online anywhere and anytime.
- Sharing Suggestions among friends, relatives and colleagues about various diseases and
their symptoms.
- Access to information in developing regions.
- Support and mutual accountability on online health forums.

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 - Support for health-related causes.
- Helping health services to prioritize critical cases.
- Increased accountability to consumers.
- More data available to health researchers.

Negative Effects of Social Media on Health

- Incorrect self-diagnosis
- Potential breach of privacy

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