COMM 211 - Media Effects & Society

1.00

With the rise of mass society and the rapid growth of the mass media starting in the nineteenth century, the public, media critics, and scholars have raised questions about the effects various media might have on society and individuals. Understanding the effects of media on individuals and society requires us to examine the messages being sent, the medium transmitting them, the owners of the media, and the audience members themselves. The effects can be cognitive, attitudinal, behavioral and psychological. Media effects also can be examined in terms of a number of theoretical approaches, including functional analysis, agenda setting, uses and gratifications, social learning, symbolic interactionism, spiral of silence, media logic and cultivation analysis. This course is designed to promote an understanding of basic mass communication and the effects of media on individuals. This content will be taught from a social scientific perspective, with an emphasis on communication theory. We will explore the history, state and future of mass communication, establishing some of its most important assumptions and philosophy. No prerequisites Gen Ed Competency: Examine Power & Inequities